School-to-Work Transition in France: Employer Perspectives on Youth Motivation

As numerous scientific studies have shown, soft skills appear to be essential for finding a job and staying employed in the long term. In particular, motivation is a criterion frequently cited by employers when recruiting for the right employee. But how do they identify, define, and select a "motivated" candidate? Do social differences exist in how they perceive what a "motivated" employee is or should be? This research study was based on the analysis of 38 interviews with employers and 2,360 hypothetical scenarios assessed by 300 employers who evaluated the motivation levels of newly hired young employees during the hiring process. Based on qualitative data, a typology of the different understandings of motivation according to employers was developed, distinguishing between "affective," "moral," and "calculated" motivation. Analysis of the quantitative data showed that gender stereotypes, the employer's age, and the profession influenced the employers' judgments when identifying the type of motivation.