The meaning of work
Why it’s not just about the money when we look for work
In Part 1, I outlined why hiring is still broken. This is Part 2.
In this essay, I discuss:
The role of work in modern society
How could we change job seeking to reflect this reality?
What could a new job seeking process look like?
What’s stopping companies from offering this?
The role of work
There is no way we can talk about job seeking without talking about what work means within people’s lives.
Work has many definitions. From Merriam Webster’s dictionary, work is defined as a place of employment. Work is an activity to make a living. To work is to toil and labor. A work is something produced from exercise of skill. And work is achievement through overcoming obstacles.
Which definition is right for you? There is no right answer, but it is a reflection of what you value and what feels available to you. The American dream is founded on the principle that people with passion and hard work can achieve their dreams. For many, work is a means to an end — it’s a way to make a living. For others, it is a structure, a place to go and be useful and be part of the community. For a select successful few, it is a livelihood, a passion, a purpose. Their jobs have transformed from careers to callings. For most, the dream doesn't reflect reality.
In 1929, Keynes predicted his grandkids would work 15 hours a week, because technology would automate work away. What happens if new technology automates every part of your job? You get fired. Or you work the exact same number of hours doing something else. Better technology creates higher expectations and work expands to fill the available time.
Trends suggest computer automation will replace many jobs. Consider the jobs with the highest number of workers — driver, warehouse worker, cashier, admin, assistant. Already these jobs are on a path towards automation by self driving cars, robotics, self checkout, and AI assistants. The wealth creation from automation has and will continue to be unequally distributed. Those with the skills, access, connections, or resources will benefit most.
How might we change job seeking to reflect this reality?
I’ve categorized job seeker desires into three distinct buckets. Often they are looking for…
A means to an end: These workers are looking for the greatest financial reward to help support their life goals. They are mercenary in nature. If they could earn the same amount of money and work less with no penalty, they would choose to do so. Flexibility is quite important. Work is a part of their lives, not the number one priority.
A path to upwards mobility: These workers are looking for opportunities to open up their career opportunities. They take on more difficult roles and projects. They look for brands that signal their credibility. They believe this will open doors to earn more money or do more interesting work later on in their careers. For young people, this is highly valued to the point where they are willing to forgo salary (think medical residency, consulting, big tech).
A passion: These workers are intrinsically motivated to do great work. They are highly interested in the subject matter. Often the best and brightest workers fall into this category because they love what they do.
Could we segment the job seeking process by these job seeker intents? How might we create a better match between job roles and job seekers — for both skills and preferences?
What could a new job seeking process look like?
Pretend you are a job seeker. Imagine a world where…
You can be honest about your intentions during the job seeking process.
It is easy to search for jobs that offer the types of work you are looking for.
You can get a real-time assessment of your capabilities and how to up-skill yourself to get access to these opportunities.
You understand how each job can improve your employability for future roles.
There is no wasted time on data entry, fake jobs, resume writing, and keyword matching.
Companies respect your time and communicate with you openly and transparently.
You get second and third chances when you mess up.
You get paid what you deserve.
This seems too good to be true. And it is. Let’s explore why.
What’s stopping companies from offering this?
Companies are not honest with what they’re looking for.
Imagine this — 61 percent of all full-time entry-level openings require at least three years of experience. That doesn’t make any sense. I’ve always believed if you want anything in life, you just need to figure out its price and pay it. And in this example, companies want an experienced employee without saying they want nor paying for it.
It’s also interesting how the screening process penalizes certain kinds of job seeking desires. Culture-fit questions in interviews are often trying to uncover this intent. If you openly say you work just for pay, it leaves a sour impression. But what are jobs but ways to earn a living? And as we discussed earlier, that is what most jobs are!
Hiring managers write off candidates fairly quickly.
Hiring managers are not running a hiring process as their full time job. They are usually doing it on the side along with all of their other duties in the role. Because they have limited amounts of time, they must make a judgment call on each candidate with limited information.
Hiring managers penalize upfront honesty.
Imagine two candidates come into interview. The first candidate says all the right things. The first says he is passionate about software engineering. He is motivated to make an impact for the company. He wants to grow and become a better engineer. The second does not say these things, but is honest and open about his life situation. He is looking for a job where he can do good work, but software engineering is “not his passion.” He is focused on family and family comes first. He is looking for the highest paying role with the most flexibility. Who would you hire between the two? Likely the first one will be chosen by most hiring managers. But the first candidate actually had the same mindset as the second, and just repackaged it. This encourages candidates to mask their real intentions and pretend. Now everyone on the job market is “passionate and motivated.”
Another, more extreme case would be interviewing a job seeker with a criminal record. In 2015, NYC passed the Fair Chance Act, which requires employers to “wait until they offer an applicant a job before asking about the person’s conviction history or doing a background check.” The existence of a criminal record can reduce job callbacks by 50 percent. More than 70 million Americans face barriers to employment due to their criminal history.
Job seekers don’t have an accurate assessment of their employability across roles.
Job seekers do not have an accurate picture of what jobs are actually available to them. As a job seeker, what kinds of jobs are a good fit for me? What jobs do I have little to zero chance of getting? What employers will take a chance on hiring me? Where could I up-skill myself to get to a better role or outcome? Perhaps these questions are not answerable. After all, work is at a particular place with a group of people who you may not get along with improper training and a boss who doesn’t set you up for success. There are so many factors which determine whether a job will be right for you. Many of them can only be learned after taking the job.
But even a marginal improvement on the match rate would result in massive impact. Think about all the wasted hours spent between the wrong candidates and wrong employers talking to each other.
Work means something different to everyone. Machines are going to be doing more and more of the work. The future of job seeking will need to account for this new reality, and there’s a path to do so. In our next essay, we'll talk about potential solutions to make finding the right job easier for everyone. Click here to read Part 3.
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