"Dobi is Freedom"... Cheerful MZ Generation Even in Resignation

3 out of 10 New Employees Quit Within a Year
Popular on SNS as 'Resignation Vlogs' and 'Resignation Memes'
"MZ Generation Resigns Due to Strong Individuality, Convictions, and Emphasis on Personal Values and Growth"

Among the MZ generation, who prioritize personal values and growth, early resignation is increasing. Photo by Pixabay [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] #. Mr. A (27), who succeeded in getting a job immediately after graduating from university, recently submitted his resignation and ended his three-year career. Although he was generally satisfied with his salary and company culture, he judged that the company did not help him grow. He plans to take a break for about six months and then look for a new job.

More and more people in their 20s and 30s, like Mr. A, who leave companies they joined with difficulty and prepare for reemployment, are increasing. They communicate by uploading videos of their resignation process on YouTube or share so-called 'resignation memes,' turning resignation into a pleasant play culture.

The resignation culture of the MZ generation can be seen on YouTube and social networking services (SNS). 'Resignation vlogs,' which show people starting a new life after quitting their jobs, are gaining popularity. They honestly share with their subscribers moments such as preparing for their last day at work, farewells with colleagues, resignation celebration parties, and the reasons behind their decision to quit. Subscribers also share their own workplace and resignation experiences in the comments, encouraging each other.

They also use resignation as a kind of pleasant meme on SNS. For example, they share images edited from a scene in a digestive medicine commercial that depict relieving work stress through resignation, or they compare themselves to 'Dobby,' the house-elf and slave from the Harry Potter series, saying "Dobby is free" while exchanging sock gifts. In the story, Dobby is freed from servitude when he receives clothes from his master, and Harry Potter cleverly gives him socks to grant him freedom, which has become a popular meme.

Unlike past older generations who found resignation difficult and tried to hide it, the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) openly disclose their resignations and share their job change experiences, receiving support from those around them.

A so-called "resignation meme," which edits a scene from the antacid 'Gaviscon' advertisement, is gaining popularity on social media. Photo by Online Community

In fact, among new hires, three out of ten leave their jobs within a year. According to a survey conducted by the job platform 'Saramin' in June last year targeting 500 companies on the status of 'early resignations within one year,' the average rate of early resignation among all new employees was 28%. Additionally, 49.2% of companies responded that the early resignation rate is higher among the MZ generation.

Companies cited the main reason why the MZ generation resigns early more often as "a generation that values personal satisfaction much more" (60.2%, multiple responses allowed). This was followed by "less patience than previous generations" (32.5%), "corporate organizational culture not keeping up with changes in the times" (30.5%), and "clear self-expression regarding likes and dislikes" (29.7%).

Experts analyze that the reason the MZ generation resigns early more often is because personal values and growth are important to them. Professor Myungho Lim of the Department of Psychology at Dankook University explained, "While older generations had the characteristic of thinking that they should stay at a job for a long time and adapt to the organization, the MZ generation, on the contrary, has strong convictions, values what they want to do, and does not care much about others' opinions, clearly saying no if they dislike something. Therefore, if their growth values and personal values do not align during the adaptation process at work, they choose to resign."

Professor Lim added, "Rather than negative interpretations like the MZ generation resigning because they lack perseverance, resignation is not an easy decision, but they have the boldness to move easily if their values do not match, or it is a characteristic that their values differ from those of older generations."