Work, Italians on the hunt for financial satisfaction (but also smart working)

For Italian workers, what counts above all is economic satisfaction (97%), professional development (92%) and a corporate culture (92%) in which they can mirror themselves, but also time flexibility (92%) and smart working (63%), the latter especially for young people (76%). This is what emerged from a survey conducted at the beginning of June by BIG (Business Intelligence Group) and presented at the Grenke Italia headquarters during a meeting that saw managers and experts in the sector discuss the subject.

The salary aspect appears to be the most relevant variable: 97.3% of the total indicate it as the most relevant factor in their job evaluation, confirming it as the top priority in their employment expectations. The meaning attributed to pay changes according to generation: for boomers (99.5%) it is synonymous with security and status, for Generation Z (91.4%) it is an enabling tool, not an end.

Professional development is relevant for 92.1% of the sample: it is the key variable for boomers (93.3%) who seek clear paths to growth and learning. Corporate culture is rated positively by 92.1%, but with strong differences in expectations: boomers (94.1%) favour the organisational climate, as do Generation X and millennials, while Generation Z shows a greater focus on diversity and inclusion, followed by leadership style. This indicates a broader and more values-based view of corporate culture, oriented towards equity and representation.

Greater hour flexibility is requested by 91.2% of the sample: the figure reaches 95% among Gen Z, a sign of their expectation of autonomy in managing their own lives. In parallel, work-life balance is considered crucial by 89.4% of respondents, with even higher values among women (91.1%) and millennials (92.4%). For the younger generations in particular, work-life balance takes on greater importance than career, marking a turning point in the criteria for assessing work well-being.

If smart working is considered important by 63.1% of the total, things change quite a bit according to age: for 76.8% of Generation Z it is indispensable versus 53.2% of Boomers. Similarly, C-Levels are more lukewarm: 47.7% are concerned about the collaborative impacts of remote working.