Recently a new client came to see me. A forty-ish woman with a so far successful and rewarding career. After listening to her story it struck me…..are these situations becoming more frequent………?
Her request for career counseling originated in her desire to combine her 'core' career and her 'dream' career. Her personal skills as a sculptor had gradually become more than a hobby.
Two years ago she had asked her employer for a 4 day-contract to which the organization only agreed reluctantly. Happy at first, she soon found out the 'hidden snakes in the grass'; indeed her official working time had reduced, but her working load had increased considerably. So here's the deal: lower people costs for the employer, increased working load for the employee. ' You created the problem, so it's your responsibility to solve it!' By now she has more work and responsibilities than she can ever handle and her success as a sculptor is steadily growing, although at the moment not sufficiently to make ends meet.
In short, she is seriously contemplating leaving the company; she can cope so far, but will that last? Actually she was considering a 3-day working week, but knows for sure that the employer will not accept that. Not in the least for the precedence it would create!
Clear as water: things have changed enormously on the job market in the past few years. People are more and more striving to make their 'dream' career come true by. creating their own business environment. An increasing number of people long for part-time jobs, being a free agent or merely achieving a balance in life.
Yet, organizations are still not capable of tackling this phenomenon. They consider the workforce a 'production factor' and not an 'asset' which will lead the company to superior achievements.
In general, the Dutch job market is showing some distinct contradictions. On the one hand an enormous pool of non-participating 'humanware' - the fifty-somethings, the immigrants and not least the huge army of women seeking (part-time) work. On the other hand the emerging 24 hours economy, labour shortages, people wanting part-time jobs, more and more burned-out high-potential 'humanware' and, as a result of the pressure cooker market, people wanting more balance in life.
It will be interesting to witness where these and other tendencies will lead to in the era to come.
- Will organisations be able to meet the diversified demands of a 21st century workforce?
- What effect will new human needs have on organizational entities?
For more discussion on these and other items concering the 'new career environment', join the Career Café on career@vwb.nl
Cora van Wezel is a career counselor in The Netherlands. Her independent bureau, VWB Career, specialises in helping people make choices regarding work/life balance. Clients come from top executive level to professional and middle management level. VWB Career is also commissioned to undertake wider scale work with the unemployed.