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Abstract: The article explores the transition into a post-pandemic world of work, where employees, especially younger generations, are prioritizing purpose and values over paychecks. A defining trend called "conscious quitting" has emerged, where workers thoughtfully leave roles that fail to nurture their well-being or align with their principles. While often associated with Gen Z, this shift towards purposeful work is seen across generations. To attract and retain top talent, the article emphasizes that organizational leaders must foster values-aligned work cultures through mission-driven management, open communication of ideals, and workplace flexibility. The article highlights industry examples of companies successfully implementing purpose-driven leadership, demonstrating how aligning mission and values can create rewarding careers and reduce "conscious quitting." The conclusion underscores that in the evolving world of work, cultivating environments where employees can find meaningful, values-aligned careers is crucial for organizations to succeed in attracting and retaining talent.
The transition into a post-pandemic world of work has brought significant changes to how employees, especially younger generations, view their careers. A defining trend among Gen Z has been "conscious quitting" - leaving roles that fail to nurture well-being or align with one's principles. While often discussed in relation to Gen Z, employees of all ages are prioritizing purpose over paychecks. For organizational leaders, fostering values-aligned work cultures is crucial to attracting and retaining talent. Through mission-driven management, open communication of ideals, and flexibility, companies can help employees find meaningful work.
Defining Conscious Quitting
Coined by TikTok user Lexi Loreiro in 2021, "conscious quitting" refers to thoughtfully leaving jobs that negatively impact one's well-being or ethics (Loreiro, 2021). For Gen Z in particular, values such as sustainability, diversity and work-life balance strongly factor into career choices (PwC, 2021). The pandemic deepened reflection on life priorities, accelerating resignation trends (Bersin, 2021).
Various factors have driven the rise of conscious quitting. The tight labor market gives workers bargaining power to find values-aligned roles (Strom, 2022). Remote opportunities expand viable job choices. Social media highlights workplace issues, norms companies must address. Millennial and Gen Z job hopping indicates a shifting employability mindset from loyalty to self-actualization (PwC, 2022).
Employees Seeking Purpose Across Generations
While often discussed in relation to younger generations, research shows employees of all ages prioritize purposeful work. A 2021 Deloitte survey found purpose topped pay and promotions as the most important job attribute for both Millennials and Gen X (Deloitte, 2021). Two-thirds of global employees would take a pay cut to work for a values-aligned company (Cone, 2022).
Beyond demographics, the pandemic universally intensified longing for meaningful careers (Vedantam, 2021). Employees saw companies fail stakeholder groups and question industry norms. This fueled desire to use skills for ethical, impactful ends through choice of employer. Leaders must recognize purpose transcends generations in attracting and retaining top talent.
Aligning Mission and Values to Engage Employees
To foster values-aligned cultures where employees can find meaningful work, companies should clearly communicate their mission and embed principles across practices:
Define inspiring mission: Develop a compelling vision statement articulating the organization's purpose and positive impact. Regularly communicate and demonstrate how roles contribute.
Establish core values: Choose 3-5 values like integrity, community or innovation to guide decisions. Reference values when onboarding, reviewing performance or evolving strategy.
Live values through leadership: Ensure executives’ actions, communication and initiatives model upholding values. This builds trust values permeate the organization.
Incorporate values into initiatives: Reference how new projects, products or policies tie to values like sustainability, diversity or well-being. Demonstrate principles in action.
Solicit values-based feedback: Regularly survey employees on perceptions of upholding values and areas for improvement. Adjust practices according to findings.
By prioritizing purpose at a strategic level and operationalizing principles across functions, companies can effectively align work with employee values. This fosters rewarding careers less prone to "conscious quitting."
Industry Examples: Purpose-Driven Leadership in Action
Some companies are demonstrating mission-driven management to support employees finding meaningful work:
Patagonia
Outdoor retailer Patagonia champions environmental stewardship as a core value. Its mission clearly conveys mitigating climate change through business practices and advocacy. Pathways include on-site recycling, corporate grants for activism, and time off for conservation volunteering (Patagonia, 2022). Surveys show employees highly engaged by the opportunity to contribute in values-aligned ways.
