“Quiet quitting”. “Resenteeism”. “Acting your wage”. Every week it seems there’s a new way of presenting the fact that many of us aren’t happy in our jobs. The evidence suggests that levels of dissatisfaction are highest among younger recruits, with Gen Z and millennials itching for something more from their employers.
Last year, Deloitte research into 15,000 Gen Zs and 8,500 millennials found that their greatest workplace-related concern was the cost of living, while three-quarters said they would prefer a hybrid or remote working pattern.
“We’ve had several clients say we cannot recruit graduates and younger staff unless we offer a better financial benefit programme: it’s not enough to just say you get a pension,” says David Skinner, managing director of consultancy PIB Employee Benefits. “You have to offer a tangible way to improve their lifestyle in the here and now — not just pay rises but things like, how can you get better value out of renting? Can we help you find a mortgage? Can we offer access to discounts?”
“It varies between individuals, yet all [staff] may want financial planning to help them achieve their goals,” says Rachel Fellowes, chief wellbeing officer at Aon. She notes that while it may be younger people speaking up, their agitation can help colleagues throughout the workforce, no matter their age.
“All age groups may like the idea of reducing their working days, but they may want to for different reasons. Perhaps an older generation wants to spend more quality time with family or to travel, while another generation wants to work on a side-hustle or volunteer — or vice versa.”
The same goes for home working. Recent graduates or school leavers, who completed the last years of their education online, may be frustrated by being tied to the office needlessly — though some may live in flatshares that don’t make WFH easy and may prefer the office. Equally, suggests Alex Templeton, CEO of preventative healthcare provider Qured, parents may find flexible working can help with childcare concerns, but could also struggle to “have a quiet space to work and may feel that they are pulled in different directions”.
Simply put, he says, “smart employers will have to move beyond one-size-fits-all health and wellbeing programmes”, and start listening to the needs of individuals — whatever their age.
The Watercooler is the UK’s leading workplace culture and employee wellbeing event, with insight into the latest tech and innovation. FREE tickets at watercoolerevent.com.April 25 and 26 at ExCel London
