Skills Come First. The Podcast About How to Stay Current

The future of work is… less work

Why do we work? Why is it so difficult to talk about money in the context of work? Does personal growth have to be tied to our careers and how much truth is there in the idea that we should love our jobs? How can microcredentials give us greater freedom to build the careers we want? These were among the questions explored by Zofia Smełka-Leszczyńska in the latest episode of the podcast.

The guest of this episode of “Po pierwsze, umiejętności. Podcast o tym, jak być na czasie” (Skills Come First. The Podcast About How to Stay Current) is Dr Zofia Smełka-Leszczyńska, psychologist, cultural scholar, expert in marketing and communication strategy, social activist and author of the book “Cześć pracy. O kulturze zap***dolu”. 

The way Polish people work

In her book, Zofia Smełka-Leszczyńska argues that the dominant narrative in Poland about work is skewed, largely because it focuses disproportionately on a single demographic: those working long, intensive hours.

“People in Poland work in different ways. Any discussion on this topic must start by dividing them into two groups. To put it simply, Poles fall into those who can get a good night’s sleep, and those who can’t,” highlights the guest on the IBE-PIB podcast.

According to the prevailing narrative, a person’s worth is determined by how hard they work. Work is presented as the most important part of life and something we should love.

“Much of the public conversation presents work as the ultimate form of personal growth. It suggests that only our careers can make us better, more interesting and more fulfilled people. The problem is that it rarely asks the most fundamental question: why do we work in the first place? It also leaves many people feeling that if they don’t see work this way, there must be something wrong with them,” argues Zofia Smełka-Leszczyńska.

It’s all about money

So why do people work? The answer is straightforward: to earn a living.

“We need to talk about money when we talk about work. Yet salary is often discussed only at the very end of the recruitment process, or not at all. I believe pay should be transparent and salary ranges should be clearly stated in every job advert,” says Zofia Smełka-Leszczyńska.

Ideas such as self-development, purpose and the increasingly popular expectation that we should “love” our work are often promoted by people in senior positions, business owners or those who already enjoy financial security. At that stage of their careers, money may no longer be the primary motivation. For most people, however, earning a decent income remains one of the most important reasons for working.

“Research consistently shows a strong relationship between job satisfaction and pay. Even people working in professions with a strong sense of purpose, such as nurses and teachers, are increasingly pointing out that purpose alone does not pay for a family holiday or put food on the table,” states Zofia Smełka-Leszczyńska.

Microcredentials – a pathway to satisfying work (and not necessarily one you have to love)

According to Dr Zofia Smełka-Leszczyńska, in an ideal world nobody would earn less than a wage that provides economic security. Above all, a good job should make it possible to live a good and comfortable life.

“We shouldn’t assume these problems will disappear simply because a new generation enters the labour market. Today’s twenty-somethings are not the ones sitting on company boards and setting the rules. The people making decisions about working conditions and tackling inequality are those who hold leadership positions today,” says the expert.

One tool that can help, not only young people but workers of all ages, is microcredentials. They can support people in building the careers they want, maintaining a healthy relationship with work and creating working lives that suit their individual needs and aspirations.

“Earning recognised credentials for specific skills from the very beginning of your career reflects the pace and reality of today’s labour market,” says Zofia Smełka-Leszczyńska.

Digital microcredentials and badges make it possible to demonstrate how our skills develop over time. Importantly, that development does not have to be limited to our professional lives. It can also reflect our passions, social and family skills, intellectual interests, sport and many other aspects of life. In many cases, the skills we develop through our hobbies prove just as valuable in the workplace.

Watch the full episode of the podcast to learn more about these ideas!