A desire for achievement instead of job frustration

Restart Career in conversation with Prof. Ingo Hamm

An advice interview for employees, managers and HR professionals – and for everyone starting over after losing a job.

In light of the acute shortage of skilled workers, there are increasing calls for Germans to work more. Professor Ingo Hamm explains why it is far more important to work "better" – and how to achieve this – in a conversation with Dr. Sabrina Zeplin, Managing Director of the outplacement consultancy Restart Career.

Ingo Hamm is Professor of Business Psychology at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences and Director of the Darmstadt Institute for Business Psychology. His research focuses on work motivation and job satisfaction. In his book "Lust auf Leistung – Wie wir Arbeit (wieder) lieben lernen" (Vahlen, 2024), he provides a guide for employees and managers; his most recent book, "Kettensprenger," was published in 2025.

Dear Professor Hamm, we are currently hearing many calls for a 4-day week with full pay, early retirement, workations, flexible office arrangements, and dog-friendly workplaces. Have Germans lost their enthusiasm for work?

The numerous discussions show that something has changed in our relationship to work – and this is true across generations. However, it would be too simplistic to conclude that Germans have lost their enthusiasm for work; it's much more complex. I'm talking about a psychological crisis of meaning. Not in a philosophical sense – we're not suddenly asking ourselves what the meaning of life is. Rather, in our daily lives, we often lack the feeling that our work actually makes a difference. We do a lot, we're busy, we're efficient, but at the end of a workday, we often feel we've accomplished little that's tangible.

From a psychological perspective, we often lose sight of the "experience of effectiveness." We no longer see the direct connection between our actions and the results, between our efforts and the concrete benefit for others. We feel less like creators, like doers, but rather like administrators of processes, like cogs in a large, unmanageable machine. The concrete, hands-on, "tangible" work recedes further and further into the background. And with it, the feeling of having created something with our own hands, of having left something lasting behind.

This ultimately leads to the phenomenon we are currently observing: People are seeking meaning and fulfillment elsewhere – in their free time, in hobbies, in helping others. It's as if they are fleeing the world of work and retreating to private "oases of meaning".

So it's not about all of us working "more" again. It's about us working "better" again. About rediscovering the joy of creating, of making a difference, of shaping things. And about seeing work not just as a means to an end, but as an opportunity to contribute, to make a difference, and to develop our own potential.

I share the experience that a "feel-good new work" environment with a colorful office, gym, free fruit, and foosball table doesn't lead to motivation and productivity if the goals are unclear, employees can't utilize their strengths, and don't experience the effectiveness of their work. What advice do you have for employees who are stuck in a job that's acting like a performance killer?

If the work itself is no longer enjoyable, then even the best benefits won't help. If you can't contribute your strengths, if the goals are unclear, and you don't have a genuine sense of effectiveness, then this will eventually lead to frustration and demotivation. Then you have to distinguish between two scenarios: Either I try to change something about the job – or I change jobs, perhaps even the type of work.

The first approach is so-called "job crafting": actively shaping your own work and adapting it to your own needs and abilities. This can take many different forms. For example, you can talk to your boss about new tasks that better suit your strengths. You can reorganize your team to collaborate more efficiently and support each other more effectively. You can find a different workspace in the office where you can concentrate better. Or you can take the initiative and propose your own projects that go beyond the usual daily tasks. In a way, job crafting is also about pushing the boundaries of your role – perhaps even the boundaries of what's permissible.

If all attempts to make the job more attractive through job crafting have failed, then it might really be time for a change of scenery. But even that can be done professionally and with style. It's not about slamming the door behind you and disappearing with a bang, but about speaking openly and honestly with your boss and colleagues about why you want to make a change.

And this is where companies and managers come in – in some places, a change in mindset is needed: They shouldn't treat employees who want to change jobs or leave as ungrateful "traitors," but rather meet them with understanding and a willingness to help, offering them concrete, positive, and appreciative support – along the lines of: "How can I help you find a new job that suits you better and makes you happier? And perhaps you'll come back to us someday, with new experience and more skills." After all, it's in everyone's interest for each person to have a job that suits them and makes them happy.

Absolutely. What concrete steps can employers and managers take when they are frustrated with unmotivated and unproductive employees? How can I generate a desire to perform in my employees?

I've been hearing the blanket statement "The employees are unmotivated!" a lot lately. Before getting caught in a spiral of frustration, it's important to take a closer look. What's really behind the poor performance? A change of perspective often helps: away from mere evaluation and towards understanding.

Because one thing is clear: A willingness to perform, and the associated work motivation and job satisfaction, don't happen at the push of a button. They are not a matter of age, generation, or even laziness – not even in Generation Z. Rather, it's a question of psychology: whether the framework conditions are right and whether the work is perceived as meaningful and effective.

