Less invested than their elders, more difficult to manage, more demanding… Our vision of young people and work sometimes suffers from prejudices that are difficult to verify in the facts. A survey for the LinkedIn social network published on June 1, 2023 is interesting in that it sheds light on the relationship that French people from Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2010, really have with the world of work. And about their expectations. 65% of young people consider a company’s values and commitments to be a priority criterion when looking for a job. Lack of career development opportunities or in-house training (for 39% of them), lack of flexibility (35%) and lack of clear commitments regarding the environment (31%) are the three main sticking points. More than four out of five young professionals have already or have considered leaving a job because it did not correspond to their values.
Training chosen according to job opportunities
“Young people no longer want a job just to pay the bills. They need to feel good and recognized there, to be proud to go there”, analyzes Jérémy Plasseraud, executive director at HelloWork Group, France’s leading digital player in employment, recruitment and training. If according to him the salary remains the first criterion in the search for a job, a survey carried out for the Diplomeo orientation platform indicates that “76% of young people say they are ready to accept a less well paid job when it has more meaning”. When finding a job in animation, Stéphane, 22, thus favored an environment where he could “flourish”. “I also looked for training that would give me as many opportunities as possible, so that I could change jobs later. I don’t see myself staying in the same structure for twenty years,” he adds.
Young people are now aware that it is necessary to find out about the employability rate of each of the sectors considered, “this is an important question for 78% of them”, confirms Jérémy Plasseraud. It remains to find a job that respects the balance between private and professional life, a parameter dear to 40% of young people (Diplomeo survey, ibid).
These new aspirations are also those of an era, of a generation that is shaking up the codes, analyzes Patricia Vendremain, sociologist at the University of Louvain, in Belgium. “Before, men invested a lot in their work when women only led a secondary professional life. Today, we are witnessing a rebalancing, in France in 2021, 54% of women aged 30 to 34 have a diploma of higher education, compared to 45% of men of the same age. The latter also tend to take on more responsibilities than before in family life”, summarizes the sociologist.
“It can be more difficult for HR to manage”
“Young people are asking for more flexibility in terms of schedules, missions and workplace”, agrees Jérémy Plasseraud. And recruiters have understood this. It is no longer uncommon to come across advertisements touting the possibility of telecommuting, or even of being in “full-remote“, in other words to work from where you want, when you want. time to send his CV. “I would not say I am more effective at distance, but certainly more motivated”, he testifies.
Again, recruiters have no choice but to adapt. Over the past two years, LinkedIn has seen a 154% increase in job postings for junior roles that feature commitments from one of their companies. Those mentioning values such as culture, flexibility and the well-being of employees were also consulted more in France (+48% compared to 2021)… and triggered more applications (+54%).
To meet these new demands, management also has to question itself. “It can be more difficult to manage for human resources, and this implies a move towards more individualized management in work practices. Employers and recruiting companies are aware of this”, concludes Jérémy Plasseraud.