Young people consider getting off the hamster wheel
According to a management philosopher and lecturer at CBS, the work ethic which has shaped generations is increasingly up for debate. The young, for example, emphasise being free to plan their own work, says a young union representative.
Different ingredients
Young people’s desire for a different working life than the one prevailing has also been observed by management philosopher and external lecturer at CBS Tommy Kjær Lassen, for example from the public debate, his contact with the students, and the topics and dissertations they focus on.
"I see a trend towards doing things differently; that other ingredients are needed in the recipe for working life. The work ethic that has shaped previous generations, where people more or less accepted the pressure of working life on the individual, is no longer accepted."
He believes this is basically a healthier attitude to work:
"It’s being questioned whether you need to torment yourself through your 20s, 30s and 40s with a mindset that's all about being productive. Instead, a more flexible working life is in demand, one that’s more closely aligned with the life you want to live."
He points out that for generations, each person has had to adapt to working life, whereas now, the workplace is increasingly having to adapt to the new ideals of meaning, identity and sustainability.
"The material values of the past, such as financial position and status, are increasingly being transformed into post-material values such as time, independence and self-realisation."
The demand for a sustainable working life is also part of the climate crisis debate.
"Maybe the big houses and expensive cars are not at all what makes us happy, but a balanced family life and more time for our close relationships and interests in life."
Lazy girls
The response to previous generations’ zeal for work differs. One of the more extreme responses is Lazy girl, a popular TikTok phenomenon and hashtag following in the wake of others such as 'The great resignation' and 'Quiet quitting'.
All of them are about having a more easy-going relationship with work and not giving it your all, but rather striking a balance in life which allows a career path that leaves plenty of room for a personal life.
Lazy girl job has long since passed 50 million views and shows examples of how women in particular distance themselves from a working life that demands too much, for instance by working from home, part-time, taking it easy at work and drinking a cup of coffee or staring into space once in a while.
However, the lazy girl concept suffers from certain serious drawbacks, says Tommy Kjær Lassen.
"It would be a setback for equality if, once again, you become dependent on your partner's income. Overall, I still see a high level of ambition among the students at CBS. They know that the good life is often a result of making the required effort."
The changes in our working life are also helped by the new ways of working that we were forced to adopt during Covid-19: Teams meetings, working from home and now, the four-day work week.
"The desire to design our own lives is stronger today than ever before, and it's happening across industries and sectors. I find this rather positive, but it may obviously also have a downside as it may destroy our sense of community and cohesion if everybody’s only question is: what’s in it for me?"
Having it out with 'managerial permafrost'
Tommy Kjær Lassen believes that the movement towards a less draining working life is here to stay.
So does Alison Taylor, a professor at New York University who has just published a book on ethical management and what is required of leaders today, Higher Ground.
In a recent interview, she said that many organisations are challenged by a layer of 'permafrost', consisting of a core of old, established leaders and middle managers who have been with the organisation for many years.
They struggle to understand and accept the new mindset and remain stuck in the organisation’s original pattern.
"That's one of the reasons why it is sometimes insanely difficult to run a business today," she said, noting that organisations need to act even though the challenges faced may require redeployment of leaders and management levels.
What are young people saying?
A new survey of Finansforbundet’s members shows that around eight out of ten are satisfied with their possibilities in terms of organising when and how to carry out their tasks.
But the sector needs future-proofing, says Line Gelting, who works at Nykredit's branch at Nørreport in Copenhagen and is one of Finansforbundet's youngest union representatives.
She is also aware of and concerned with the fact that many young people think differently than previous generations.
"Working from 8 to 4, which is still common in the sector, is one of the issues we should raise. Because how do we accommodate young people in the sector and remain attractive to this group so they don't choose another sector with more freedom?"
Choosing burgers
One who has chosen a different career after having tried the financial sector is Nicklas Lorente, who is now self-employed and owns a burger bar. Even though he must now work more than before, he enjoys being in control of his working life:
"The financial sector turned out not to be me after all," he says. Read his story here.