







































 Humanities and Social Science Research; Vol. 8, No. 4; 2025 

ISSN 2576-3024   E-ISSN 2576-3032 

https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v8n4p161 

 161 Published by IDEAS SPREAD 

 

A Study on the Relationship Between the Career Motivation and 

Professional Identity of Young Social Workers——An Empirical 

Investigation Based on Social Work Service Agencies in City Z, 

Guangdong Province 

Linqi Hu1,a, Chuwen Ruan1,b, Xia Ma1,b & Sihuai Zheng1,b 

1 School of Social and Public Administration, Lingnan Normal University, China 

Correspondence: Linqi Hu, School of Social and Public Administration, Lingnan Normal University, 524048, 

China. E-mail: ahlq5991@foxmail.com, bhlq5991@lingnan.edu.cn 

 

Received: August 11, 2025; Accepted: August 19, 2025; Published: August 20, 2025 

 

Abstract 

Accurately grasping the employment motivation and professional identity of young social workers is of great 

significance for building a high - quality social worker team. According to the self - determination theory, the 

employment motivation of young social workers can be divided into four types: internal drive type, external 

attraction type, composite motivation type, and motivation - lack type. Through a questionnaire survey, combined 

with survey questions on employment motivation types and a professional identity scale, a survey was conducted 

on young social workers in social work service agencies in City Z, Guangdong Province. The research found that 

there is a correlation between different employment motivations and the professional identity of young social 

workers. Among them, young social workers of the motivation - lack type have relatively low professional identity, 

while those of the internal drive type, composite motivation type, and external attraction type show higher 

professional identity. Based on the research results, it is proposed that social work service agencies should give 

play to the leading role of young social workers of the composite motivation type, stimulate the internal enthusiasm 

of young social workers of the internal drive type, strengthen the external incentives for young social workers of 

the external attraction type, and guide the motivation exploration of young social workers of the motivation - lack 

type. While enhancing the professional identity of young social workers, a high - quality and high - efficiency 

young social worker team should be built.  

Keywords: youth social workers, employment motivation, professional identity 

1. Introduction 

Since 2010, documents from the central government and relevant ministries and commissions have clearly stated 

that the professional social work talent team should be regarded as an indispensable professional social force (Li, 

2017). With the government's continuous promotion of social work participation in social governance, social 

workers have gradually become the core force in the field of social services. In recent years, the construction of 

the social work talent team has progressed rapidly and is generally becoming younger. According to incomplete 

statistics, in 2008, the total number of social work talents with professional and specialized qualities in China was 

only 110,000 (Shen , 2011). However, by the end of 2022, the number of licensed social workers in China had 

soared to 931,000, among which assistant social workers accounted for the majority, reaching 725,000, and social 

workers numbered 204,000 (Ministry of Civil Affairs, 2023). Meanwhile, young social workers account for the 

vast majority of practitioners. The results of a sampling survey of youth affairs social workers in Shandong 

Province showed that professional social workers under 35 years old accounted for as high as 94.2%, and relevant 

practitioners under 35 years old also accounted for 88% (Wang et al., 2022). In addition, the data from the 2019 

China Social Work Longitudinal Survey also indicated that social workers aged 35 and below accounted for 74.3% 

(CSWLS, 2019). Young social workers are full of vitality and innovative spirit, which have a profound impact on 

the future development of this industry. However, to fully tap their potential, it is necessary to deeply understand 

their employment motivation and the degree of influence between these motivations and their professional identity. 

As a vibrant city in Guangdong Province, in recent years, social work service institutions in City Z have emerged 

in large numbers, attracting a large number of young talents to join. Why do these young social workers choose 

this industry? Is it out of love for society, pursuit of public welfare, or consideration of their own career 



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development? More importantly, how do their employment motivations affect their professional identity, and 

further affect their work performance and job satisfaction? Based on this background and problem awareness, this 

study conducts an in - depth exploration of the employment motivation and professional identity of young social 

workers in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province through empirical investigation, reveals the relationship and 

influence degree between employment motivation and professional identity, so as to provide targeted management 

and development strategies for social work service institutions in Zhanjiang City and even more extensive areas, 

better motivate and retain young talents, further improve service quality and efficiency, and promote the 

sustainable and healthy development of the industry.  

2. Literature Review and Research Hypotheses 

Systematically reviewing the previous literature on professional motivation and professional identity can provide 

a theoretical basis for further exploring the relationship between the professional motivation and professional 

identity of young social workers. 

