Experts explained the interest of young people in handicraft professions
Generation Z is changing the way they think about their careers: for many young people, not only salary and position are important, but also freedom, independence and visible work results. Against this background, there is a growing interest in craft professions and their own projects. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
New youth priorities
Young professionals are increasingly considering not only traditional office hiring, but also alternative employment models such as freelancing, project work, self—employment and the development of their own business. Roman Yerkhov, CEO of TuBi recruitment company, believes that today young people choose not one specific factor, but a combination of several conditions. An important role is played by the ability to manage time independently, influence income levels, and see a direct link between efforts and results.
That is why handicraft professions are becoming attractive to some young people. In such areas, a person sees a specific outcome of their work and understands that earnings depend on the number of orders, the quality of tasks, and their own reputation.
At the same time, according to the expert, interest in what you love is not always the main motivator.
"For most young people, income and independence still come first. And only then — the interest in the profession and the opportunity for self—realization," said Yerkhov.
Why is the attitude towards office work changing?
It is becoming more difficult for employers to attract and retain young employees. Today, companies compete not only with each other, but also with other employment formats, from freelancing to their own microbusiness of specialists.
According to Yerkhov, the standard offer in the form of a stable salary and a social package is no longer enough. It is important for young employees to understand what skills they will be able to acquire, how quickly they will be able to develop and whether they will retain the opportunity to influence their own schedule.
Generation Z more often negatively perceives rigid attachment to the office, senseless bureaucracy and micromanagement. In addition, young professionals want to see the results of their work faster.
"If a person has been performing a narrow function for several years and does not understand how it affects the overall result of the business, motivation decreases rapidly," the expert explained.
What craft professions do zoomers choose?
Ekaterina Kosareva, Managing partner of the VMT Consult agency, an economist, notes that the growing interest in the craft is associated with several factors at once — economic, social and value. According to her, the shortage of specialists in working and craft areas creates opportunities for those who are ready to develop skills and occupy narrow niches.
Among the most sought-after areas, the expert highlighted the restoration of vintage furniture, appliances, interior items and other historical items. There is also a growing demand for electronics repairs, including due to the withdrawal of a number of foreign brands from the Russian market.
Another popular trend is the customization of clothing and accessories. Young craftsmen redo second-hand items, create unique designs for clothes, bags and other items.
The production of home decor and jewelry from natural materials such as wood, leather and other components is also developing.
Despite the attractiveness of self-employment, handicraft activity requires not only professional skills from a person. According to Kosareva, a specialist has to deal with things that are not always directly related to creativity: tax accounting, customer search, service promotion, sales organization and working time planning.
In addition, a significant part of the artisans still remain in the shadow sector. Many are registered as self-employed, but not in all cases do customers have guarantees of quality and fulfillment of obligations.
At the same time, experts note that the transition to the craft often occurs gradually. Many are starting to develop their own business in parallel with their main job.
"Often at the start, so that it doesn't hurt so much financially, they start combining office work with craft work, and when regular customers appear and the income covers the office, they leave the company," Kosareva said.
The labor market will become more flexible
Interest in handicrafts does not mean that young people completely abandon office work. According to Roman Yerkhov, we are talking about expanding the possibilities of choice.
"I think this is a long-term trend, but not a mass departure of young people from offices. Rather, the labor market is becoming more diverse. A person gets the opportunity to choose between hiring, project employment and self—employment," the expert explained.
According to him, in the future, specialists will more often combine different employment models: to work in a company and at the same time develop their own projects.
For businesses, this means that they need to change their approach to attracting employees. Employers will have to compete not only with salary levels, but also with the quality of the work environment, development opportunities, autonomy, and a clear link between results and remuneration.
Experts note that the growing interest in manual labor and niche professions can become a steady trend. Areas where individual approach, quality of work and personal reputation of a specialist are important will be especially in demand.
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