There is a growing demand for jobs with a social impact. Not because you have to, but because you can: ‘If the economy is bad, you’ll be glad you have a job at all,’ says Nic Vrieselaar, economist at Rabobank.
The increasing interest in jobs with a purpose is reflected in research by job site Indeed. There are three times more searches for positions with ‘refugees’ than last year. And what is also striking: people search more often by salary.
“This has to do with the business cycle,” says Freezer. ‘The jobs are there for the taking, with many employers the salary is also in order. And then you start looking more often for a good salary and making a difference in the world.’
Millennials and Gen Zers
According to Vrieselaar, this is separate from the current generation, the millennials and Gen Z people. ‘Every 25-year-old is socially engaged. For example, when the baby boomers entered the labor market, unemployment, especially among the youth, was extremely high.’ On the one hand, the choice is about being able to make a difference, or having the basics in order: salary and job security, says the economist.
In addition to interest in a job with a certain impact on society, employers also increasingly have to compete with unpaid work. Such as informal care or taking care of the children. And the current generation does play a role here, thinks Vrieselaar.
Where it was common for previous generations for men to work 40 hours a week as standard, and women not to work or only a few days a week, you now see that men and women work. ‘You can see that a lot more work is being done per household. And then it is also very important to look at things such as flexibility in terms of hours or working from home. It’s a lot harder to run a household when both work.’
‘A company that does not focus on inclusiveness is seen as conservative’
Anticipate
Employers should also respond more to this, thinks Vrieselaar. ‘It is extremely difficult for a company to find staff. So you have to keep up with the times and focus on sustainability and inclusiveness.’ A company that doesn’t do that is seen as conservative, he thinks. “Then it can be difficult to keep growing, and in the worst case you go over the head.”
A tight labor market can therefore indirectly ensure that society, the economy and the business community become more sustainable and modernize faster, thinks Vrieselaar. ‘Because otherwise they simply can’t get to people.’
