For Gen X, working in tech has lost its shine

Sandwiched between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials, members of Generation X are reputed to be just as technophile as their younger peers. They even helped create the internet and modern tech culture. Yet, according to a recent survey, they are no longer enamored with the prospect of working for a major company in the sector they helped to build.

The survey in question was carried out by Qualtrics among 1,000 American tech employees. It reveals that members of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) no longer aspire to work in the sector. In fact, some 37% of them say they want to work for a leading tech company. Millennials and Gen Zers are twice as likely to want a career in tech (60%).

Similarly, a quarter of the Gen Xers surveyed say they would only look for a job at a tech company if they were to resign or be made redundant from their current firm, compared to 30% of Millennials. As true “slashers,” Gen Zers are the least attached to the tech sector, with only 19% saying they would look for work only in this field.

These results reflect the extent to which working people are becoming more discerning about the company they work for, and more generally, about the sector in which it operates. They intentionally choose the sector they want to work in, in line with their skills and aspirations. While young people are known to be particularly committed to balancing their professional and personal lives, their tech-savvy elders seem to be even more so. For example, 68% of the Gen Xers surveyed say their job is not as important to them in achieving their life goals as it was before the pandemic, compared with 51% of Millennials and 58% of Zers.

Several factors are contributing to this change in attitude towards the technology sector. The first is the major wave of job cuts that has swept through the industry since the start of 2023. In the space of nine months, 986 companies have shed 233,442 workers, according to the Layoffs.fyi website, which compiles redundancy announcements in the technology industry. Added to this is a desire to protect mental health, which emerged with the Covid-19 pandemic and its successive lockdowns.

As a result, the tech industry is no longer as attractive as it once was for Gen X, despite the lavish compensation packages it offers to workers whose skills are in short supply on the job market. Generation X workers in the sector are the most disillusioned about the industry that once fueled their dreams. Only 38% of them say that their company’s mission and values are more motivating today than they were before the pandemic, compared with 56% of Millennials and 47% of Gen Z respondents. – AFP Relaxnews