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Written by Kieran Delamont, Associate Editor, London Inc. | |
WORKFORCE
The life and death of the summer job
The summer job as we once knew it has become somewhat of an archaic concept. Will it ever come back?
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CANADA’S YOUNG WORKERS are facing one of the worst job markets in decades this summer, prompting some to ask whether the summer job, once a rite of passage, is dying? Indeed said that summer job postings on its platform are down 22 per cent compared to this time last year. Meanwhile, data from Statistics Canada shows that 14.1 per cent of 15-to-24-year-olds were without work in April, more than double the Canada-wide jobless rate.
“The days of covering the cost of tuition and living expenses with summer wages are long gone, and the rise of precarious gig work and more competition are causing a generational shift in the employment landscape,” observed Financial Post writer Jane Switzer.
“The summer job is certainly becoming a less consistent rite of passage,” added Ilona Dougherty, managing director of the Youth & Innovation Project at the University of Waterloo, noting that the decline of the entry-level, summer job has much darker implications for the economy in general.
“If we want a strong economy and we want our companies and government to have the kind of workers it’s going to need in five to 10 years…you need young people to be meaningfully engaged in the economy. Otherwise, we’re going to be in big trouble.”
Young people almost always get the sharp end of the stick in economic downturns, but this time it’s being treated differently by experts, as entry-level, back-office and part-time jobs are most exposed to AI investments.
“There are growing signs that artificial intelligence poses a real threat to a substantial number of the jobs that normally serve as the first step for each new generation of young workers,” wrote LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer Aneesh Raman. “Unless employers want to find themselves without enough people to fill leadership posts down the road, they need to continue to hire young workers. But they need to redesign entry-level jobs that give workers higher-level tasks that add value beyond what can be produced by AI.”
Whatever trend to which you want to assign blame, though, a weak summer jobs market is rough when you’re the one experiencing it. There’s evidence that it damages long term earnings, a phenomenon known as ‘wage scarring.’
“I don't have a full time job yet, haven't started my career, ” one graduate recently told CBC News. “I'm kind of waiting for life to start. ”
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CAREERS
The rise of conscious unbossing
Half of all Gen Z professionals refuse to be managers, instead seeking individual routes of progression
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YEARS AGO, THE internet had a bit of a field day when Gwyneth Paltrow of Goop fame and Chris Martin of Coldplay announced that they were consciously uncoupling ― new age jargon for getting divorced, which they did officially in 2016. That works for getting rid of spouses apparently. What about bosses?
That’s kinda the idea behind ‘conscious unbossing,’ a new Gen Z-adjacent workplace concept. In the sense that someone no longer wants to be a married person, conscious unbossing is reflective of the idea that many in Gen Z want little to do with the experience of being a boss or a manager: they’re saying no thank you to leadership roles in their organization, either because they dislike the power dynamics that come with it, believe it is an ineffective company structure or because they want to protect their work-life balance.
Joke all you want about it, but HR experts believe it’s a trend that not only should be taken seriously, with possible huge ripple effects as Gen Z take up a greater share of the workforce. Fifty-two per cent of Gen Z professionals in a Robert Walter survey said they were avoiding middle management roles; 69 per cent viewed middle management roles as having far higher stress than reward.
“They’re really asking better questions that I think we’ve all silently been asking for decades,” said CEO Megan Dalla-Camina in Business Insider. “They’re very open about redefining power models and where they find their purpose, and particularly good at prioritizing their mental well-being.”
For older HR professionals there are implications to be considered here. If young, talented workers have little interest in the traditional career ladder that sees you go from contributor to manager, companies will have to imagine ways to advance careers without involving management duties. For companies keen on downsizing middle management ranks anyways, there’s opportunity here: you can keep talent while reducing managerial bloat (Shopify already does this with a ‘dual track promotion plan’ that allows workers to advance their careers and incomes without taking on managerial duties.)
It would be a mistake to think that this is a trend borne of laziness or apathy, and workplace talent experts suggest to view this reimagining of leadership as something rooted in expertise rather than position of authority.
