“These numbers show that recruiting great talent requires more than just competitive pay and benefits,” the report concludes. “It’s clear that talent today want the whole package: secure, flexible, inclusive, and financially stable employment in a place they feel they belong.” Erica Holley—a CWU associate professor of management who studies workplace stress—has noticed her students becoming more focused on work culture. “I think there's an awareness that life is fleeting,” Holley said. “In an odd way, I think the pandemic sharpened what we want in our work and what we want in our lives, and it gave us a very different perspective to take on work. I think people are tired of feeling like a cog in a wheel.” Advice for Jobseekers The pandemic blurred the lines between work and home for many people and opened the door to large-scale remote and hybrid work. Meanwhile, the fluctuating economy has left some employers trying to find workers while others lay people off. “I think it's a tough time right now to be in any job because there's enough ambiguity about the world,” Holley said. For recent College of Business graduates, navigating the market may feel overwhelming. But human resources experts have advice for jobseekers who want to find workplaces where they can thrive. Entering a company is a lot like starting a relationship, Holley said. “If you end up in a relationship where you've got someone who's always taking, taking, taking and not thinking about you—which happens in a lot of companies—that's not a good place for you to grow,” she said. Holley advises jobseekers to ask during their interview how they and the company could grow together. She recommends talking to current employees, listening for green flags like mentorship opportunities and red flags like high turnover. Jenn Schwope (’01), an HR lead at Microsoft, said jobseekers should consider what kind of workplace culture fits their personality and goals. Some people may value caring and flexibility, while others want competition and ambition. “You’ve got to know what you want and what you're trying to get out of it, and then take the initiative to learn about what the culture is like there and if it’s a match,” Schwope said. Jobseekers should gather information from review sites like Glassdoor, but take them with a grain of salt, she said. She recommends asking current employees to share the best and worst things about working for the company.
Scott Washburn (’95), vice president of human resources at Tree Top, urges new graduates to gain professional experience, skills, and perspective. “Do they like hybrid, do they like remote, do they not? They haven’t done it,” he said. “I would encourage them to be extremely flexible on what the business needs. If the business says, ‘Look, I need you here Monday to Friday, 8 to 5,’ go get the experience. Go learn. If they say, ‘You can pick one day a week you can be remote,’ well, see how you like it.” Strategies for Employers and Employees In the Randstad survey, 48% of all workers said they would quit a job if it was preventing them from enjoying their life. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 58% said they would quit. Businesses should create intentional strategies for building workplace culture and developing people within it, Washburn said. “Companies need to figure out a way to be really good at individual development and career progression,” he said— but noted that employees have a role, too. “It's important for somebody to have depth and breadth. It doesn't happen only by the company; it doesn't happen only by the employee. They have to figure out a way to partner.” When an employee is struggling, the most important thing to do is communicate, Schwope said. “If there's a delta between what you want out of where you work and what you're getting, then I think you've got to communicate to try to understand more deeply what the issue is,” she said. Schwope advised looking for mentors and connections in the company, but also considering other job opportunities. In a recent research paper, Holley and CWU professor James Avey found that workers who experience injustice or unfairness at work are more likely to rebound if they can reframe events from a different perspective. “Even when things are difficult, they get knocked down, they're able to actually get back up and not be sent down a spiral,” Holley said. However, consistent injustice can lead to burnout, she said. People need to make sure they have activities and relationships that help them replenish their energy. “I think so many of us have been in the short-term frame of mind at work—‘We'll just get through this,’” Holley said. “But the reality is you are also doing a marathon. You have to preserve yourself and nourish yourself.”
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