Values and Career Choices

Each generation seems to have different motivators for work/career choices. My father's generation looked for stability - get a job and stay with that company for 40 years, retire and get the gold watch.

Then we moved into a money motivated society, and then the money and benefits era. Not only did we want the money but we wanted lots of benefits. We went from vacation and health care benefits to life insurance, childcare, disability insurance, petcare, concierge services. Those extra benefits came at a price - instead of the traditional 40 hour work week, salaried employees found themselves working more hours and taking work home too.

The new generation of workers is saying HOLD ON! NO MORE of this! They want a balance of life and work AND in that order.

Research has shown that some will take a lower salary in order to have that balance. The new generation wants their careers to match their values.

I say, BRAVO for that! As I coach my clients and work with them through the personal branding process, one of the first steps is to determine their values. I have found through the years that when someone is unhappy in their job, most of the time it is because there is a value that is not being met.

A benefit of completing the personal branding process is that the employee will be able to identify their strengths and their values and then match that to an employer's value system. This synchronization will lead to a more meaningful culture and each person's role and contribution will take on a new importance. The end result is happier employees who want to stay.