Autodesk
Software company Autodesk’s vision is to help humanity through sustainable design. It offers employees purpose through pro-bono use of software to support UN goals on issues like housing or pollution. Autodesk also funds internal sustainability committees and measures success not just by profits but stakeholder impact (Autodesk, 2022). This nurtures a culture where employees consciously stay versus quit.
Valved
Valved is a Finnish game company daring to redefine work culture norms. It has no managers or formal structure. Instead, self-organizing teams focus on outcomes over face time. Transparency tools share all data to foster trust. Valved cultivates an empowering, values-driven space encouraging balance versus burnout (Valved, 2022). This model attracts top talent seeking purpose and flexibility.
Conclusion
In the evolving world of work, retaining talent requires more than competitive pay - it demands cultivating environments where employees can find meaningful careers aligned with their principles. Gen Z popularized the term "conscious quitting" but employees across generations increasingly prioritize purpose over simply having a job. Leaders able to clearly communicate an inspiring mission, operationalize core values across functions, and demonstrate ethical leadership will foster work cultures allowing people to bring their full selves. This supports employee well-being while engaging talent less prone to job-hop when values are upheld. Values-aligned organizations will succeed in both attracting top workers and retaining them for the long term.
References
Autodesk. (2022). Our impact. https://www.autodesk.com/company/customer-stories-case-studies/articles/sustainability
Bersin, J. (2021, February 9). The great reshuffle. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-reshuffle-why-its-coming-how-prepares-josh-bersin/
Cone. (2022). 2022 Cone/Edelman trust barometer shows corporate purpose tops all other metrics for building trust. https://www.cone.com/news/2022/02/corporate-purpose-tops-all-other-metrics-for-building-trust-according-to-2022-cone-edelman-trust-barometer/
Deloitte. (2021, April 13). The Deloitte global 2021 millennial and Gen Z survey. https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/millennialsurvey.html
Loreiro, L. [Lexi Loreiro]. (2021, November 28). Update on "consciously quitting." TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@lexiloreiro/video/7034631084957761330
Patagonia. (2022). Our mission and business model. https://www.patagonia.com/our-footprint/
PwC. (2021). Gen Z and Gen Alpha: The multigenerational workplace. https://www.pwc.com/sg/en/services/human-resource-services/insights/gen-z-and-gen-alpha.html
PwC. (2022). New world, new skills: Thriving in the post-pandemic workplace. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/reskill-reignite/new-world-new-skills.html
Strom, D. (2022, March 2). Why more employees are rethinking their careers during the 'Great Reshuffle.' CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/02/why-more-employees-are-reassessing-their-careers-during-the-great-reshuffle.html
Valved. (2022). Our values and culture. https://www.valved.co/blog/our-culture
Vedantam, S. (Host). (2021, February 2). How the pandemic changed our relationship with work [Audio podcast episode]. In Hidden brain. https://www.npr.org/2021/02/02/962908189/how-the-pandemic-changed-our-relationship-with-work
Additional Reading
Westover, J. H. (2024). Optimizing Organizations: Reinvention through People, Adapted Mindsets, and the Dynamics of Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.3
Westover, J. H. (2024). Reinventing Leadership: People-Centered Strategies for Empowering Organizational Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.4
Westover, J. H. (2024). Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.5
Westover, J. H. (2024). Energizing Innovation: Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.6
Westover, J. H. (2024). Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.7
Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Workforce Evolution: Strategies for Adapting to Changing Human Capital Needs. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.8
Westover, J. H. (2024). Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.11
Westover, J. H. (2024). Inspiring Purpose: Leading People and Unlocking Human Capacity in the Workplace. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.12
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Gen Z and the Rise of Conscious Quitting: Helping Employees Find Meaningful Work Through Values-Aligned Leadership. Human Capital Leadership Review, 16(2). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.16.2.5
