With interest, I listened to the interview of Zuzana Hodková with Ms. Magdalena Souček, managing partner of the Czech branch of Ernst & Young[1] in the Czech Republic and in the Central and Eastern European region, published on July 22, 2019[2]. It reminded me of my post-revolutionary work in the field of human resources in the Czech Republic.
I look back on that period fondly. I associate it with a beautiful era of general enthusiasm and interest in education. However, it must also be said that it was a time of gradual disappearance of existing job opportunities. The previous seemingly carefree lifestyle was gradually replaced by a certain uncertainty for people seeking new employment. From today’s perspective, we can say that this situation contributed positively to a change in their behavior. Some experienced disappointment, but I was fortunate enough to meet those whose initial frustration over losing their jobs freed them of fear and allowed them to find their life’s calling.
I also recall being surprised at times by the significant difference in self-confidence between Czech and foreign job applicants. Among Czech applicants, except for a few, self-esteem and self-confidence were generally low. There was also a relatively high willingness to accept jobs very different from their original profession. In contrast, foreign applicants displayed much more confidence—even when their prior work experience did not fully justify it.
Comparing the differences between the labor market then and now, we observe distinctions not only in past and current employment opportunities but also among past and present job seekers.
Regarding the current state of the labor market in our country, we have been hearing complaints from employers for some time. These primarily relate to difficulties caused by the current shortage of labor. We all know that this shortage in the Czech Republic is addressed by importing inexpensive labor (mainly) from Ukraine. Nevertheless, aside from some (in)competent individuals, we recognize the urgency of solving this problem. In the near future, we will be forced to address it with people of different qualifications. Let us also consider how today’s job seekers are assessed by manager Ms. Magdalena Souček. Her response to the question, “What are contemporary graduates like when applying for jobs?” helps us.
From the interview, the following observation caught my attention:
“Motivating the new generation is very difficult; their expectations are truly high. They don’t want to wait for anything—they want everything immediately, and their demands are sometimes excessive. This generation lacks patience. Finding quality graduates is becoming increasingly difficult for companies. Results in logic and mathematics tests are steadily declining. There are more people who fail these tests altogether. Likewise, graduates’ language skills are no longer at the level they once were. Unlike their predecessors, the current generation requires greater flexibility. They also seek a better balance between work and personal life and are much more interested in social issues.”
What can we conclude?
As a summary, I will borrow wisdom nearly two thousand years old, from the opposite side of the world—China. “Every extreme on one side inevitably leads to an extreme on the opposite side.” I learned this wisdom during lectures on Chinese medicine many years ago. Chinese instructors, who then flew to Prague from their lectures in Paris, repeatedly emphasized this principle. Their entire philosophy is based on this idea. They said that for the healthy development of the entire organism (and I would add, of society as a whole), it is necessary to constantly strive for lasting harmony.
Some might now think: “What on earth does this have to do with the topic?” It has everything to do with it. The development of our society (specifically the labor market) from the establishment of the First Republic to the present day can be compared to a rapidly moving seesaw, swinging from one extreme to the other.
We first experienced a short period of prosperity, quickly followed by the massive unemployment of the 1930s, then a long period of mandatory work for everyone. First, there was the short period of forced labor during World War II, followed by a long era of state-controlled full employment, when almost no one had to strive to keep their job. This extreme, however, was abruptly replaced by a new, unexpected shock. Today, we are again in an intermediate extreme, where there are more job offers than people willing to accept them.
Regardless of the current labor market situation – where companies compete for every applicant and often must lower original qualification requirements – it is crucial to focus on continuous self-education and personal growth. One must view their future in a long-term perspective and not assume that the current one-sidedly favorable situation will last forever. This is the only way to succeed sustainably in the labor market. It is highly likely that the expected EU economic crisis will subsequently cause further changes in the labor market. We should keep in mind the Chinese proverb: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Looking back at the proven successes of graduates of our MBA program, we are rightfully proud that we are a team capable of preparing students to thrive not only during economic prosperity but also in less favorable times. We are able to teach them to “fish,” rather than wait for handouts. The welfare of our country deserves more such determined and successful individuals!
Author: JUDr. Josef František Staněk, Ph.D., MBA, Tutor of Personnel Management at the CEMI Institute
[1] Ernst & Young is an international network of professional services firms providing auditing, tax, and consulting services. Along with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and KPMG, it is part of the so-called “Big Four.” In the Czech Republic, the firm has been operating since the early 1990s and has annually organized the “Entrepreneur of the Year” competition since 2000. https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_%26_Young
