Salaries, fair recognition of work and the meaning given to professional activities are difficult areas to grasp because they are very personal aspects, at least in Europe.
Depending on the generation to which the employee belongs, he or she has different definitions and perceptions of recognition and meaning of work, all of which are linked to the activity itself, personal expectations, individual abilities, education and perhaps level of responsibility.
Moreover, people’s expectations differ at each stage of their lives: what seems important when you are young loses its acuity at the end of your working life and vice versa.
Nevertheless, while previous generations “lived to work”, generations Y or Z have a much more “detached” or “pragmatic” approach to the notion of work.
It is interesting to look at the younger generations Y or Z because they are profoundly changing the relationship with the professional world. Here are some interesting points for young people on this subject:
• The employer must have ethical, societal, and inclusive values
• The activities must make sense and fit into a certain logic
• It must be possible to learn and develop in the workplace
• The possibility to exchange experiences is very important
• Fairness in the treatment of people and cases is a cardinal value
• Progression in the hierarchy is a possibility, but certainly not an end.
These are of course trends with variations. Nevertheless, this shows that the salary aspect is no longer the core of the problem, although it should not be underestimated.
In terms of motivation, the meaning of the work is the keystone for the employee, regardless of his or her activity: it must correspond to individual and personal expectations.
In this respect, it is interesting to note that many workers say they are satisfied with their tasks and what they do every day: in many cases, it is the context, the relationship and/or the environment that causes problems. Once again, management, communication and human resources in general play a major role in workers’ choices and satisfaction.
The younger generations are very demanding and want to learn, improve, and discover to be able to perform, not in the financial sense but in terms of human and relational values and above all in terms of personal fulfilment. It is not necessary to revolutionise the way the company operates, but to take these new parameters into account with pragmatism.
In general, it is particularly wise to fill certain managerial gaps and to offer a different professional framework to the generations entering the professional world. The employee-employer relationship will be calmed down and fruitful thanks to the open-mindedness and the will to improve. It would be a shame to miss out on this.
Have a good week, good thoughts, and see you soon.