For executives, work is no longer the first priority, far from it.

The transformation of the French people’s relationship with work is deeper than ever. Even among executives, the health crisis and the geopolitical context are leaving deep marks to the point of reversing the order of priorities.

Known for their propensity to put work above all else, however, today’s French executives take a completely different approach. According to a HelloWork study*, for 98% of them, work is not their first priority.

It even falls to the bottom of the pack (in sixth place) behind family (39%), health (31%) or even personal fulfillment (14%), and friends.

24% place the race as a priority objective

“For 37% of the executives surveyed, work is above all a means to earn money. Carrying out and getting involved in interesting projects ranks second in the role that work gives in your life (34%), far ahead of social recognition (8%) or a means of socialization (5%)” we can read .

Even the notion of a career is no longer popular with this population. 77% of the executives surveyed believe that it is possible to succeed professionally without managing a team. And in short, only 24% place the race as a priority objective, and 25% believe that it is simply not a goal.

“They saw their parents mistreated by the companies”

More in demand than ever by companies, executives today have the cards in hand to enroll in a position that meets these expectations. An earlier study (published in late 2022) also illustrated these developments. Faced with an increasing workload, reconciling work and family life has become a priority for 71% of them.

This changes everything in terms of job search, especially among young profiles. “Candidates are more and more demanding, especially with regard to teleworking, the distance by bicycle from home to work, the environment, that is, benevolent management. And some are able to accept a promise of employment and finally give up because all the boxes are unchecked,” explains Yamina Moukah, headhunter and founder of the Seeking Susan agency, to BFM Business.

“The market has evolved, they have seen their parents mistreated by companies. Recruiters must now change their approach,” she continues.

*: survey carried out by the recruitment platform hellowork.com among 821 active executives from February 15 to March 15, 2023.