Generation Y Employee Career Engagement: Research Results for Poland and Germany

Abstract

Generation Y career development has been analyzed by both researchers and practitioners. It often necessitates determining the degree of employee engagement in different career behaviors. This can be measured using the Career Engagement Scale introduced by Hirschi in 2014. In the present study, the scale was used to determine the degree of career engagement among representatives of Generation Y from two culturally different markets (Poland and Germany) and to identify the potential differences in engagement relative to gender and country where the respondents build their careers. An online survey was conducted among a group of 772 Polish and German men and women for that purpose. The results demonstrated an average degree of career engagement among respondents, regardless of gender and country. However, there were differences with respect to various career–related behaviors, particularly in terms of (1) serious thinking about personal values, interests, abilities, and weaknesses, and (2) voluntarily participating in further education, training, or other activities in support of the career. Both males and females from Germany are more proactive in these areas as compared to respondents from Poland. The paper was prepared from the perspective of Management and Quality Sciences in the sub–discipline of Human Resource Management.