Why are 7 million men not working?
I read a long chain on LinkedIn of why Men aren’t working now, and it was interesting. I have seen that many men feel that they don’t have an opportunity in the workforce and I can understand why they feel that way.
In the companies I have worked I have seen brilliant men not get promoted because of a diversity hire. I am thrilled there are diversity hires. However that job loss does affect someone, and that is usually a man.
Many times I have had female bosses who knew nothing about IT who were making IT decisions. I was told what to do and I did what I was told. I don’t have any problem taking orders and I can understand why people might feel they don’t have the chance to succeed with hard work.
Generally people hate their job. Survey after survey shows this. In IT for example, you have men who often don’t have college educations who have their jobs because of their dedication to learning and hard work. If they aren’t given opportunities, then why should they work hard? I have only worked at two places that cared about my career development. Everything else I learned was due to my own efforts. Companies want educated workers, but they are not helping us be educated on very complex systems.
For men who have given up I don’t blame them. The stories that I read were tragic. They had done all the right things, and given and worked above and beyond the requirements of the job. They were used and discarded and that is disrespectful and it hurts. We all suffer when we don’t respect others.
Is the answer just giving men jobs? No, it first valuing what they can offer and showing them that they are appreciated for whom they are. Once men feel appreciated again, they will contribute to society.