In Modern Terms, 'Siljonjuui'... Both Kkondae and MZ Should Remember

[2020 New Year Project - Generational Coexistence, Building Society Together]
<4> Employment War and Generational Conflict

Overflowing Highly Educated Job Seekers and Employment War... Hard-Won '1 Win in 50 Attempts' to Enter Companies
MZ Generation Requests to Avoid Easy Job Changes Due to Conflicts and Stress with Kkondae

Employment Difficulties Exist but Past Was Not Easy Either... Simple Comparison by Competition Rate Is Difficult
Older Generation Finds Personnel Management Difficult Due to High Turnover Among Young Generation

A Culture of Mutual Respect Must Be Established

On the 13th, young job seekers are touring the recruitment booths at the startup job fair held at Baekyangnuri, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] "These days, finding a job is so difficult." VS "Do you think it was easy in our days?"

"Still, back then, even a dragon could emerge from a small stream..." VS "Did you come from a small stream? We had it even tougher, headbutting bare ground."

The biggest concern for the younger generation is employment. However, the new world they enter through the eye of a needle is not painted solely with a bright future. Conflicts begin with the 'kkondae' (older generation) who 'entered more easily than us and now control our future.' The older generation, saying "We know it was hard to get in, but that’s no badge of honor," dismisses their complaints as mere 'immature grumbling.' There seems to be no possibility of compromise between the two sides. For the younger generation, both the process of getting a job and life afterward are continuous struggles. The older generation, who must 'lead' these constantly complaining young people, also suffer greatly. So, what should be done now?

Have you heard of the term 'Siljonjuui' (Respecting Dislikes)? It is one of the 'virtues of the times' for generations with different backgrounds and values to coexist. Simply put, it means 'let’s respect even what we dislike.' Kim Yong-seop, director of the Sharp Imagination Research Institute, said, "When you learn to value things previously overlooked in workplace communication?such as gender, environment, ethics, sharing, and preferences?communication with them becomes possible."

◆There is a reason behind their complaints = 'A precious victory after 50 attempts.' This is not about the World Cup. Job seekers devote themselves to job hunting for periods ranging from one year to over five years. Incheon Sen Unni (35, female), who recently succeeded in entering a public enterprise, spent five years job hunting and submitted about 50 applications. Majoring in mechanical engineering, she boasts top-level 'specs' such as a GPA in the 4-point range, a general mechanical engineer certificate, TOEIC score of 960, and AL grade in TOEIC Speaking. Incheon Sen Unni says, "There are too many highly educated people. Good companies are limited. The number of rejected candidates keeps accumulating. And graduates keep coming out, right? Once you slip, the job market gets harder and harder."

Can the generation before, who spent their first and second years immersed in college romance and then studied briefly in their third and fourth years (men after military service) and got jobs, truly understand the war called employment experienced by the MZ generation (a collective term for Millennials and the younger Z generation)?

On the 4th, job seekers are receiving recruitment consultations at the '2018 Hanyang University Job Fair' held at the Olympic Gymnasium of Hanyang University in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

◆The older generation’s retort: "It was hard in our days too" = University students entering the job market before the mid-1990s actually found it relatively easy to get jobs. Graduating from so-called 'In-Seoul' universities made entering large corporations not very difficult. Some companies and public enterprises now praised as 'dream workplaces' were just 'so-so places' back then. Many from the older generation acknowledge these memories. It is partly true. But there are somewhat different opinions.

Insaeng 2mak (55), who worked 23 years in the insurance industry, says it is difficult to simply compare the job market when he first started with today’s. He recalls, "Regardless of the era, the job market seems difficult for everyone. Most university students around us, except a few, had to head into job hunting like headbutting bare ground. In today’s terms, everyone was in a 'dirt spoon' situation." Nektai Budae (41), who has worked 15 years in a large corporation, shares a similar view. "Was it easier before? Thinking about it, not really. It was hard just to get into university. And there were far more graduates than now. It’s true that anyone could get a job roughly, but getting into a 'good' job was very difficult, just like now. Comparing only competition rates seems meaningless."

Of course, these opinions are not the dominant voice of the older generation. Still, most acknowledge that the younger generation’s employment struggles are quite severe. Apple Baragi (53), working as a school staff member, said, "Regardless of the difficulty level, young people seem to suffer under the constraints of regular and irregular employment. It breaks my heart to see juniors who barely get jobs having to fight again to become regular employees."

◆Too different lifestyles to coexist... Individualism VS Collectivism = Communication, or at least 'dialogue,' can start from recognizing differences. However, the gap between the younger and older generations almost always fails to reach agreement. The MZ generation, who barely crossed the employment threshold, shows surprising choices that prove this. The first job resignation rate for the current generation is 87.6%, up 7.2 percentage points from 10 years ago. There are reasons why they enter more difficultly but quit more easily. It is stress. Among those who quit their first job, 15.8% cited 'interpersonal stress' as the reason, higher than 'job dissatisfaction (15.6%)' or 'salary dissatisfaction (14.6%).' This shows the MZ and older generations are failing to coexist.

Kim Yong-seop said, "The reason MZ generation resigns is related to the era where 'lifetime employment' can no longer be expected. In the past, even if you faced unfair treatment in an organization, there was a reason to endure it. But the MZ generation does not feel the need to endure it." It is hard for the generation that could 'endure and persevere' to empathize with the generation that asks, "What’s the point of enduring and persevering?" Therefore, the MZ generation enters companies with the belief of 'learn as fast as possible and move to a better place as soon as possible.' The moment they feel 'there is nothing to learn' is not far from when they hand in their resignation.

As the situation unfolds, more older generation members complain about difficulties managing MZ generation employees. A survey by the job portal Saramin of 283 companies found that 57.2% answered "they feel difficulties managing millennial talents." Companies cited reasons such as 'prioritizing individuals over the organization' (67.9%), 'boldly executing resignations and job changes' (46.3%), and 'being sensitive to disadvantages' (36.4%).

Insaeng 2mak (55) said, "I hope they live with perseverance, patience, earnestness, and urgency rather than individualism. If you work like that, results will surely come. I don’t understand why the younger generation wants to skip this process." Nektai Budae (41) added, "They have a strong desire to gain experience quickly and be recognized in a short time, but this definitely harms teamwork and is disadvantageous for achieving the results they want. At least some patience is needed during the process of learning assigned tasks."

◆"Show that there is ultimately 'something' if you endure and persevere" = The MZ generation argues back. If the specs they worked hard to build for employment are useless in actual work, and if the bad practice of having to gain recognition through office politics regardless of ability is ended, "why would we talk about individualism or resign early?" J (32), a PD working at a broadcasting company, said, "Even if dissatisfaction arises, the fear of being discarded by the company if they speak honestly comes first. As long as there is an atmosphere where no one dares to speak up, the complaints of the MZ generation will never decrease."

Returning to 'Siljonjuui'?respect even what you dislike. While it is a virtue more demanded of the decision-making older generation, the MZ generation also has points worth listening to. Professor Kwak Geum-ju of Seoul National University’s Department of Psychology said, "While individualism and self-centered culture are partly to blame, the conflict mainly arises from the gap between ideals and reality." Kim Yong-seop said, "Ultimately, a culture of mutual respect must be formed. It is a natural and absolute condition."

As of 2020, only 40.6% of surveyed companies said they had changed internal policies and systems for the MZ generation. Progress is impossible without change, and change must be led by those who are uncomfortable (and in need) of it.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.