Salary and benefits are often the first things that come to mind when someone is asked what they look for in a job. But other factors often play as big, if not a bigger, role for some of the younger workers entering the work force. Work environment is one of them.

In a (non-scientific) survey conducted by Modern Distribution Management for a recent article on demographic shifts in distribution, students in industrial distribution programs at two universities were asked: In looking at potential employers, which attributes are most important to you?

Work environment was not one of the top answers – likely because it wasn’t one of the prefilled choices. However, more than half of the people who selected "Other" filled it …