Work as a springboard for the diverse ambitions of new generations
In this article, originally published in Harvard Business Review France, Manuelle Malot and Geneviève Houriet-Segard, respectively Director and Deputy Director of the EDHEC NewGen Talent Centre, discuss the changing career ambitions of young graduates.
For several years now, the media and consultants have been taking pleasure in disparaging the relationship at work of the new generations of graduates, who are described as disengaged, resistant to authority, individualistic and more interested in their leisure pursuits than their careers.
Daring to call it the ‘big resignation’, the ‘silent resignation’ or even the ‘noisy resignation’, the younger generations are said to be responsible for the disorganisation suffered by their elders in companies.
According to a study published by the École des Mines in 2023 (1), the majority (56%) of the over-30s believe that their younger colleagues are lazy, and 54% think that they lack respect for companies. This view is also shared by their managers, according to a report published by Terra Nova on 1 February 2024 (2), where almost all of them (93%) consider that young people have a different relationship with work, and almost two-thirds (64%) believe that they are less respectful of their elders.
These same publications and those of the EDHEC NewGen Talent Centre challenge these stereotypes by revealing the importance of work for young people.
Nearly 9 out of 10 young graduates (89%) see their career as a collective rather than an individual adventure, demonstrating their commitment to shared goals. And 56% of them believe that teamwork is the most effective way of ensuring successful integration.
The same applies to the traditional argument that young people are motivated exclusively by financial gain. Only 13% of young people entering the job market believe that a high income is the number one priority in their career. Instead, their primary objective is to acquire skills (33%) and make a useful contribution to society (31%). Similarly, contrary to popular belief, their relationship with work is largely positive, with 85.9% of the new generation believing that their job enables them to achieve professional fulfilment.
These studies clearly show that this young generation is not simply looking for professional stability, but at the same time aspires to make an active contribution to society. Young people are not only ambitious and determined at work, they are also aware of the issues facing society. To strengthen their commitment, they attach equal importance to aligning their values with those of the company and to an ambitious and challenging job (very important elements for 51% of them)...
To read this article in full (in French) : rendez-vous sur hbrfrance.fr
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