A new challenge for HR: Interpreting the silence of young people about their professional aspirations
It is common to see young people taking on managerial roles and leading ventures with enthusiasm and zeal. Although they seek professional growth, their ambition is more focused on receiving feedback and fair compensation, prioritizing personal development over the mere enjoyment of their daily tasks. This mindset exemplifies the phenomenon Quiet ambition, which seeks to balance the dual role: personal - family.
The belief that all employees seek to rise to managerial positions is changing drastically. The new generations value autonomy, seek an environment that empowers them, provides recognition, and offers constant feedback in line with their values. However, there is a disparity between how they perceive themselves and how they are viewed by their superiors, creating a challenging and complex work environment.
There exists a phenomenon and a new generational attitude less oriented toward competition that is shaking up the labor market: Quiet ambition, a silent ambition, which seems to guide their actions in a strategic and subtle manner.
What do young professionals think and seek today?
Quiet ambition is a concept that embodies new ties to work, prioritizing aspects different from traditional models. Since impatience and dissatisfaction broke into organizations, the perception of ambition began to influence the work environment.
Many executives see these attitudes as negative and generate tensions in the teams. However, some companies choose not to discourage these trends, but to leverage them to foster a more balanced environment.
At this point, motivation among twenty-somethings is not always explicit, as they tend to be discreet when verbalizing their aspirations. For their part, companies often show caution regarding the ambitious aspirations of their employees, fearing that these changes could impact economic growth. In this context, silent ambition emerges as a phenomenon that presents a new work model that, although suboptimal, offers benefits.
“Waiting” is no longer part of our vocabulary, states a 28-year-old, capturing the spirit of silent ambition that defines many professionals today. Although they experience a strong desire to advance, they often struggle to express this drive and understand their true interests.
Overindulgence and the overvaluation of their achievements create barriers in their development, fostering more solitary and individualistic attitudes. For this generation, a less competitive and more collaborative environment is more motivating, allowing them to thrive in a space where constant pressure does not stifle their creativity and growth.
Consequently, mapping the dynamics of the market in real time is complicated. Young professionals often deal with unrealistic expectations and excessive values, which can lead them to isolate themselves and become more easily influenced, hindering their development.
In this sense, it is asserted that quiet ambition exists and cannot be ignored.
Therefore, recognizing and valuing both the innovation of young people and the experience of veterans is an immediate task to sustain new generations.
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