This is about very specific individual skills: Do I have a job in which I can contribute, realize, and further develop what I have always enjoyed and been good at? Skills are like "primal abilities" that lie dormant in each of us and have the potential for genuine job satisfaction – because I can make a difference with them.

Incidentally, there's a simple, often underestimated source of feedback on the impact of daily work: the customers. Unfortunately, a large proportion of employees work far removed from the customers – the people who buy, who like and value the product or service. As a manager or company leader, you can try to bring customers closer to your staff again. I recently had this very discussion with a mid-sized company, and I advised the managing director: "Let your employees experience how their work is received by the customer and what concrete impact it has! Organize visits to the production facilities, invite satisfied customers, create opportunities for personal interaction!"

Furthermore, I think it's important for employers not to constantly strive for 120%. We should remain realistic and learn to appreciate 95% or 100% performance for what it is: a solid foundation, a contractual relationship. Here, one must be honest and humble, because not every job is a dream job, and not every employee jumps out of bed with enthusiasm every morning. We must acknowledge that people do their jobs well and want to do them well – but nothing more, because they often find their true fulfillment outside of work. Those who recognize and support this will reap an immense amount of gratitude and loyalty.

In our work as a newplacement consultancy, we see how deeply the sudden loss of a job affects people. Even when those affected, whose positions are eliminated as part of a restructuring, receive generous severance packages, they often don't revel in their sudden freedom and don't initially enjoy their unexpected sabbatical. They suffer from profound grief and the loss of identity that accompanies the involuntary separation from their employer. Many rush into a new job that doesn't suit them at all – just to be "employed" again. Can you confirm this effect from your research?

Yes, absolutely, I can completely understand that. What you're describing is unfortunately not an isolated case, but a phenomenon we in psychology call "job loss syndrome." You have to realize: everyday life, routines, social contacts, performance – all gone. It's perfectly normal for emotional reactions like sadness, insecurity, or even anger to arise. And some people react with their "excess energy" by immediately throwing themselves into the next job, just to avoid confronting the emptiness.

This phenomenon is particularly pronounced among managers who have often been in their position for many years and whose jobs are intertwined with a large part of their personality. Suddenly, they lack external validation, the feeling of being needed, and the ability to make a difference.

I see three key levers here:

First: Give yourself time and space to grieve. As difficult as it may be, the initial period after losing a job should be used to process the loss, take the necessary time off, find peace, and sort out your emotions.

Secondly: Take stock in terms of content and expertise , instead of blindly starting over.

What went well in my old job, what went badly? What are my strengths, and where do my development opportunities lie? What values are important to me in my professional and private life?

And thirdly: Seek professional support. This is difficult for many "high potentials" because they are used to successfully accomplishing many things on their own. Seeking professional career counseling, especially regarding job-related matters, doesn't fit their self-image of self-made success. Yet, this is precisely what can help approach career reorientation in a structured and goal-oriented way – based on a guided and very honest assessment that reveals: Who am I, what can I do, and what do I really want?

This also includes: What makes me unique? What are my core competencies? What do I want to achieve in the future? These questions form the basis for a strong "personal brand" that helps to differentiate oneself in the competition for the best jobs.

Even in times of skills shortages, reorienting one's career after involuntary redundancy is a challenging phase. Older employees, in particular, whose jobs have become obsolete due to digitalization or have fundamentally changed, often struggle. How can these individuals rediscover their motivation? And how can we, as a society, prevent them from being "weeded out" into phased retirement and early retirement, thus exacerbating the skills shortage with their lost expertise and experience?

We need a paradigm shift – away from a "disposal mentality" and towards a culture of achievement and lifelong learning. I deliberately avoid the word "learning" because that sounds too much like YouTube tutorials. And this is where politics comes in. Because without the right framework, we won't be able to unlock the potential of older workers, and also of the many women and mothers who only work part-time.

We need to create incentives for companies to retain and develop experienced employees: tax breaks, training subsidies, innovative working time models. And we need to make our labor laws more flexible to enable new forms of work – part-time models, job sharing, lifelong working time accounts that combine periods of intensive work with periods of training or leave.

At the same time, we also need to adjust our mindset. Older employees shouldn't be afraid to embrace new things, pursue further training, and even take on unconventional jobs. And companies need to rethink their approach – moving away from a fixation on young "digital natives" and towards recognizing the strengths and experience of older employees.

This is about nothing less than "new work for a new age"—a working world in which performance, commitment, and experience are rewarded, throughout a lifetime. For this, we need a united front from politics, business, and society.

Where Restart Career supports

Restart Career's work focuses on the three key areas described by Prof. Hamm: It gives those affected the space to process job loss, helps them with an honest professional and personal assessment – strengths, values, areas for development – and professionally supports their career reorientation until they find the right next role. This prevents a hasty return to the next best job, but rather the development of a sustainable personal brand and a decision that rekindles their motivation to perform.