“No one wants to work” — an irrelevant truth.
The phrase “no one wants to work” is prevalent today (2022–2023), but it’s certainly not a new concept or mentality, nor does it represent any great change from the status quo. It is, rather, something of a mating call for the intellectually lazy as they seek one another on social media or in more traditional settings. I’m going to briefly examine the ignorance and the self-deception that form the basis for the newfound popularity enjoyed by this phrase.
First, let me acknowledge that it is generally true. Just as it was 1000 years ago and just as it will be 1000 years from now. No one wants to work. If we describe what people want, you’re not going to find “work” (i.e. serving at the whim of someone else) on the list. You will find things like financial stability, educational opportunities, family wellbeing, realization of personal ambitions or goals, a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Put simply, the things humans want (as near universal as anything gets) are related to thriving, to prosperity, to achievement. Work? Not on the list. Work, like money, is a means to an end. It is not, and never has been, the end itself. There may be a certain dignity that accompanies “honest work,” but that’s about identity and belonging (and assumes the employee is not in one of the many modern jobs that seem to have squeezed anything resembling human dignity out of the workplace).
The very concept of retirement is a case in point. It’s a simple idea: as soon as we acquire financial security and independence, we stop working. The whole goal of working for many people is to stop working as soon as possible. Businesses and managers are realizing that absent employee engagement beyond a paycheck that deposits on time, they are simply a means to an end. This is not new, unless you have simply never thought through the issue. This is compounded by employers that view the job as the mainstay of an employee’s life, rather than a secondary component allowing them to attain things they actually want. You show me a person claiming that they want to work grueling hours in a challenging job/environment that doesn’t allow them to do anything more than survive, and I’ll show you a person lying to themselves.
No one wants to work, but they might want (and need) a paycheck. If an employer doesn’t offer anything beyond that, they will constantly lose workers to better offers, better opportunities. Moreover, they will have difficulty recruiting and hiring in the first place if their compensation package is not compelling. This is where we find ourselves today. It’s a lack of empathy as much as a poor understanding of economics if one fails to recognize that working a job that consumes an employee’s life (no/limited vacation, on call, long hours) is undesirable in the absence of purpose, belonging, and trust (leadership). All the more so when the job in question provides only a pittance/mere subsistence in return without offering opportunity for advancement and personal/professional development.
In summary, if we are honest with ourselves, we can recognize and admit that neither we nor anyone else desires to spend their life in the service of others when the only recompense they receive for doing so is a meager paycheck that (may) allow them simply to survive. If that is what an employer offers as “work” then the problem doesn’t lie with the labor pool, the prospective employees. Bemoaning this reflects a lack of awareness, a lack of empathy, and a lack of ownership. It may allow one to meet the likeminded, but it won’t suddenly change human nature. If you find yourself in this position, ask yourself: “no one wants to work, so what else do I have to offer?” If the answer is “nothing,” now at least you’ve identified the real problem.