2.1 Research on the Motivation for Engaging in the Profession 

As a type of human behavioral motivation, professional motivation is an internal psychological process in which 

individuals, stimulated by specific needs, drive themselves to participate in professional activities to meet these 

needs. It profoundly reflects each person's career pursuit and the possible level of effort they may invest to achieve 

this pursuit (Li, 2020). In short, when certain needs ignite people's inner desires, they tend to choose the 

corresponding career path. When exploring professional motivation, foreign scholars mainly conduct in - depth 

analyses from two dimensions: internal and external. Internal professional motivation stems from the desire for 

personal growth and contribution, while external professional motivation is more associated with the pursuit of 

external goals such as money and status (Sheldon, 2019). Further breakdown shows that intrinsic professional 

motivation involves the driving force generated for obtaining inner satisfaction, which includes factors such as 

personal interests, recognition of the intrinsic value of the profession, and personal experiences. In contrast, 

extrinsic motivation is the pursuit of specific outcomes, such as seeking social influence, being driven by others' 

expectations, or pursuing a specific professional lifestyle (Mclean, 2019). The professional motivation of young 

social workers can be divided into four types according to their level of enthusiasm and altruism: the identification 

type, the development type, the maintenance type, and the casual type. Different types of young social workers 

exhibit different professional characteristics (Wang et al., 2022). It is worth noting that when young social workers 

make career choices, they are more guided by internal motivation, and the power of this internal motivation is 

significantly stronger than the influence of external motivation (Tong, 2023). In a broader professional field, the 

professional motivation of civil servants covers multiple aspects such as power and status, growth and development, 

environmental influence, and work treatment (Song, 2017). For newly - recruited rural teachers, compound 

motivation dominates, while pure internal motivation is relatively rare (Cao, 2022). Another interview study on 

visually impaired people reveals the diversity of their professional motivation: some consider survival pressure 

and material rewards, some are inclined to contribute and help others, some pursue autonomy and satisfaction in 

work, some aspire to personal growth and improvement, or to avoid certain external unfavorable factors (Yang, 

2022). In conclusion, the professional motivation of young social workers stems from their own professional needs. 

This motivation not only stimulates their career choices but also dominates and sustains the entire process of their 

engaging in social work. This motivation is influenced by numerous factors and plays a key role in the whole 

process of individuals' choosing and engaging in social work. Based on the research results, the following 

hypotheses are proposed: 

H1: The professional motivation of young social workers is mainly internal-driven and composite motivation types, 

followed by external-attraction and motivation-lack types. 

2.2 Research on the Influence of Professional Motivation on Professional Identity 

The formation of professional identity is a dynamic and complex process, which is profoundly influenced by the 

continuous interaction between individual experiences and the professional environment and evolves with changes 

in individual and situational factors. When exploring the relationship between career motivation and professional 

identity, research has found that the public - service orientation, job - seeking environment incentives, and 

professional comfort attraction motivation of young civil servants all have significant positive impacts on their 

professional identity, especially the public - service orientation, which has the most significant predictive effect. 

However, the motivation influenced by social capital has a significant negative impact on professional identity (Li 

et al., 2021). Currently, the professional identity of young social workers is generally low, accompanied by mild 

job burnout. Notably, there is a significant negative correlation between professional identity and job burnout. 

Compared with unmotivated young social workers, those with internal motivation, external motivation, or 



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compound motivation show higher professional identity and lower job burnout (Fu & Ren, 2020). Another 

questionnaire survey of 342 teachers from 9 middle schools in Tibet shows that, compared with teachers with 

internal motivation, unmotivated and externally motivated teachers bear higher professional pressure and show 

lower professional identity (Li et al., 2015). In addition, in the study of full - time junior college nursing students, 

a statistical association was also found between different types of career - choice motivation and professional 

identity scores (Duan & Tang, 2016). In summary, career motivation is a key factor shaping and influencing the 

formation, change, and development of young social workers' professional identity. Professional identity is 

gradually constructed and developed under the conditions of continuous interaction between an individual's own 

needs, experiences, and the external environment. Based on the research findings, the following hypotheses are 

proposed: 

H2: There is a correlation between the employment motivation and professional identity of young social workers. 

H3: Different professional motivations have different degrees of influence on the professional identity of young 

social workers. 

In summary, the theoretical model constructed in this paper is shown in Figure 1. 