“Gen Z employees seek influence without hierarchy, growth without burnout and impact without sacrificing work-life balance,” said Dan Black, EY’s global talent strategy and organizational effectiveness leader. “With over half opting out of managerial roles to pursue individual paths to progression, they’re not rejecting leadership, but reframing it to align with their values.”
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Terry Talk: Silence isn’t golden ― it’s a warning sign
| Sometimes the loudest problems are the ones no one talks about. In this Terry Talk, Ahria Consulting president & CEO Terry Gillis explores the quiet cracks in workplace culture ― those subtle moments of silence, hesitation or avoidance that slowly erode trust and connection. If you’re in a leadership role or working to build a better team, pay attention to what isn’t being said. The earlier you notice the signs, the sooner you can prevent a fracture. | | | |
REMUNERATION
What would you take a pay cut for?
Feeling the effects of a softening job market, jobseekers are more open to slashing their pay for a few key reasons
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MORE MONEY, MORE problems. It’s perhaps partially true, but it hasn’t exactly been considered top-notch career advice. However, in an evolving work world and a softening job market, some jobseekers are increasingly open to the idea of taking a pay cut in exchange for something else.
A recent LinkedIn study reported that a rather astounding 42 per cent of jobseekers in today’s job market said they are willing to take a pay cut. Workplace flexibility, company values and opportunities or upward mobility were the top three things they would be willing to take a cut for, but over a third of jobseekers said things like reduced workloads and improved workplace relationships would also be acceptable trade-offs.
There’s also the macroeconomic angle, in which people may be more willing to take a pay cut to protect their career. In a time dubbed by some as ‘The Big Stay,’ it’s clear that job security is increasingly a more prized perk than outright salary for Canadians, which may make taking a pay cut a more common move, depending on circumstances.
“In the boom times, taking a pay cut was looked at askance ― that you did something wrong in terms of career development,” explained consultancy CEO Michael Zwell. “Now, you have a strong case to make if your company made significant cutbacks and you took a job that, given the market, was the best available job to support your family.”
But also, sometimes it’s just a play to protect one’s own peace. There are tons of stories of people who took the cut to pay for nothing more than a little less stress and wouldn’t look back.
“No regrets at all,” wrote one contributor on Reddit. “Much happier, healthier and content. The eternal chase of money is just a train without windows to the grave. The journey and scenery is much more interesting.”
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CULTURE
Need to pretend you have a job? China’s got your back
In China, a peculiar trend has emerged where unemployed youths are paying to simulate employment in rented office spaces
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AN UNUSUAL NEW service has popped up in a number of Chinese cities: fake offices that young people are paying to check in at every day, complete with desks, coffee, lunch and “an atmosphere that mimics any work environment.” There’s fictitious tasks, faux supervisors and even staged workplace dramas.
“What to do ― and above all, what to say ― while looking for a job has become a headache for more and more Chinese, who don’t want to provide explanations or expose themselves to uncomfortable questions from those around them,” wrote El Pais reporter Inma Bonet.
At the heart of it all is a youth unemployment crisis ― hovering around 16 per cent (not that much higher than Canada’s 14 per cent). But socially, it can be difficult to be unemployed for Chinese youth, and many young people would prefer to conceal that fact. At one such office, for US$7, the service will take a photo of you working in the boss chair, to reassure families.
But some young people say it gives them a bit of structure to their unemployed days, too. Many are there looking for jobs, doing freelance work or just filling a psychological need for something to do all day.
“Some resort to these fake offices simply to avoid awkward questions from family members,” wrote Yee Loon. “Others seek solace in daily routine or hope that staying in a professional environment may boost their chances of real employment.”
They end up operating somewhat like co-working spaces in the western world, but often without much work going on. “On a Wednesday morning, there’s barely any activity,” wrote Bonet. “Three people seem focused on their computers, but a man is reclining in a chair looking at his phone, and a child is playing with a cell phone. The person in charge of showing this newspaper the facilities admits to having copied the concept because it’s trendy online.”
While it may resemble a coworking space, for now it’s just a curiosity borne out of youth unemployment. You could make the case that professional structure and culture may help boost employment chances, but it does seem like filling the time with something is the real objective.
“Although some members do need a place to pretend to work,” said one Chinese young person, “most of us are just there because it’s interesting.”
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