Recession or not, the air does smell different to a fresh college graduate like me. There is a plethora of opportunities waiting to be grabbed, organisations waiting to bring on board those who ‘best fit’ their required profiles. It’s a seductive, seductive world.
Quick question though – how long would this fresh graduate stay within one organisation? Three years? Perhaps five?
We are all current members of what Beck calls the ‘risk society’, mostly characterised by a shift toward individualization. This shift has redefined the relationship between the employee and the employer and along with it the intangible values that form the basis of this relationship, such as loyalty. It wouldn’t be altogether wrong to say the working generation I belong to is more loyal to their personal careers rather than the organisations they work for. This is highlighted by the 2008 CIPD report, which claims that promotion opportunities outside the organisation and lack of career development opportunities within the organisation are important factors in contributing toward the (insanely high) turnover rate of 20.4% in the private sector. Let’s face it, in a world as connected as this one, it is not difficult to find new jobs and rethink careers.
Hence, in this shorter tryst with us new employees, companies must be willing to rethink notions such as loyalty, as believed by Keller Johnson. For me, the best way to do it is by focussing on building a sustainable relationship with each other. Let that initial seduction remain and deepen after I have been chosen to be a part of your systems as well. It is a two way street, values are. These intangible, seemingly ‘soft’ issues, such as trust and loyalty have to be continually redefined with the moving times and aligned with individual perspectives for an organisation to be internally sustainable. Ipso Facto, the organisation and the employee are involved in a constant and long term value exchange in an effort to be, and remain a force for good.
Re-evaluations? Re-definitions? Yes, please!
Until then I (strive to) remain, loyally yours.