It is always difficult, immersed in everyday life and tradition, to understand the size and quality of changes. Signals are collected, people are listened to, and research is carried out, but these pieces often do not fully represent what is happening in the social and economic context.
People’s relationship with work, for example, has changed profoundly. So we need to do some reflection on some signals that are influencing the motivations, needs, and requirements of those who approach the world of work.
We are observing a wave of large resignations that has surprised and displaced many companies.
I believe the trigger is that people have questioned themselves about the meaning of their work, and in some cases of their life, and in most cases the answers they have given themselves have directed them towards change. Young people today are looking for jobs that are more satisfying from a “human” point of view and that can guarantee a better balance between private life and work. Respect for individual values, the quality of relationships, well-being in the workplace, and a series of aspects that adhere to one’s motivation and aspirations have become not only important but even something that cannot be renounced.
Different needs are therefore emerging that probably derive from a new search for “meaning” in life and work, a more sustainable balance between personal and professional life. A “necessity” that was once almost exclusively feminine, which today becomes a fundamental pillar of collective identity: we do not live only to work, there are solicitations in the world that it is right to explore and cultivate.
This makes us think that perhaps, among the different dimensions of sustainability – environmental, digital, economic, and human – the human one is considered by the new generations to be the most important aspect.
And also that the search for an economic valorization of one’s work is no longer sufficient.
In addition to the elements mentioned above, one wants to find a “meaning” in what one does, which in organizational literature is defined as “purpose”: the ultimate goal of a job that builds and defines subjective identity.
Listening, participation, and collaboration become essential aspects for the development of a truly respectful organizational culture. Diversity, inclusion, and innovation allow for openness to points of view and perspectives never considered before.
I believe then that we can talk about “human sustainability”. That is, the need for companies to give concrete answers to these instances, building a value that is not exclusively economic, but transversal to the idea of sustainability in all its aspects.
This means, in other words, that it is necessary to develop a new “contract” with people, listening to their needs and proposing concrete answers that have an impact on corporate culture.
We must be aware that we are in the midst of an epochal change that concerns a new relationship between the human race and the world of work. And it is up to adults, committed people, to those who are more attentive to social changes, to ensure that this movement is accepted as a widespread reality, which can be positive for individuals and organizations and therefore requires a lot of attention.
Your piece enticed me to grab an old and very boring read from my shelf, Aldo: my thesis titled Work Centrality, Work Hours, and Cultural Values among European Nations.
The question your piece opened for me was the difference between the attitude of work not being very important (as a means to my identity?) vs “given that work is important to me (as a means for my identity), I want it to matter”.
At a time with short tenures it puts so much more pressure on the relationship with the team lead/supervisor and the content of tasks than 50 years ago when the social aspect between colleagues built over many years might contribute differently to the sense of mattering.
Grateful for your wisdom shared and your thoughtful engagement, Thank you!