I’ve always thought that one of the perks of working from home is that my kids get to see me work. When my daughters see me working hard at a job I find satisfying, it teaches them the value of hard work and doing it to the best of your ability. I know it’s making an impact because I’ve witnessed my girls mimicking me in their play.
Recently there’s been tons of research on Generation Z (i.e., the generation that was born between 1997-2012) Gen Z will soon surpass Millennials as the most populous generation on the planet. By 2025, Gen-Z workers will make up 27% of the U.S. workforce. Just like their predecessors, Millennials have different views on work and their careers. Some of them are very positive. For example:
- They want to work for a morally and ethically sound organization.
- They want to work for a company that has a diverse employee base and focuses on employees over profit.
- They also want flexibility, diversity, and opportunities for growth.
These are all good things. There are some other findings, however, that concern me, notably:
- Many do not want to work extended hours.
- They expect to be paid well right from the start.
- They don’t want their kids/future kids to “see” them working.
While I can understand wanting to earn a fair, livable wage and have a healthy work/life balance, I’m worried that the value of hard work is being lost.
Hard work isn’t something you should shy away from. The things in life that we work the hardest for end up bringing the most satisfaction, e.g., training for a marathon, starting your own business, building a fulfilling career, raising kids! And when we are showing the value of hard work and living it, it teaches our kids an important lesson.
Don’t get me wrong, you shouldn’t be miserable in life. No one should have to come home from work unhappy. But sometimes you have to put in the extra effort and make sacrifices to meet your goals, and our kids need to see that.
Here at EHS Support we’ve built a culture where you’re not miserable; where you’re challenged and excited about what you do. All of our employees work hard, and we’re rewarded for it through things like generous benefits and opportunities to grow and learn in our career. Here you have the opportunity to work alongside and learn from talented and driven individuals. We also value the fresh perspectives and energy that recent grads can bring to our company. That said, we also value the experts on our staff who have put in years of hard work to gain the experience and knowledge we need to provide our clients with such a high level of quality.
As a mom of two girls, I’m always telling my daughters they can grow up to do whatever they want. I also tell them (and show them) that nothing worth achieving comes easy. If you want to be successful in anything you do, you have to be willing to put in the hard work. The key is finding satisfying, challenging work that you enjoy and that rewards you for putting in the extra effort.
