Claims before the first working day
What Generation Z looks for when choosing a career
November 5, 2023, 8:36 a.m
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The shortage of skilled workers is now noticeable for many companies, and the training market is also tense. In order to attract young employees, you have to know their needs. A survey provides clear starting points.
“Work is half life.” The young generation today can no longer relate to this old saying. This is proven by a representative survey by the German Economic Juniors (WJD), which is available to the German Press Agency. Under the umbrella of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, young entrepreneurs and managers have come together to form the Association of Junior Business Associates.
Good earning potential is most important for 81 percent of young respondents aged 15 to 25. This is closely followed by the prospect of a good work-life balance, which is very important or important to 74 percent of those surveyed. In third place with 71 percent is the prospect of varied activities.
1,012 men, women and people of different genders took part in the online survey from September 5th to 10th. The age group of 15 to 25 years belongs in the broadest sense to the so-called Generation Z, which roughly includes those born after 1995.
Meaning and purpose less important
Surprising: Contrary to some clichés, a high social meaning and purpose of the job is only essential for around half of those surveyed. This also applies to the positive image of the profession and the opportunity to take on leadership responsibility. The opportunity to start a business or become self-employed comes in last place; for only 40 percent of young people, this is a decisive factor.
The President of the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB), Friedrich Hubert Esser, has a similar view of the generation: “For young people, career prospects are first and foremost important.” The ideal job must be crisis-proof and future-oriented. Silke Anger, head of the education, qualification and employment careers research area at the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB), got to know Generation Z differently. “The most important thing for young people is that they enjoy the activity. Second place is safety,” she says. For most people, a high income is only in the middle range.
Gen Z wants appreciation and praise
Whether young people decide to take a job also depends on the boss. According to the WJD survey, more than half want appreciation and praise. For 43 percent, a manager should be open and ready for change. Technical competence only comes in third place (38 percent).
Julian Uehlecke, youth officer at the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB), repeatedly states that fair and appreciative treatment is essential. “You might think that activities like making coffee or sweeping the parking lot are outdated, but unfortunately that’s the reality for many trainees.” A third of the trainees are also regularly forced to work overtime.
Many companies are reacting. According to the Federal Association of German Employers’ Associations (BDA), they would become more sustainable, more diverse and more digital. Green apprenticeships that deal with ecological transformation are becoming more popular, says Uehlecke.
White collar instead of overalls
Craft employers have greater problems with a shortage of skilled workers: “The craft sector is now suffering because young people and their parents associate more education with so-called white-collar professions than with so-called blue-collar professions,” warns Esser. The white collar stands for office jobs. The craft is fraught with clichés, says Esser. When it comes to a gas and water installer, now a system mechanic for plumbing, heating and air conditioning technology, many people would think of lugging heavy heaters and repairing clogged toilets. However, the job profile has changed significantly. “Today it is a very important and partly digital transformation job.”
According to the Federal Employment Agency, young people’s career aspirations have hardly changed in recent years. For women, the professions of medical assistant, office management clerk and saleswoman are in demand. The men would most like to become automotive mechatronics engineers, IT specialists or salespeople.
Brake block Corona
In some cases, however, Corona stood in the way of their career aspirations. The pandemic had an impact on the career path of 30 percent of WJD respondents. Expert Esser also states: “The demand for training fell during the corona pandemic and has not recovered since then.”
Due to demographic changes, Generation Z is in a strong negotiating position. Does she have too high expectations or is she just self-confident? “In the past, people were more concerned with finding their way into companies and showing their performance – less with coming up with their own demands before the first day of work, which is what we do today,” says Esser.
The demand for a four-day week and more free time may initially seem strange to those who come from a different generation, as expert Anger also notes. “But at second glance, one or two demands might make sense.”