Discreet ambition: young people prioritize mental health over fulfillment at work

If in the past being a director or senior boss of a large company was the dream of many young people who had just entered the world of work, today this discourse is no longer so recurrent. It is more: Many people give up on career advancement or access to management positions because of their physical and mental health.

The trend has a name: “Quiet Ambition,” a term first used in April 2023 in an article from Fortune and for which since then, several media, psychologists and labor market experts have started looking for answers in order to understand what young people are looking for in their work.

The specialized portal Work Life specifies that ““Quiet ambition” does not mean that young people do not have ambition, but rather that they prioritize their own needs. : “The desire to succeed is still very present, it’s just that the definition of success has changed over the years. What is most valued has changed. For one person, success might mean being able to turn off their computer over the weekend and not think about it. On the other hand, it may be about earning a certain amount of money or working in a certain company. “Quiet ambition” is about discovering what your values ​​are and what is important to you and not allowing yourself to be imposed by a large external force.

But what is behind this trend? For Vania Martínez, psychiatrist, academic at the University of Chile and director of Imhay Millennium Nucleus, the key lies in the work changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and a better appreciation of quality of life and health mental. “People think about it based on the variables to make a decision. On the one hand, they want to devote time to leisure, to family, and also to physical activity or sport, and on the other hand, if this challenge involves an emotional overload for which they are not prepared, they also think about it, “holds.

At the same time, says the specialist, for other people, seeing progress in terms of work can be a factor that contributes to better mental health. “I think you have to look at it both ways; Indeed, it could be that people consider, to protect their mental health and their quality of life, not to take on new challenges, not to seek to assume more responsibilities, but For some people, having better mental health means precisely seeing their goals achieved and taking on greater challenges.

In the same spirit, Francisca Venegas Cerda, clinical psychologist, family therapist and creator of Healthy Uncertainty Podcast , believes that “for a long time, we believed that aspiring for more implied having economic, or even health, security. Today we know that this is not the case, that most of the time this does not happen, that there are people who have been doing the same job for 40 years and who have very poor or little pensions. of recognition, and then they realize that they spent a lot of energy at work…, which did not generate the atmosphere or warmth they were looking for.

At the same time, specifies the psychologist, “in a world where productivity and ambition are sought above all, Suddenly we let go of the fact that not everyone wants or needs the same thing.

Indeed, study led by McKinsey & Company and the organization LeanIn.Org In 2023, she revealed the different needs of many women: 38% of people with young children say that without workplace flexibility, they would have to leave the company or reduce their working hours. The study was carried out among 276 companies employing a total of more than 10 million people.

Change in mindset among young people is breaking down the corporate ladder, as shown in August 2023 a Visier investigation . Conducted in the United States, the study showed that only 4% of young employees consider being promoted to senior management to be an important career goal and only 37% say they are interested in one day holding the position of boss.

For 91% of those questioned, this lack of interest is due to stress, pressure and the obligation to work more hours in the event of promotion. At the same time, workplace goals are not among the top three ambitions of those surveyed: Topping the list are time spent with family and friends (67%), physical and mental health (64%) and travel (58%).

The research concludes that young workers have redefined the meaning of the word ambition: “They reject negative associations such as job stress, job demands and burnout. “They are redefining ambition in healthier terms, such as work-life balance, personal time and a relaxed, flexible work environment. »