 

Figure 1. Theoretical model 

 

3. Research Design 

3.1 Research Subjects 

The meaning of "youth" varies across different societies and organizations and changes with the political, 

economic, and socio - cultural environment. According to the "Medium and Long - Term Youth Development 

Plan (2016 - 2025)" issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, 

young people are defined as those aged between 14 and 35 (inclusive) (Xinhua News Agency, 2017). Therefore, 

this study adopts the age - range definition of "youth" in this plan. Youth social workers are defined as those aged 

between 20 and 35, who have received professional social work education or obtained social work professional 

qualifications and are engaged in professional social services.City Z is one of the pioneers in the development of 

professional social work services in Guangdong Province, China. Not only has its social work services been at the 

leading level in the country, but it also has numerous social work institutions and practitioners. Thus, City Z was 

selected as the survey site, and young social workers aged between 20 and 35 in social work service institutions 

in this city were randomly chosen as the survey subjects. A total of 190 questionnaires were collected, and 12 

invalid questionnaires were excluded, resulting in 178 valid questionnaires with an effective response rate of 93.7%. 

Among the 178 young social workers surveyed, 52 were male and 126 were female. In the data, it is notable that 

there were more females, most of them were front - line social workers, the majority of them did not major in 

social work, and most of them had an income level between 2000 and 3000 yuan. The basic information of the 

surveyed young social workers is shown in Table 1. Considering all the basic information, the sample is highly 

representative.  

 



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Table 1. Basic information of the survey subjects 

Statistical 

items 
 

Percent

age 

(%) 

Statistical items  
Number of 

people 

Percen

tage 

(%) 

Gender male 29.2 
Professional 

Background 

Non-social 

work 161 90.4 

Professional 

 female 70.8  
Social Work 

major 
17 9.6 

Age 20-25 years old 13.5 Years of service 
Less than one 

year 
1 0.6 

 26-30 years old 36  1-3 years 137 77 

 31-35 years old 50.6  3-5 years 30 16.9 

Culture College degree 

and below 
46.1  

More than 5 

years 
10 5.6 

Degree 

 
Auxiliary 

0.6 
Monthly income 

level (yuan) 

2,000 and 

below 
4 2.2 

Personnel 

 Other positions 1.7  2001-3000 115 64.6 

Marriage 
unmarried 40.4  3001-4000 42 23.6 

Status 

 Married 57.9  4001-5000 14 7.9 

 Divorced 1.7  6001-8000 3 1.7 

 

3.2 Research Tools 

Drawing on relevant foreign studies and some domestic literatures, and referring to the questionnaires used in 

relevant literatures, a questionnaire on the employment motivation and professional identity of young social 

workers was designed independently. Before conducting a large - sample survey, a small - sample pre - test was 

first carried out on 50 young social workers in City Z. SPSS was used to analyze the obtained data. According to 

the analysis results, the original scale items were appropriately modified, and 5 inappropriate questions were 

deleted. The questionnaire officially used in this survey mainly includes the following three aspects: 

General information questionnaire. It was self - designed based on demographic characteristics and includes basic 

information such as gender, age, educational level, professional background, status of holding a social worker 

certificate, current position, years of employment, workplace, and income level. 

Occupational Motivation Questionnaire. In the Self-Determination Theory, Deci and Ryan proposed a trichotomy 

of motivation: amotivation, external motivation, and internal motivation. Based on this classification and relevant 

literature review, a questionnaire with a total of 8 items was developed to meet the objectives and actual situation 

of this study. Multiple choices were allowed. The motivations were divided into four types: internally-driven, 

externally-attracted, compound motivation, and motivation-lacking. The specific type was determined according 

to the reasons for engaging in the social work profession selected by the research subjects. 

Occupational Identity Scale. This scale draws on the "Questionnaire Survey on Professional Identity and Job 

Burnout of Social Workers" compiled by the Shenzhen Social Workers Association to form the scale for this study. 

The scale consists of a total of 28 items, covering three dimensions: occupational value cognition, occupational 

emotional belonging, and occupational behavioral tendency. The questionnaire uses a five - point scoring system, 

ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree", with scores from 1 to 5. The score range is 28 - 140 points. 

The higher the score, the higher the occupational identity of young social workers. 

3.3 Survey Methods 

Due to realistic factors of force majeure, in this survey, electronic questionnaires for internal - driven, externally - 

attracted, motivation - lacking, and compound - motivation types were created on the Wenjuanxing platform. The 

questionnaires were distributed in the form of QR codes through social work service agencies in City Z and 

relevant WeChat and QQ groups related to social work. To enhance the diversity and coverage of the sample, the 

researchers tried to cover different types of social work agencies when distributing the questionnaires.  

