WHAT IS YOUR WHY?

Hooray, people are flying again! After two years of pandemic, the summer saw booking figures that, despite all the unresolved problems, gave rise to renewed confidence in the industry's executive suites. How nice to see families reunited across continents after the long period of separation! Business partners no longer greet each other only on Zoom. People need people. We convey ourselves to others not only in words, but also in small gestures, pauses, glances that fall by the wayside on the web. Many entry restrictions have fallen. The demand went from 0 to 100, the airlines could hardly keep up with the mothballing of the planes and the currencyof the crews. And yet: Euphoria feels different. What's going on? 

For one thing, many people are finding it difficult to get back into the daily flying mode after the long break caused by the pandemic. Is it still like it used to be when I check in for duty - and if not, what has changed? Savings are being made at every turn, duties are being exhausted, layovers are being shortened, savings are being made in on-board service, and the flight attendants are supposed to make up for it with friendliness and competence. They are the airline's contact to the customer, the human capital of every company. They are treated negligently. Cheaper hotels are sought, breakfast has to be paid for by the passengers themselves. At some point, joy falls by the wayside. Managers talk about the necessary reconnect, but it can't happen that way. Employees are supposed to get involved again - the opposite happens. Strikes are the order of the day, chaos at the airports, delays, lost suitcases, people wanting to stow their luggage in the cabin and fighting over space in the overhead compartments. Crews are stretched thin. What follows: Insecurity, psychological problems, fatigue, inner emigration, sick leave. In the end: dismissal. A dream that has become a nightmare. 

It is interesting to note that this phenomenon, which started in the U.S. during the pandemic, is currently spreading across all industries. The Great Resignation is the technical term for this. A few figures on this: 60% of all entrepreneurs say that fluctuation and a lack of skilled workers is currently their biggest (!) challenge and fear. 40% of Gen Z want to leave their jobs in the next two years, almost as many without a new job in sight. Wow. What's going on there? Doesn't anyone want to work anymore? 

Apparently, there's a change in what people care about. And it's not just money anymore - although 89% of business owners still believe salary is the biggest adjusting screw. Nearly three-quarters of respondents under 30 no longer want to compromise to keep or get a job. Their top issues are impact and purpose. We have reached a point where individuals also want to make a meaningful difference with their actions - an understandable desire in view of the climate crisis and growing social inequality on the planet. Banks are increasingly linking the granting of favorable loans to this purpose, which a company defines for itself and which is reflected in the SDGs, the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the UN. 

Managers who can communicate to their employees what their company is for, what their purpose is in the world, will have a much easier time finding motivated workers. The practice of hire and fire is a discontinued model.

We think: that's a good thing. When people find what makes sense to them, they are fulfilled by what they do. Then they look forward to their work, are sick less often and even accept being paid less. 

This shift is currently being felt by all businesses, from the restaurant trade to the airline industry. The problem will only get worse as baby boomers retire in the coming years. Jobs will have to be filled, and companies will have to consider what they can offer their employees apart from salary. The war of talents is on. It's important to know what talents you have. Where your own purpose lies. Helping you to find that out, by the way, is exactly the purpose of OneEightZero.