Generation Y has often been portrayed as a bunch of brats - but recent research shows that there is more to them than that.

Rather than looking for only high-paying jobs, they are prepared to take more interesting and rewarding jobs. However, brats or no brats, they do not want to be tricked and made to believe that a job is better than it really is.

This is according to research done by The Student Room, the UK's largest student community. It shows that Generation Y graduates are mature, goal-oriented and ambitious in their career thinking. According to the research, Generation Y graduates (those born between the second half of the '70s and the first half of the '90s) are prepared to put in the effort to fulfil their long-term ambitions, and feel that a job's potential to be interesting (58%) or emotionally rewarding (42%) was a bigger incentive than salary.

Samantha Crous, the general manager of the CRF Institute South Africa, says: "Ultimately, what Generation Y is looking for is a place where they can grow, where they can identify with a company's culture and where they see some sort of synergy between what they value and what the organisation values."

The Student Room study also showed that about 80% of graduates are confident that they will end up in their preferred career, eventually, and about 56% of working graduates said they deliberately chose their current job with an eye on the long term.

According to Jamie O'Connell of The Student Room, recruiters should pay attention to the study's findings. "You should also not underestimate your appeal as a recruiter. Pay is not the be-all and end-all. Careers with large, blue chip behemoths appear to be palling. If you offer interesting, rewarding opportunities, then shout about it."

Jacques Pienaar, a human resources consultant for the Shoprite Group, says that the war for talent has meant that some companies give graduates unrealistic expectations of what it will be like to work for them. This leads to disillusionment once they start work.

"The trick is to accurately communicate your company's real strengths and culture to these graduates. This will not only improve the retention of graduates in the long term, but should also fine tune the applicants that choose to be part of your selection pool," says Pienaar.

Crous agrees that some organisations are not as transparent as they need to be about what they can offer Generation Y graduates. Through its publications and online presence (www.careerssa.net and Facebook) CRF is attempting to help employers and graduates navigate the divide, she says.

Another company that is using social media to connect with Generation Y is Thirst4Work. Brad Dowden, the MD of Thirst4Work, says: "With the constant focus of the government on job creation and getting more people to work, we are educating businesses of all sizes as to how they can cost-effectively advertise vacancies to the largest audience giving all an opportunity to gain employment via our site. The current mediums available do not engage the youth, graduates nor expats living abroad. With our powerful tools and social media connections, we are able to engage with talent globally."

The company's Twitter feed service allows all job seekers to follow a feed based on job category, thus exposing the latest jobs to talent immediately.

The company also has a Facebook application to engage a new generation of job seekers, both locally and globally. "Technology is breaking down barriers to employment, allowing business and talent to meet, creating opportunities for all," says Dowden.