 

 



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3.4 Reliability and Validity Tests 

In this study, the SPSS quantitative analysis software was mainly used to conduct reliability and validity tests on 

the used occupational identity scale. The items of occupational value cognition are items 1 - 10 of the scale, those 

of occupational emotional belonging are items 11 - 20, and those of occupational behavioral tendency are items 

21 - 28. 

3.4.1 Reliability Test 

The Cronbach's α coefficient of the professional identity scale is greater than 0.7, indicating that the scale has high 

internal consistency and good reliability. Meanwhile, the reliability level of the data in this study is excellent, with 

sufficient internal consistency. Regarding the "Cronbach's α if item deleted", it can be found that the α coefficient 

will not increase after any item is deleted, suggesting that no measurement item needs to be removed. For the 

"corrected item-total correlation (CITC) value", the CITC value of any item is greater than 0.3, and most are greater 

than 0.5, indicating a good correlation among the items in each dimension and good reliability of the scale, as 

shown in Table 2. In summary, the reliability of each dimension of the professional identity scale is of high quality. 

 

Table 2. Reliability test table 

Variable Items 

Corrected total 

correlation 

(CITC) 

The α coefficient of the item 

that has been removed 

Cronbach 

α 

coefficient 

Occupational 

value perception 

1. I think social work is a profession 0.324 0.829 

0.828 2. I think social work is a highly 

specialized profession 
0.542 0.811 

3. I think a career in social work requires 

a strong sense of values and passion 
0.474 0.817  

4. As a social worker, I need to strictly adhere to 

professional ethics 
0.545 0.814 

 

5. I think it takes love to work as a social worker 0.533 0.816 

6. I think social work is a noble profession 0.648 0.798 

7. I think social work is of great social value and 

significance 
0.705 0.797 

8. I think the career of social work is very promising 0.574 0.811 

9. I think the social status and prestige of social 

work are very high 
0.392 0.841 

10. I think social workers can really help others 0.745 0.789 

Professional 

emotional 

belonging 

11. I love the social work profession 0.855 0.973 

0.974 

12. I'm proud to be a social worker 0.849 0.973 

13. Being a social worker makes me happy 0.922 0.97 

14. I have a strong sense of belonging to the social 

work profession 
0.877 0.972 

15. Social work brings me a sense of happiness 0.939 0.969 

16. I think it's very fulfilling to be a social worker 0.906 0.971 

17. I feel that devoting myself to a career in social 

work can help me realize my personal value 
0.864 0.972 

18. I get excited when I engage in social work 

services 
0.897 0.971 

19. If I were to choose again, I would still choose a 

career in social work 
0.825 0.974 

20. I'd love to tell others that I'm a social worker 0.855 0.973 

Occupational 

behavioral 

tendencies 

21. I will introduce or promote the social work 

position positively to others 
0.807 0.919 

0.932 

22. I give enthusiasm, passion and vitality to my 

work 
0.855 0.915 

23. I will strictly adhere to the code of professional 

ethics for social workers in my work 
0.733 0.925 

24. I will do my best to complete my work 0.713 0.927 



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25. I am willing to take social work training and 

constantly improve my service skills 
0.783 0.922 

26. I have a clear career plan for social work 0.756 0.923 

27. Unless there are special circumstances, I am 

willing to work as a social worker for a long time 
0.707 0.932 

28. I will strive to become an excellent social 

worker 
0.847 0.916 

 

3.4.2 Validity Test 

The KMO values of the professional identity scale were all above 0.7, and the P - values of the Bartlett's test of 

sphericity were all less than 0.001, indicating that the scale had good validity and met the requirements. The 

cumulative variance explanations of each dimension were 60.13%, 81.55%, and 69.51% respectively. Therefore, 

the measurement items of each dimension had good structural validity. The specific validity test data are shown in 

Table 3. 

 

Table 3. Validity test table 

Variable 
Number of 

items 
KMO 

Bartlett sphericity test 

P value 

Cumulative variance 

interpretation(%) 

Occupational value 

perception 
10 0.833 < 0.001 60.13 

Professional emotional 

belonging 
10 0.956 < 0.001 81.55 

Occupational behavioral 

tendencies 
8 0.9 < 0.001 69.51 

 

3.5 Data Processing 

In this study, SPSS was used for data processing. First, descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the 

collected data to understand the basic situation of variables. Subsequently, the correlation analysis method was 

employed to explore the relationship between career motivation and professional identity. 

