Why most Indians won't recommend their jobs to their children

HR experts say when organisations only focus on achieving their goals irrespective of looking at ‘what is in it for employees' then problems arise. (Image Credit: Pixabay)

How many people working in corporations want their kids to follow the same career path? It's an easy question for people in the army, medical and maybe top-notch CXOs. But not for others.

In a study, HR solutions firm UKG found that nearly half (46 percent) of employees globally would neither recommend their company nor their profession to their children or a young person they care about and a startling 38 percent “wouldn’t wish my job on my worst enemy.”

Across 10 countries where the survey was done, India ranked the highest with 66 percent of employees stating that they wouldn’t recommend their profession to their children. About 53 percent of Indian employees say that if they could go back in time, they would have chosen a completely different profession, and 40 percent say they wish someone had warned them not to take their current job.

Despite the emphasis on job satisfaction and ensuring purpose at work, why such a perception?

Understanding the chronology

To answer this question, Ruchi Ahluwalia, CHRO of business services major Quess Corp asks us to go 60-70 years back, during the time of Baby Boomers (born between 1946-64). It was also the time when having a job was a luxury and our grandparents or great-grandparents worked in farms/agriculture/factories.

“During the time of Gen X (born between 1965-80), working in government jobs was considered royal and privatisation was still in its early stage. The time of millennials (1981–1996) was at the beginning of privatisation, and the generation was also exposed to mobile and the Internet during their school and college days,” she explained.

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If we compare the three generations, she feels a pattern emerges – the ‘Awareness Quotient’ increased with every passing generation and the ‘Health Quotient’ started decreasing with every passing generation.

“More awareness and easy access to information about what is happening in the job market and the world through platforms such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Google and the like,” she said, adding, many a time employees get influenced by reviews and the external data on the Internet.

It is not that there were no toxic workplaces during the 1950s to 2000s but Ahluwalia emphasised that the tolerance to such environments was higher.

“A simple correlation can be drawn from the divorce percentage that has shot up to 4 times now compared to the 1960s, this shows people speak up openly and take action rather than tolerating.”

Jobs as the means to an end

As per the UKG report, employees see their jobs as the means to an end, that end being earning money. Experts say they fall short when it comes to finding meaning and satisfaction in their jobs, and that can sometimes lead to devastating consequences such as chronic workplace stress or burnout.

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“At the crux of the matter lies the fact that while a job can be the source for enjoying good things in life, the job is hardly ever seen as a good thing in life in itself,” according to Sumeet Doshi, Country Manager - India at UKG.

For example, he said if an employee wants to have a nice vacation, his/her only probable way of affording it will be through his job but at the same time, the number of days he is allowed to take that vacation will also be restricted by his job.

When taking time off from work, 24 percent of Indian employees said they only opted for 1-2 days. This was the highest compared to 21 days (8 percent), and 3-4 days (11 percent) among others.

How to solve it?

HR experts say when organisations only focus on achieving their goals irrespective of looking at ‘what is in it for employees' then problems arise. Today, employees are looking towards the right culture to facilitate growth and development.

For instance, millennials prefer the opportunity to learn and advance over salary, highlights Dr Deepak Sharma, associate professor at Bengaluru-based NMIMS, a management institute. “This kind of advancement opportunity gives reason for employees to stay committed and such emotional employee engagement translates into retention.”

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Besides, he suggests organisations may experiment with new strategies, systems and practices to help employees facilitate their careers. “If employees believe they need to update their skills once every six months in a digital environment, they should be given the opportunity for such an update.”

For candidates, industry leaders say it is crucial to identify your own needs and determine the best work environment for you.

“Before joining a company, it can be helpful to research the work culture by talking to current employees or reading online reviews,” said Ruchir Shukla, MD-India at cybersecurity startup SafeHouse Tech.

He further suggests questioning work structure, environment, and whether you prefer a defined job role or the opportunity to take on multiple responsibilities. “Asking about the work culture during the interview process can help you better understand the workplace.”

Take charge of your career

Leaders need to focus on aligning the individual purpose with an organisational purpose to create opportunities for employees to be their ‘true selves’ at work, a theme that 43 percent of employees surveyed find extremely important, as per PwC’s India Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey Report 2022.

Here, experts recommend candidates take charge of their career, growth and learning and also encourage employees to lead discussions with their managers.

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“It’s always a common perception that an employee's manager should take the initiative to schedule one-to-one and check their wellbeing or discuss career growth and progression,” Ahluwalia of Quess Corp said, adding, “But instead of waiting for the manager, the employee can also take the lead.”

Sometimes finding purpose in life and a job is easier said than done. But irrespective of that, CXOs say employees need to set boundaries and take breaks to maintain a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout.

According to staffing firm Randstad India, about 35-40 percent of Indian employees do not take leave and around 25 percent avoid it due to FOMO (fear of missing out) at work.

“Employees can improve their well-being and reduce stress by engaging in self-care activities and supporting their professional and personal goals,” Shukla of SafeHouse Tech said.