31% of 18-34-year-olds say they could switch top management roles for jobs with more flexibility and less stress, shows a global survey also conducted in Brazil
In 2019, product designer Antonella Vanoni, now 27, achieved one of her major career goals: hold a senior management position in the field of marketing. But the professional goal has turned into a nightmare. In early 2023, the stress generated by the new function culminated in a burnout diagnosis. The young woman has decided to resign and change her corporate status in pursuit of her quality of life. Although private, Antonella’s story is not an isolated case.
The pursuit of quality of life and well-being has led more and more professionals to leave their jobs, especially young people in leadership positions. A global study carried out by the consultancy McKinsey revealed that 31% of young people between 18 and 34 years old can leave their job, while professionals over 35 represent 14%.
With episodes of anxiety crises, he decided to retire as he had completed his contribution period, for a total of 32 years. To maintain the ceiling provided by the INSS, Lúcia would have had to work for another five years, which was not possible at the time. Ana Lúcia complied with the request and had the process approved this year.
After two months at home, she lost her work routine and decided to do something new. This time, not necessarily for the money, but for a purpose. Just under a month ago you managed to get hired in the personnel department of a construction company in a position that does not require as many assignments as in your previous job. In her current position, she Lucia has a salary 50% lower than her previous one.
The administrator now has time to play the tambourine
Administrator Emilio Martos, 58, also a law graduate, held management positions in administration, finance and personnel management for 22 years in companies in São Paulo. He had always been concerned with balancing his professional and personal lives. However, the responsibility of the position often did not allow for this. “I woke up in São Paulo, had lunch in Curitiba and slept in Belém,” he recalls.
Like Antonella and Lúcia, he was satisfied with his profession, but the hectic routine not only brought a comfortable income and corporate status, it was also accompanied by abdications. Often living with family and working from another city was an almost impossible mission.
“In management roles you have to know when to stop,” says Emilio. In 2017, at age 52, he made his first attempt at a career change. The test was stopped due to lack of planning.
In 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, he made a second attempt and it worked. You left your job to venture into entrepreneurship, running the risk of earning less, not without financial preparation and market research.
Thus, he traded the rigors of office life for more quality time in various activities. Now she hits the gym at times she couldn’t before, enjoys her family, and even has the chance to pursue new hobbies—from playing the repique and tambourine to joining the band at a neighborhood carnival in São Paulo.
None of this means that professional challenges are a thing of the past. The difference is that work no longer occupies a central position on their priority list. “Before I did it for others, now I make my dreams come true”.
Today he volunteers in three institutions, in his own business – an insurance brokerage and consultancy firm specializing in benefits management – and in other collaborations with small and medium-sized enterprises.
Leaders are under pressure and also cause anxiety in the team
This new mentality of seeking challenges in pursuit of quality of life has also been accelerated by models of organizational culture and leadership based on immediacy. The impact is reflected in the mental health of the employee, says the director of the Instituto Felicia Carla Furtado. “Leaders are under such pressure and such a level of instability that this insecurity escalates in their behavior with teams and becomes a great collective anxiety.”
According to Furtado, managers who experience an environment of constant demand are more likely to engage in inappropriate behaviors, such as harsher communications and disqualified feedback. This in large quantities generates negative effects.
The solution, says the researcher, lies in the way organizations think and structure their corporate culture. “Wearing people means preventing the sustainability of the business,” he suggests.
Companies will need a new leadership style
As with leadership professor Livia Mandelli, the company must have a responsibility to deliver results by extracting the best from people. “The more people believe that leadership is worth working for, the more committed they are to staying there.”
Mandelli foresees that a new leadership model will emerge and that organizations must face the challenge of guaranteeing the quality of life within the workplace without giving up on results. “The company needs results. But does the result correspond to what the workers mean by well-being?”
But leaving work in search of quality of life is not a reality for everyone. Mandelli argues that the decision-making power of workers is still limited. “Many people work to survive. So [essa população]unfortunately, he has to make money doing anything with the kind of toxicity that exists, even putting all mental health at risk.”
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
