Salaries or principles? What matters most when it comes to changing jobs | Competition and employment

They give up their career in the technology giant because of his involvement in the Maven project, which supplies and processes data for US military drones. In addition, there was still disagreement over how the directors dealt with ethical issues.

Many of us are also faced with such dilemmas: would you refuse an attractive salary for not accepting a company 's position on the environment, testing on animals or the environment? how it treats customers?

If you answered yes, the data suggest that you are probably a millennial, born between the 1980s and the mid-90s. One study after the other has highlighted this trend. More than previous generations, Generation Y is generally motivated to "make a difference" by its work. Many who have resigned are looking for an ethical or cultural commitment, even when it involves reducing the previous salary.

But is this really true? In fact, who can afford to make that choice?

The cost of living weighs on the decision

It is often said that the millennial generation is a generation of professionals who are constantly changing their jobs. Several studies indicate that they are not looking for stable jobs or predictable trajectories. Some traditional industries find it difficult to keep their young employees: a study conducted in 2017 by the Institute for Student Employers shows that 46% of British graduates left their first job after five years.

The widely accepted perception is that many leave their jobs to "pursue their dreams" or get a backpack around the world. But to reject a company's career plan of traveling or starting a business is a radical and expensive decision. And only a few can really afford to take it.

Surveys regularly show that having "vacancies" reduces the average wage (to some, in thousands of dollars a year), which can affect the quality and satisfaction of future tasks .

Christian Byfield, a former Colombian banker and investment advisor, told TedX Talk in Bogotá that he had left a number of well-paying but "insignificant" jobs in banks and companies insurance and world.

"A lot of things started to happen because I started following my heart," Byfield said. After a few years of financial insecurity, he eventually became a tourist influencer with a huge audience on the Internet.

But Byfield is a rare case – most of us still need to think about the money to make professional decisions. Many related to "making the difference" are only word of mouth: the evidence shows that the main reason for choosing a job remains the size of the salary.

A recent study by consulting firm Deloitte points out that 63% of Millennials consider the financial reward a very important factor in choosing a job – it is the highest factor of the rank.

Another Triplebyte research, recruiting young talent for technology companies, revealed that 70% of people who get two job offers choose the best paid, as would have done the generation of our parents.

The financial disadvantage of this type of change does not make much sense to most of us. "It's not true that Millennials do not want stability," says Lee Caraher, author of Millennials & Management.

In fact, we need more financial stability than our parents. In many countries, young professionals face a growing debt of education students. The consequences of the 2008 financial crisis further delayed our economic lead and our most important financial decisions.

Is there really a change in behavior?

Some recent polls even wonder whether millennials actually eliminate stable jobs at a higher rate than their predecessors. Recent statistics from Pew Research show that in the United States, the millennials' chances of staying at work are the same as those of Gen Xers at the same age. Other research conducted by the IBM Institute brings out common myths about Generation Y, particularly that the high turnover rate is not new to this generation.

María Reyes (fictitious name), 26, is a category manager for a chain of stores in Colombia. When she started as a trainee, she quickly felt that the corporate culture was in conflict with her expectations and beliefs. "Society does not care about people."

Still, she stayed at work. And she even signed an exclusive two-year contract in exchange for a training course abroad, which she would have to pay for tuition if she left the company.

Finally, she is promoted to her current position, which deepens her internal conflict. Its function is to build relationships with suppliers and "to try to make money at any price regardless of the other party".

Reyes says he hates fighting for every penny, especially when small businesses really depend on his decisions. "I believe that both parties should win in an agreement, not just one of them."

But the problem is that Reyes ranks relatively high for such a young man. If she applied for a similar position elsewhere, she did not think she would succeed and wondered if she could get an interview. She further explains that there are not many opportunities in her sector and that a change could be foolish.

The situation is further complicated when the millennial generation ages, has children and incurs mortgages. Marcela Cardona (fictitious name) began her career in the pharmaceutical industry hoping to help people in her work. Soon, however, she felt absorbed by the many ethical dilemmas and dubious situations she witnessed. "The purpose of this business is simply to make money, not help people," Cardona said.

She started a master's degree in bioethics by specifically seeking to better understand the implications of what she does – and perhaps also to pave the way for a new career. But things changed after she became pregnant.

With a girl to support, she could no longer afford to change direction. She changed jobs a few times in the hope that things would improve, but encountered the same problems wherever she worked. She remains completely unhappy in her work, but prefers "to be practical," she says.

But some sectors have more flexibility. Some specialties are more popular, which means a greater choice of jobs. Silicon Valley engineers, for example, are highly valued and demanding in their workplaces, says Ammon Bartram, co-founder of Triplebyte.

He explains that non-technical professionals, such as public relations or legal services, do not have as many options as programmers, for example. And when it's time to take a sabbatical, its cost is lower for talented engineers. "If they're technically efficient, engineers have disadvantages" in terms of career advancement, "but they can usually go back to their previous goals."

Nevertheless, in other sectors, such as the social sciences or communication, where wages are lower and jobs more scarce, it is much more difficult to make such a decision. In general, the safety net – savings, badets or qualifications of the person – facilitates decision-making in case of wage reduction.

For many millennia, one possible solution is to align the career from the beginning with values. Academic and business research suggests that this generation wants to work for ethical employers committed to diversity and doing their part to make the world a better place.

Previous generations "never asked why they did it and only did what they were ordered to do," says Caraher, author of Millennials & Management. Younger workers, however, want to understand the values ​​of their employers and their role in the organization.

Psychologists have pointed out that the compatibility between employee and employee values ​​has a crucial impact on job satisfaction and even on the profitability of the company.

Some companies, especially large companies, strive to communicate their values. Having a strong brand facilitates the attraction of effective professionals to the company, says Bartram. Small businesses "must do something to stand out and one of the most effective strategies is to focus on the positive social impact of their work".

The good news is that peer pressure can bring about tangible change. Many large employers seek to meet these demands through philanthropy and corporate social responsibility, as well as to adopt a more explicit ethical stance. By offering "a moral compbad," says Caraher, it is increasingly important to attract young talent.

The outcome of the case of Google brings at least a little hope. The company did not renew the Maven project despite criticism from its employees and partially abandoned a lucrative contract with the Pentagon because it did not meet its principles of "AI (Artificial Intelligence)". It was a sacrifice, but that the tech giant could afford to do.

Some of their workers, it seems, could also afford to prioritize their values: their livelihoods were not so vulnerable and they had good prospects elsewhere.