PHILADELPHIA, PA—Four out of ten senior executives in the region ranked Philadelphia "very high" or "high" as a place to live and work – but 60 percent said they would consider leaving the area for the right job opportunity, according to a new survey of 850 area executives by executive search firm Salveson Stetson Group.

"Philadelphia receives generally high marks as a region in which to live and work," says Sally Stetson, co-founder and principal of Salveson Stetson Group. "Respondents ranked it high in safety, housing, quality of education, amenities and cost of living. But despite that positive view of the region, nearly 60 percent of the Philadelphia's senior executives said they would consider leaving for the right job opportunity."

The survey of 860 senior executives – defined as those making more than $150,000 and holding management responsibilities at their employers – was designed to uncover motivators and attitudes toward their jobs.

Seventy percent of respondents said they were "very" or "somewhat" satisfied in their current jobs. When asked what motivated them most in a job, they cited work environment / company culture (57 percent), overall job responsibilities (56.5 percent) and salary (53.5 percent).

"Employers should pay attention to these findings," says John Touey, principal at Salveson Stetson Group. "As a group, these senior executives are very happy in their current positions and have positive feelings about the Philadelphia region. But 60 percent of them say they would consider relocating for the right opportunity, putting them at flight risk. Even the most satisfied employees can be lured away."

When asked which of the region's largest employers they would most like to work for, respondents named Comcast (31 percent), followed by AmerisourceBergen (19.5 percent) and Campbell Soup (18 percent). But 40 percent offered no opinion.

Respondents said they admired those companies because of: their corporate image (44 percent), innovation (38.5 percent), mission / values (38 percent) and work environment (38 percent).

Of all the functional areas surveyed, the highest reported job satisfaction came from executives in human resources. Nearly 70 percent said they were happy in their current positions. And HR executives in healthcare were the happiest of all.

Although 60 percent said they would consider relocating for the right job, nearly one in three senior executives said they would "never" consider relocating from the Philadelphia region.

Instant Insights /

Philly Execs Like It Here, But Will Follow Jobs Elsewhere

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