4. Research Results and Analysis 

4.1 Analysis of the Professional Motivation of Young Social Workers 

In the statistical results, "wanting to help people in need" was the primary motivation for young social workers to 

choose this profession, with the proportion of those who selected it reaching as high as 58.40%. In contrast, only 

12 young social workers chose the option of "relevant professional background or internship experience", 

accounting for 3.40% of the total, which reflects that the professional backgrounds of this group are diverse, and 

most of them do not have direct professional backgrounds or internship experiences in social work. In addition, 

other factors such as "having a strong interest in social services", "pursuing a meaningful career", and "being 

influenced by family, friends, or mentors" also influenced their career choices to a certain extent. Although "good 

career development prospects" and "salary and welfare benefits" contributed to career choices, they were not the 

dominant factors. The specific data results are shown in Table 4, which presents the frequency statistics of the 

career motivations of young social workers. 

 

Table 4. Frequency statistics of the employment motivation of young social workers 

    Responses   
Percentage of 

cases(%) 

    
Number of 

cases 

Percenta

ge 

(%) 

  

  
A relevant professional background or internship 

experience 
12 3.40 6.70 

  B Have a strong interest in social service 59 16.50 33.10 

  C wants to help people in need 104 29.10 58.40 



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  D Pursue a meaningful career 48 13.40 27.00 

  E Be influenced by family, friends, or mentors 54 15.10 30.30 

  F Good career prospects 21 5.90 11.80 

  G Salary and benefits 22 6.10 12.40 

  H Others 38 10.60 21.30 

 

Total 
  358 100 201.10 

 

In this study, the options A - G in the professional motivation questionnaire were divided into internal - driven 

type and external - attractive type. Options B, C, and D were classified as internal - driven type. Respondents who 

only selected B, C, or D were regarded as internal - driven type, those who only selected A, E, F, or G were 

considered external - attractive type, and those who selected both B, C, or D and A, E, F, or G were categorized 

as composite motivation type. Meanwhile, this study analyzed the subjects who filled in other reasons. If the reason 

was blank or something like accidentally discovering the social work industry (i.e., no motivation reasons), they 

were classified as motivation - lacking type; otherwise, they were assigned to one of the other three types according 

to the reason. Among different motivations, more respondents chose internal - driven type and composite 

motivation type. The specific classification results are shown in Table 5. 

 

Table 5. Frequencies of young social workers with different professional motivations. 

  Frequency 
Percentage 

(%) 

Effective percentage 

(%) 

Cumulative percentage 

(%) 

Internally driven 62 34.8 34.8 34.8 

Compound motor type 64 36 36 70.8 

External attraction type 45 25.3 25.3 96.1 

Lack of motivation 7 3.9 3.9 100 

Total 178 100 100   

 

In summary, the career motivations of young social workers present significant diversification characteristics. 

Among them, the internally - driven type dominates. In particular, a profound interest in social services and a 

strong desire to help others have become the core driving forces for them to engage in this industry. Meanwhile, 

although the externally - attractive type has influenced the career choices of social workers to some extent, it is 

not the main motivation. It is also worth noting that the career motivations of young social workers are mainly 

internally - driven and compound motivations. They are not only driven by internal values and personal pursuits 

but also comprehensively consider multiple factors, including career development and social responsibility. 

Although external attractive factors such as career development prospects and salary and welfare benefits also play 

a certain role, their influence is relatively limited. In addition, the proportion of young social workers lacking 

motivation is relatively small.  

4.2 Analysis of the Professional Identity Status of Youth Social Workers 

The professional identity status of young social workers is higher than the theoretical average of 3 in all three 

dimensions of professional value cognition, professional emotional belonging, and professional behavioral 

tendency, all showing a relatively high level, as shown in Table 6. Therefore, it is speculated that social workers 

have a strong sense of professional identity. First, from the dimension of professional value cognition, the scores 

of 178 young social workers participating in the survey ranged from 2.4 to 5 points, with an average score of 

4.3725 points. This data indicates that young social workers generally have a high sense of value recognition for 

the profession they are engaged in. They are well aware of the significance and value of social work and believe 

that their work can bring positive changes to society. Second, in the dimension of professional emotional belonging, 

the scores of young social workers also showed a relatively high level. The score range of this dimension was from 

1 to 5 points, with an average score of 3.9882 points. This shows that young social workers have a strong sense of 

identity with their professional status. They are enthusiastic about their work and are willing to closely connect 

their careers with social work. Finally, from the dimension of professional behavioral tendency, the scores of 

young social workers also showed a relatively high level. The score range of this dimension was from 1.25 to 5 

points, with an average score of 4.3195 points. This data shows that young social workers show a positive tendency 

in professional behavior. They are willing to take social responsibilities actively and actively engage in social work, 

practicing their professional concepts and values with practical actions. 



