Young people and work: a demanding commitment

We often hear companies make recurring comments such as “young people are less committed, less motivated, and less loyal to their employers.”
But what are young people really looking for in a job?
A study published by the Institut Montaigne in the fall of 2024 [1], focusing on the relationship between 16-30 year olds and work, provides some answers. Explanations by Iouila Mikaïloff, Identités Remarquables.

This study shows that, contrary to popular belief, young people have a strong connection to work, but have higher, more selective, and sometimes more realistic expectations.
The dissatisfaction they express stems less from a lack of interest than from a discrepancy between their aspirations and the reality they encounter.

Work remains a core value

Nearly 80% of young workers say they would continue to work even if they did not need to for financial reasons.
Work remains a source of identity, social connection, and dignity.
But their view of what it should bring has changed: they want an overall balance, where professional performance does not conflict with quality of life.
Their priorities are clear:
• Remuneration, considered essential.
• Work-life balance, which has become a strong marker.
• Stress reduction, especially in environments with high emotional pressure.
• Career development opportunities and real autonomy.
• The quality of relationships with colleagues and management.
Conversely, certain criteria that are often emphasized in public discourse (such as CSR or internal mobility) appear to be secondary for the majority. These criteria do not compensate for what they perceive as an unbalanced daily life (!?).

Expectations shaped by qualifications and career path

The survey highlights that attitudes to work vary greatly depending on level of qualification and career path. The higher the level of education, the higher the expectations: recognition, progression, job interest. It is also these profiles, often from service or sales professions, who say they are most frustrated when reality does not match their ambitions.
Young women stand out for their even higher expectations: they attach particular importance to remuneration, work-life balance, and the quality of management.
Working in jobs with a high emotional load (customer relations, sales, coordination), they also express greater fatigue and psychological pressure.

Frustrations and realities in the field

On average, young workers rate their job satisfaction between 6.5 and 6.8 out of 10: a decent level, but one full of contrasts.
The main sources of frustration are:
• remuneration,
• stress,
• the imbalance between work and personal time,
• limited opportunities for teleworking,
• and lack of autonomy.
Conversely, the quality of relationships with colleagues and the consistency between employment and training appear to be rather positive points.
The most disappointed profiles are found among service sector employees and graduates in arts, social sciences, or health, while holders of BTS and DUT degrees show a better match between expectations and reality.

Relationship with hierarchy: less mistrust than we think

Only 10% of young people totally reject hierarchical authority. The majority accept it, provided that it is exercised in a clear and respectful manner.
Dissatisfaction is therefore not directed at hierarchy itself, but at management style (lack of listening, insufficient recognition, poor communication).
This need for mutual respect and consistency is particularly evident in professions where human relations are central (commerce, hospitality, customer service, or luxury goods).

Stability and desire for independence: an accepted paradox

Young people simultaneously express a desire for stability and a taste for change. 62% say they prefer a long-term career with the same company, but 60% still plan to leave within five years.
This mobility is not a sign of instability, but rather a search for a better alignment between values, mission, and environment.
Nearly half of young employees say they are attracted to entrepreneurship. Not to “leave” work, but to regain freedom and control over their activity.
This aspiration for independence cuts across all categories, including young people who are satisfied with their jobs.

Four profiles, four relationships to work

The Institut Montaigne distinguishes four main attitudes:

This overview invites us to move beyond clichés: there is no such thing as “the” young person at work, but rather a diversity of individual trajectories and logics.

Adaptation, the key to renewed dialogue

Young people are not turning away from work: they are redefining its contours.
They are less interested in breaking away than in reconciling performance, respect, and balance.
Their perspective, often perceived as critical, actually expresses a demand for consistency: that of a professional world aligned with their values and aspirations.
A certain generational divide between young people and seniors runs through companies because they have very different but not incompatible visions of work.
The Montaigne study provides an explanation:
this divide calls above all for mutual adaptation, both on the part of young people and companies, in order to build professional relationships based on understanding rather than mistrust.

Ioulia Mikaïloff
Identités Remarquables - ioulia.mikailoff@identites-remarquables.fr