In the spotlight

October 2, 2023 - In the Spotlight

Before delving into the conclusions of this study, it is essential to remember that the main aim of this survey is to encourage intergenerational dialogue and foster mutual understanding between employees and employers by facilitating the expression of each party’s expectations and constraints. This highly relevant and topical issue is also the subject of the LAB entitled The generation shock, which we have launched as part of our Quæst programme. 

This fifth edition of the study, focusing specifically on young employees aged 16 to 35, highlights the importance of monitoring mental health indicators. Among the key findings, around 60% of young employees report feeling tired and burnt out every week, while 44% say they suffer from anxiety and depression. Mental health and flexibility are therefore crucial elements in this study!  

1. The challenge of professional mobility: over the last five years, on average, young professionals have changed jobs twice – a very different situation to previous generations! This (ultra)mobility poses an additional challenge to employers. Nevertheless, there is a note of optimism: 70% of the young people surveyed have no intention of leaving their job in the short term, i.e. in the coming year, while 46% envisage a change within the next five years, which seems a reasonable timeframe. 

2. The attractiveness of SMEs: one of the striking findings of this study is that 30% of young professionals express a desire to join small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while only 20% opt for large companies. This aspiration is closely linked to more horizontal organizational structures, which open the way for young people to develop their full potential and play an active part in decision-making.

3. The changing face of mental health: the importance attached to mental health is growing among young people when they make their career choices. Currently, 4 out of 10 employers are implementing initiatives to deal with mental health issues, which satisfy 90% of the employees who benefit from them. However, it is interesting to note that 55% of young employees feel that employers could do more in this area. This clearly reflects a shift in expectations towards a criterion that was previously given less prominence, or even neglected altogether.

4. The customized approach: employers are currently faced with the challenge of finding the ideal formula to meet the increasingly diverse expectations of generations Y and Z, who are now renowned for their high level of mobility. Customising the approach is therefore a solution for retaining them. A four-day working week? Teleworking for three to four days? There’s no single answer to these questions! This great diversity of employee needs would therefore mean that recruitment and management practices would have to be adapted, which raises the following question: “But how far will we go in this customization?”.

5. The impact of teleworking: another important point is the fact that 55% of young employees would consider leaving their jobs if teleworking became more restrictive. This is a statistic that comes at a time when many companies are considering a gradual return to the office, a trend that is, to say the least, unwelcome by young professionals. At the same time, statistical data reveals a correlation between an increased return to the office and a deterioration in workers’ mental health. Among young people suffering from anxiety, the majority spent an average of 3.6 days at the office, while those with better mental health worked an average of two days a week in the workplace. 

There is no doubt that managers and employees will need to work actively together to create a solid intergenerational dialogue, fostering the mutual understanding that is crucial to finding the common ground that will be essential to the smooth running of organizations!  

See our “The generation shock” LAB.