“Children kings”, “capricious”, “lazy”: prejudices around young people abound in the public space and they are far from being born from the last rain. “Today’s young people love luxury, despise authority and gossip instead of working”, said Socrates… more than 2000 years ago. To find out what the main stakeholders think, we spoke to five young workers aged 20 to 25 from as many different fields.
• Read also: The world of work seen by a 33-year-old Y and a 23-year-old Z
• Read also: What Gen Z wants (and why they’re going to get it)
ÉMILIE MARCOTTE, 25 years old, psychoeducator
What place does work have in your life?
I don’t live to work, I work to live. I am passionate about my work, but it remains only one aspect of my life. I chose to put work first in my life for the sake of professional fulfillment, but I don’t want to work 70 hours a week and not be able to do anything else.
Is there a myth or a prejudice towards the generation Z that you kid?
We often say that we are “cowards”, that we “don’t want to work…” Prejudices in the air like that, it doesn’t affect me. I know what I’m worth, I know what our generation is worth.
I would be very happy to sit down and chat with people who have prejudices about a generation without even having taken the time to listen to them and get to know them. It would really please me! (laughs)
What do you absolutely need to be able to thrive in your work?
Employer recognition is very important to me. It’s a shame, because I don’t have any at the moment with my work. I believe a big cause of the many burnouts in my field is this lack of recognition.
MICKAËL BERGERON, 22, computer programmer
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Michaël Bergeron, 22 years old
What place does work have in your life?
I obviously work for the money (laughs). But for me, a job is above all a hobby. I have an interest in new technologies, crypto, I’m pretty geek and my work fits in with all that. In a few years, I would like to transition to an even more flexible schedule by working part-time to enjoy a family life and be able to count on gains in cryptocurrencies and on the stock market. I would like my work to eventually become a secondary income.
Is there a myth or a prejudice towards the generation Z that you kid?
We are categorized a lot as people who are not working and who spend their time on their cell. It bothers me a little, because we are talking about a minority. For my part, I am always happy to start my day in the morning.
What do you absolutely need to be able to thrive in your work?
It is important that there is a good team spirit and that we have fun. The benefits offered are also very important. For example, the company where I work offers free gym, the option of remote work, a cafeteria with great food.
LAURENCE LABBÉ, 25, clinical research professional
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What place does work have in your life?
The job I do is in a way my passion and as I have a lot of fun doing what I do, I don’t necessarily see it as a job. My working weeks vary between 40 and 50 hours, so I would say that occupies a large part of my life at the moment, but I am able to make the cut at the end of the day.
Is there a myth or a prejudice towards the generation Z that you kid?
The classic “the Zs are child kings who arrive on the job market and who have everything cooked in their beaks”. I so disagree with this! It seems that the generations above us believe that it’s easier to find a place, but I have the impression that they have a different mentality, quite simply.
What do you absolutely need to be able to thrive in your work?
I very much need continuous learning and to feel that what I do benefits others. If I get to a place and I’m stagnant in my role and I feel like I’m not contributing anything to society, I’m going to have misery!
MÉLINA CYR ST-ANDRÉ, 20, communications advisor in a business incubator
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Melina Cyr St-André, 20 years old
What place does work have in your life?
A big place! I am creating my identity and I want to work hard to have the best possible future. Of course I often think about work, I spend a lot of time at work, but it’s because I always want to push myself further.
Is there a myth or a prejudice towards the generation Z that you kid?
“I often hear that young people don’t want to work and aren’t motivated. From my point of view, this is not true. Having worked in several organizations, I met young people who had good ideas and who were creative. If they are demotivated, it may be that they do not have the framework to express their full potential. Sometimes the organization is the problem and it must ask itself questions if it has difficulty recruiting young people or keeping them.
What do you absolutely need to be able to thrive in your work?
My motivation will mainly come from my team and the human side. If I see that everyone I work with is there for the same mission and wants to go further, it pushes me to give the best of myself. An organization must also make sure to entrust us with enough challenges that will take us out of our routine and meet new people.
OLIVIER NADEAU, 21 years old, trainee in advertising design and copywriting
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What place does work have in your life?
A beautiful place! Before starting to work, I was a little afraid of the environment. I was watching my friends go to engineering and law school and I thought there was no way I was going to make a job office in life! But my internship showed me that 9 to 5 could really be cool.
Is there a myth or a prejudice towards the generation Z that you kid?
We can think that we are lazy and that we do not want to work and I believe that we will not hesitate to be if our job does not motivate us or if we are always entrusted with the same tasks.
What do you absolutely need to be able to thrive in your work?
I need flexibility, the trust of my bosses and to feel listened to. I want to work in a place that will accommodate me in the way I work. There are weeks when I want to do a little more, others a little less. It comes with the trust of your superiors: I don’t want people calling me to find out where I am at 10 in the morning. It could be that that morning I decided to stay at home, but that I come to spend the afternoon and part of the evening at the office.