Generation Z refers to the generation born between the mid-1990s and 2010. In Japan, this generation accounts for 15% of the total population, and 32% worldwide. Generation Z’s values and consumer behavior have attracted a great deal of attention, and they are interested in multifaceted thinking, including a conscious commitment to social and environmental topics.

Their work values are not limited to money; they also tend to emphasize a sense of meaning and mission, such as what they do their work for. Many also believe that benefits and a healthy, flexible work environment are more important than salary. In addition, after the era of remote work, building relationships and a sense of community are also considered more important items.

While more flexible options in work have made it easier to pursue what you love, it is difficult to work doing only what you love.

Just how can we enjoy and love doing what we do more? In this newsletter, we will examine the “fulfilled way of work”.

The warmth of spring is reminiscent of goodbyes and beginnings.

As you celebrate the new beginnings of friends and colleagues, do you ever find yourself wondering if you love your current job and if it is connected to what you want to accomplish in the long run?

Forbes states that one way to love your job is to feel connected to others around you, including your colleagues. One of the most important elements of happiness is feeling connected to others, and it is said that 75% of lasting friendships come from work.

Last month I visited an international organization in New York City and spoke with a staff member about his career. In their work, which is a back-and-forth between management and fieldwork, they said that “who you are working with and for” is a major motivating factor. My colleagues are rich people who have had a variety of experiences leading up to this environment. Just talking with them is full of learning, but sharing the same mission brings us closer and closer together. Also, the fieldwork, which takes place mainly in developing countries, fosters a greater sense of responsibility by capturing the people living the social problems they wish to solve and working with them on a daily basis,” he told us.

Thus, rather than seeking answers to questions in the actual content of the work at hand itself, it is useful to reflect on the social connections that build our days. Let’s not rush into the spring air and take another look at our work with a fresh perspective.

In South Korea, an increasing number of young people are taking on the job of “Yakult lady” (called “Yakult auntie” in South Korea), a job that until now has been dominated by people in their 40s and 50s. In addition to the introduction of mobile electric carts, a campaign to call sales staff “fresh managers,” and a revamping of uniforms, a company spokesperson says that the ability to freely decide starting and ending hours has become an attractive way for people in their 20s and 30s to work.

According to Ikuma Kusabuka, who was in charge of new graduate recruitment at Google’s Human Resources Department, the most popular companies among Gen Z job hunters are those that offer a guaranteed salary, good benefits, short working hours, and a corporate culture that is not too rigid. Behind this is the value of diversity and the importance of living one’s own life, and they are questioning the need to live within the uniform framework of a company and its corporate culture.

According to an OECD survey, Italy is the country with the best work-life balance among its member countries. Only 3% of all workers work more than 50 hours per week (the OECD average is 10%), and they spend the most time on personal care and leisure. The reason behind this is the government’s free childcare service, which allows employees to leave their children at sports facilities during the summer holidays and on weekdays when school is not in session. As a result, employees’ work-life balance has improved, with employees who used the service coming to work more often than those who did not.

In Comparably’s survey of corporate work-life balance, companies that value employee mental health and flexibility in the way they work are rated highly. For example, biotech company 23andMe has mental health benefits that apply not only to employees but also to their families. Other efforts to keep employees from “quiet turnover,” such as companies that offer paid time off on the last Friday of each month, have garnered attention.