Speaking to TODAY, Microsoft Lee later stated she has learnt in order to “see both sides” of the issue and was glad to have sparked a conversation about work integrity. She also felt that her publish had been “greatly misunderstood” to mean that the girl was promoting effort at the expense associated with work-life balance, though she said she could have been clearer regarding her intentions plus meaning behind the post.
This is not the first time a business owner has been lambasted online for his or her responses on young people’s work ethic. In 2020, Mr Lim himself posted on Fb about how several young graduates that he had interviewed for a job did not seem “hungry” for the role.
Like Ms Lee, Mr Lim also noticed back then that will applicants had made a range of requests — including not wishing to work on weekends, requesting transport allowances along with a team of junior co-workers to assist within tasks as well as more annual leave plus higher salaries.
Human resource experts and sociologists informed TODAY that the apparent negative impressions that will some employers may have of younger workers can be explained by the different circumstances which the millennials and Style Zers grew up within.
Mr Adrian Choo, founder of career consulting company Career Agility International, declared that older generations were more focused on the corporate jungle and getting ahead in their careers, during a time when Singapore had been less affluent.
“The younger generation, a lot of them are still coping with their parents … so their immediate priorities may not be about getting married and starting a family, they are focused more on self-actualisation, ” he said.
This “self-actualisation” involves learning new abilities and gaining new experiences as opposed to being preoccupied with rising the corporate ladder, for instance.
TODAY also previously found that the pandemic caused younger employees to reshuffle their particular priorities, with some seeing the turbulent periods as an opportunity to pursue their passions.
Negative labels apart, some experts pointed out that it is not often easy for young people to make sense of what they are performing, or feel motivated, when they are confronted with the current state from the world, with its litany of woes ranging from health crises, armed conflicts to severe heatwaves.
National University of Singapore (NUS) sociologist Suntan Ern Ser stated: “(Young people) wish to do well in their profession or business plus live the Singapore Dream. However , the road ahead they deal with isn’t always simple: High cost of living, income and employment insecurity, stiff competition at the job, and, in some cases, getting part of the sandwiched era. ”
He added: “These may combine to produce disillusionment and, in some cases, an absence of motivation. ”
So , what do youthful people in Singapore feel about work and much more specifically, traditionally famous values at the workplace – such as effort and loyalty : that may or might not require a rethink?
And where, within the grand scheme of things, does work match their lives these days?
TODAY interviewed youths from ages between 23 plus 35 to find out.
WORK HARD? NAH, WE RATHER WORK SMART
While claims that the youthful generation eschews effort may not be totally baseless, those interviewed also said that youngsters may not feel motivated to operate hard due to valid reason. They also do not think working hard in itself is the key to doing well at the job.
The thought of hard work has changed for the younger generation, stated Mr Isaac Neo, who works within the security risk business, where he monitors risks facing his clients when they travel abroad.
“We were raised in more comfortable situations … Our nature of work is extremely different and we deal mostly with technologies, where so-called ‘hard work’ is much less visible, ” stated the 28-year-old.
“In the past, effort meant that you put in the hours in order to churn out output, and when you stayed at the office for long hours, this meant you were spending so much time, but that’s not the case anymore. ”
Mr Neo declared that it is up to businesses to adapt to these new definitions of “hard work”, something he feels that his company has done well.
“I’ve been lucky to get bosses who just leave me on your own to complete the work, and as long as it’s done, these people don’t really treatment if you’re in the office or how many hours a person clock a day, ” he said.
“And I believe that should be the way that will hard work is viewed – not in regards to the amount of hours putting in, but great the final product is. ”