Fulfillment at work also means making the positive choice to leave your job to find one that corresponds to your values. Are you in this situation too? Then you should take a close look at what is happening in the United States.
There, in April, 4 million people, or 2.7% of American workers, quit their jobs. Not seen since the year 2000. " The Great Resignation ", as it is called in the USA, is a real challenge. And the trend does not seem to be limited to the US alone. According to a Microsoft survey, 41% of employees worldwide are planning to do the same this year. So if you're about to take the plunge (or are planning to) know that you're far from alone.
THE QUEST FOR FULFILMENT AT WORK
The Covid effect has, of course, come into play. The pandemic has caused us all to redefine our priorities. Generations Y and Z, yes you dear reader, did not wait for the coronavirus to do so. The quest for meaning and happiness at work, the refusal of dissatisfaction at work and bullshit jobs, the best possible balance between personal and private life, all this was already on the agenda of millenials before the coronavirus. But the latter has made these demands unavoidable.
Jonathan Caballero is one of these 4 million people. His story is reported by the NPR website. At 27, this software developer finally made his decision. The pandemic made him think. Why couldn't he end a workday with a swim instead of a long drive home? That's why when his employer started calling people back to the office part-time, he was reluctant to make the 45-minute drive. He started looking for a job with better remote work options and quickly landed several offers. "I think the pandemic changed my mindset in some ways, like I really enjoy my time now," he tells NPR.
"People see the world differently," talent consultant Steve Cadigan told the Wall Street Journal (June 13). It's going to take time for people to think about, 'How can I detach myself from where I am and attach myself to something new?' We're going to see a massive shift in the next few years."
EUROPE BETWEEN WAIT-AND-SEE AND UPHEAVAL?
And are we, European employees, ready to follow the American example on a massive scale? Here too, the labor market will undergo major upheaval. Between the new demands of candidates, the importance placed by companies on the employer brand, and the new recruitment techniques that now call on soft skills and artificial intelligence, major changes, which are welcome, are underway.
However, are we going to follow in the footsteps of the Americans by leaving our jobs en masse for more happiness at work? Will there be a remake of the "Great Resignation" with a European twist? It's hard to say, as labor markets are so different from one continent to another.
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
Bas van de Haterd, a Dutch labor specialist (quoted by the Totalent website) believes that the United Kingdom is the European country most likely to experience such a development. Indeed, it is the country whose labor market is most similar to that of the United States. For the rest of the continent, it's a different story, says Bas van de Haterd. The permanent contract has a strength in Europe that is not matched in the US, he explains.
But it is not certain that the permanent contract can still be a real problem for those who are looking for meaning and fulfillment at work. And, frankly, that's all to the good!