Meaning and self-realisation: What do we actually expect from gainful employment?

Results
Employees in Germany are currently much less able to realise their professional and personal goals than they were ten years ago. For example, only around one in four (27 %) are currently able to reconcile work and family life - compared to 42 per cent in 2015. In 2025, only one in five people cite a sense of achievement and recognition, compared to twice as many ten years ago. The proportion of those who enjoy their work has also almost halved (from 62 to 33 per cent). In the areas of management positions, high prestige and above-average income, the level remains consistently low.

Reasons
The world of work has changed dramatically over the past ten years due to digitalisation, the intensification of work processes and increasing uncertainty. Although flexible working models and working from home open up new opportunities, they also lead to the blurring of boundaries between professional and private life - which makes it more difficult to achieve a work-life balance. At the same time, the demands on employees are increasing, while individual room for manoeuvre is often not growing to the same extent. Recognition and a sense of achievement are less common due to standardised processes and less personal leadership. Added to this are social and economic crises, which further impair the feeling of security and job satisfaction.

Forecast
Despite the current losses, there are positive prospects in the medium term. Companies and politicians are increasingly recognising the importance of job satisfaction and individual development for innovation and productivity. There is increased investment in measures to improve the work-life balance and in new forms of recognition and participative leadership.
However, employees are also required to actively respond to changes themselves. Adaptability, personal initiative and a willingness to engage in lifelong learning will become key skills in the future in order to better realise one's own professional needs.
The next few years will show how well companies and employees can find new paths together. A constructive dialogue, mutual trust and the willingness to learn from and with each other form the basis for a working environment in which the needs of both sides can be taken into account.