Transitions Envy Jealousy And Rivalry in The Workplace

Millennials and Gen Zers constantly search for job location and schedule flexibility as well as more meaningful work and to make a move in a better transition. Some employees transition to internal positions and many look for new opportunities in new organizations. Successful moves and transitions happen when employees live up to their employer’s expectations and demonstrate their qualifications and hard work were in the right place. Researches show that despite employees’ understanding of the company’s goals, having the best qualifications and right skills, and having been selected for their cultural fit, they underperform for up to 18 months after the transition. Today workplaces are not just dynamic but they are highly collaborative and therefore they require highly-collaborative employees and promote fast-movers who build their network and scale it by showing value with what they do.

Those who rapidly succeed in their move and know how to win their way in the system and live up to their employer’s expectations may sometimes attract professional jealousy and envy. The root of jealousy and envy in the workplace is the perception of inequality or when employees begin to compete for scarce resources. Envy could be generated either by the new employee who does not find his way in the organization or by established employees when they perceive that the new employee is outperforming them. The rivalry among employees begins to develop as comparison and the perception of others spreads. People with high self-esteem employ envy to motivate themselves and put extra effort to achieve and integrate. However, many employees perceive envy as putting them in an inferior position, and as inferiority feeling begins to grow it pushes them to undermine other employees in the organization.