EUROPE 1 EXCLUSIVE - Stability, commitment, support... What young people expect from the business world

Romain Rouillard / Photo credit: Pixabay 07:00, December 07, 2023

Classic expectations, characteristics specific to the new generation and renewed motivation. This is how the third edition of the barometer on "young people and business", published by the Jean-Jaurès Foundation and Macif, which Europe 1 reveals to you exclusively, could be summarised in a few words. Conducted among 1,000 French people aged 18 to 24, this study sheds light on young people's relationship to work and is rather encouraging in terms of the level of motivation of new entrants to the job market.

After the slump linked to the health crisis, young people are experiencing a renewed motivation. 72% of those surveyed say they are "optimistic" about their future, which represents an increase of ten points compared to the previous year. The deleterious effects of Covid-19 on their morale seem to be evaporating as the entry of some of these young people into the job market has been hampered by a succession of lockdowns and curfews.

Young people are in favour of hybrid organisation

Nevertheless, 18-24 year-olds want to integrate into their expectations of the professional world a certain number of characteristics specific to their generation and, in part, inherited from the health crisis. Thus, teleworking is perceived in a positive way and 52% of respondents would like to be able to benefit from a hybrid organization, mixing face-to-face and remote work. An increase of ten points compared to 2021. Only 100% of 12-18 year-olds are interested in 24% of 16-18 year olds, who are only a handful who prefer flex-office (<>%) or co-working spaces (<>%).

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In addition, young people are increasingly sensitive to the commitment of the world of work to societal issues. Starting with the preservation of the environment, which, for 32% of respondents, appears to be a priority within companies, in the same way as the fight against inequalities between men and women (27% and 34% among the women surveyed).

Day-to-day support for the company

If the choice arises, young people give preference to French or local companies, to the detriment of foreign companies. Reconciling professional and personal life is also an imperative for these young people, who prefer a job that provides them with sufficient free time, but also a certain stability. Thus, 29% of young people would like to stay in the same company for as long as possible. However, this stability must go hand in hand with mobility, since 43% of those surveyed say they want to change jobs during their career.

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Finally, more and more young people expect their company to provide a certain amount of support on a daily basis. 46% of them find it legitimate for their company to pay part of their rent, in the event of teleworking, and 68% expect a helping hand from their employer in terms of access to housing or mobility.