Talent is being wasted on bullshit jobs, say employers

Employers worried about young people's job and education choices

Amsterdam: No less than 65 percent of employers believe young people should be better informed about long-term job forecasts instead of wasting their talent on ‘bullshit jobs’. These are jobs that employees experience as useless or pointless because they make no real contribution to society, such as unnecessary administrative or management positions. On top of that comes an extra concern. A third of employers fear that the (media) attention on labour shortages is influencing young people not to continue their education, because it suggests jobs are there for the taking anyway. This is according to research by Pro Contact, conducted among more than 300 Dutch entrepreneurs and managers at companies of various sizes with at least 100 FTE.

Staff shortage easing slightly

Besides employers voicing their concerns about the future choices of the new generation, the search for staff isn't over yet. The acute shortage does seem to be easing a little. 42 percent still experience the staff shortage in their organisation as very pressing. That's less than two years ago, when 67 percent were dealing with it. The positive news is that almost a quarter (23%) say labour market problems are affecting their organisation less than a year ago. This also has a direct impact on the companies' revenue. For 22 percent, the staff shortage is still the cause of lower revenue this year. Two years ago, that percentage was considerably higher at 42 percent.

Noud Baijens, founder and owner of Pro Contact: “This research shows that the panic around the tight labour market is easing somewhat, but that the concerns haven't completely disappeared. Employers find it particularly worrying how young people make their choices for the future. The forecast is that labour shortages will increase in the coming years, and young people are crucial for business. Sectors such as healthcare, engineering and education have been sounding the alarm for some time. Young people see these sectors as less ‘sexy’, and they're losing out to the growing number of bullshit jobs. So we must try to prevent a gap from forming where young people only look for bullshit jobs, leaving vacancies in essential sectors unfilled. The government also has a crucial role here: push those wages up and make the jobs that are so incredibly important to society attractive.”

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