🌍 Gen Z Rejects Working For The Man
Derek Gallimore
Founder, Author & Speaker ⇨ CEO of Outsource Accelerator: World's Leading Outsourcing Marketplace & Advisory ⇨ Author of Inside Outsourcing: How Remote Work, Offshoring & Global Employment is Changing the World.
Welcome to Gone Global: Opinion, a look at the top stories and insights on remote work, global employment, distributed teams, outsourcing, and the future of work.
This is a condensed version of our flagship Gone Global newsletter.
A calling
Contempt for the 9-to-5 job feels like a flimsy reason to embark on the perilous journey of starting a business.
Almost half, or 43% of Gen Zers, have no interest in working in a traditional job, according to a 2024 report from Credit Karma, with some looking to start their businesses. Frustration with salaries and less control over schedules are the common reasons behind this shift.
While it’s thrilling to see the entrepreneurial spirit well and alive, building a business rooted in hate for the corporate culture isn’t compelling enough. Entrepreneurship is a calling. What kicks off the business journey is an idea that is so infectious and resilient that the budding entrepreneur can’t resist but devote all their time, resources, and energy to make it come alive.
It reaches a point where every waking hour becomes a working hour dedicated to polishing the business plan. 9-to-5s become 5-to-9s — maybe even longer, and could extend over the weekends. Entrepreneurs lose sleep and money, especially in the initial phase of the business. They’re constantly thinking about what will set their business apart from the competition.
They take risks, some calculated or done on a whim. Some hobbies take a back seat. And sometimes, their personal life takes a hit.
Perpetual to-do list
This is not to say young people should let go of their dream business. There are numerous underdeveloped ideas and untapped markets out there. But the younger generation must understand that being an entrepreneur does not always mean more freedom to pursue other things.
Owning a business could offer more control and autonomy, which does not necessarily mean working less. When an employee takes a leave of absence from a 9-to-5, someone will take over their tasks for the time being. Business owners do not have this privilege. There’s just so much to be done, be it in accounting, sales, marketing, and client negotiations.
Later on in the businessman’s life, they may have more control over their schedules, but the work will never stop. They will still be in charge of making high-value decisions, which means they must continually keep tabs on the market, the industry, their clients, and competitors. Taking a backseat for a minute could spell the death of the business.