根据德勤公司（Deloitte）在全球42个国家展开的调查报告显示，49%的千禧一代将会在未来两年内辞职！对于这一代人来说，跳槽似乎是稀松平常的小事。也许老一辈人会将其归结为年轻人懒惰，不能吃苦，事实真相果真如此吗？下面的文章就详细分析了年轻人跳槽的原因，让我们一起看看吧！

Why Do Millennials Keep Changing Jobs?

千禧一代为何频繁换工作？

By Adele Kuek

背景知识链接

The Millennials

　　千禧一代，指1981—1996年出生的人。他们的成长时期几乎与互联网和计算机科学的形成与高速发展时期相吻合，不安分和高消费是这一代人的特点。

　　注意：千禧一代并非指2000年后出生的人，1996—2015年出生的人通常被称为Z世代（Generation Z）。

Millennials do not seem to desire to stay in one job for long. What could be the reasons for this?

Amongst bearing a reputation for various attributes ranging from the good to the bad, millennials have notably been labelled as the "job-hopping generation". In fact, a recent survey conducted by a multinational audit and accounting firm, Deloitte, revealed that 49% of millennials would actually quit their job within the next two years! As the survey was based on the views of over 10,000 individuals across 42 countries, job-hopping in the generation of individuals born between 1981 and 1996 appears to be a global phenomenon. Perhaps observers from older generations may interpret this trend as a by-product of a youth culture marked by indolence. However, if we delve deeper beyond broad-brush stereotypes, there is more than meets the eye. 

At first blush, there are a variety of reasons and circumstances that may lead a person to shuffle between jobs occasionally. However, beyond the conventional and practical reasons of switching jobs, such as to obtain better salaries or greater job stability, many millennials have been increasingly motivated by value-driven goals. For instance, more have been compelled to seek new pastures whenever they encounter stagnancy and a lack of engagement in their present jobs. Surveys show that some even go to the extent of suffering pay cuts to pursue positions that provide better learning opportunities. Additionally, some also quit their positions for companies which are better aligned with their value system. Examples include a non-profit organisation that advocates environmental consciousness, or a company that prides itself on corporate social responsibility. Hence, it is clear that many millennials do not merely perceive their jobs as a source of income, but in fact, seek meaning and professional fulfilment in their daily occupations. One may also be heartened to hear that in response to such a trend, employers are also taking steps to improve their workplace culture and to channel more attention to their professional growth and development of individuals. 

Visibly, the fearlessness of millennials in pursuing job opportunities has also been fanned by emerging economic trends and novel business models. A salient manifestation of this is the noticeable presence of millennials in the gig economy, which is a labour market system based on temporary or freelance jobs rather than on traditional full-time employment. With the rise of online platforms which seamlessly connect clients with freelancers, such as Upwork and Fiverr, millennials who prioritise work-life balance and flexibility have been gravitating towards these ad-hoc jobs. Moreover, the proliferation of social media has also generated a host of alternate career paths. From food and travel bloggers to YouTube content creators, more millennials are quitting mundane desk-bound jobs to pursue more unorthodox, but certainly enticing, careers. Hence, one cannot say for certain that job-hopping is a sign indicating that millennials are simply lazy. Instead, far from being lazy, millennials may be actually further emboldened to wander off the beaten track to pursue new business or job opportunities due to the present economic climate. It is in this context that millennials may be perceived to have contributed to a large extent to the job-hopping phenomenon.

However, job-hopping remains a controversial issue. While some employers value the diversity in experience and skills that job-hopping brings about, many of them still look upon job-hopping with disdain. Some sceptics lament that job-hopping is a symptom of a larger problem, which is that the youths of today are lazy, unable to bear hardships and too self-entitled. Having grown up in an era of relative peace and prosperity, it is plausible that many millennials may possess a lower degree of patience and endurance in times of adversity or stagnation. Admittedly, job-hopping too often may be revealing of a person’s lack of commitment and perseverance, which are important and desirable character-building values. Yet, on the reverse side of the coin, millennials should be lauded and encouraged when their decisions to switch jobs are motivated by healthy ambition or an appetite for upskilling. At the end of the day, it remains a fine balancing exercise, and we should refrain from being all too quick to stigmatise a young person’s decision to job-hop within a relatively short timeframe.

During a televised speech in 1979, then American President Jimmy Carter expounded upon the malaise of excessive consumption plaguing the country. Poignantly, he remarked, “Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but by what one owns.” Indeed, his critique still rings true today and it is precisely against the backdrop of an increasingly materialistic society that we can draw inspiration from the millennial generation’s pursuit for meaning in their careers. Rather than allow conventional models of success in society define our youths, the millennial generation should be encouraged to define new horizons of success by making the right career choices guided by the right values.

本文刊登在《英语沙龙》（原版阅读）2022年9月刊

责任编辑：Zan