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Table 6. Overall Situation of Professional Identity among Young Social Workers 

 N Minimum value Maximum Average Standard deviation 

Occupational value perception 178 2.4 5 4.3725 0.47225 

Professional emotional belonging 178 1 5 3.9882 0.82997 

Occupational behavioral tendencies 178 1.25 5 4.3195 0.6489 

 

4.3 Correlation Analysis Between the Professional Motivation and Professional Identity of Young Social Workers 

in Youth Work 

In this study, one-way analysis of variance was employed to conduct a comparative analysis of the professional 

motivation and professional identity scores of young social workers. Based on different professional motivations, 

young social workers were divided into four categories: internally driven type, compound motivation type, 

externally attracted type, and motivation - lacking type. Table 7 presents the professional identity scores of young 

social workers with different professional motivation types. It can be seen from the table that there are significant 

differences in professional identity scores among different professional motivation types (F = 8.7, P < 0.001). 

Specifically, the compound motivation type has the highest professional identity score (13.3066±1.39), followed 

by the internally driven type (12.8282±1.76), then the externally attracted type (11.8161 ± 1.98), and the 

motivation - lacking type has the lowest professional identity score (11.1964±1.87). 

 

Table 7. Comparison of professional identity scores for different career motivations.（ sx  ) 

Project Number of cases Professional identity score Statistics P 

Internal drive type 62 12.8282±1.76 

F = 8.7 < 0.001 
Complex motivation type 64 13.3066±1.39 

Complex motivation type 45 11.8161±1.98 

Motivation deficiency type 7 11.1964±1.87 

 

5. Discussion and Suggestions 

5.1 Discussion 

The types of career motivation among young social workers are mainly internally-driven and composite motivation. 

According to the results of this study, the top four motivations for young people to choose a career in social work 

are "wanting to help those in need", "having a strong interest in social services", "being influenced by family, 

friends, or mentors", and "pursuing a meaningful career". The bottom four are "salary and welfare benefits", "good 

career development prospects", "relevant professional background or internship experience", and "others". 

According to the statistics of the career motivation frequency chart, the proportion of those who choose internal 

driving factors is about 60%, the proportion of external attractive factors is about 30%, and the proportion of other 

options is about 10%. This data shows the status of internal driving factors in the career choice of young social 

workers. Based on the overall data, the career motivation of young social workers is mainly internally-driven and 

composite motivation. The motivation of this group of young social workers may stem from their concern for 

social issues, strong desire to help others, and pursuit of social justice. It may also combine multiple factors such 

as career development and family influence. Compared with internally-driven and composite motivation, 

externally-attractive motivations such as "good career development prospects" and "salary and welfare benefits" 

account for a relatively low proportion among young social workers, indicating that they attach more importance 

to the intrinsic value and meaning of work rather than simply pursuing material benefits. The proportion of those 

with a lack of motivation is relatively small, indicating that most young social workers have clear career motivation 

and goals. 

Different motivations for entering the profession have a certain degree of influence on the professional identity of 

young social workers. The research results show that different types of motivations for entering the profession 

have a certain impact on the professional identity of young social workers. Among them, young social workers 

with compound motivations have the highest scores in professional identity, followed by those with internal-driven 

motivations and external-attracted motivations, while those with motivation deficiency have the lowest scores, 

which is consistent with the research hypothesis. Young social workers with compound motivations and internal-

driven motivations are driven by their internal values, so they have a relatively high sense of identity and value 

towards their profession. They firmly believe that their work can bring positive changes to society, and this belief 

and enthusiasm encourage them to be more engaged and focused in their work. In contrast, young social workers 



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with external-attracted motivations may have relatively weak professional identity, as their career choices are more 

influenced by external factors and they lack internal drive and enthusiasm. Young social workers with motivation 

deficiency show the weakest professional identity. Due to the lack of clear motivations and goals for entering the 

profession, they lack a sense of belonging and satisfaction in their work, and their professional identity is lower 

than that of the other three types of motivations. 

5.2 Suggestions 

This study explored the relationship between the employment motivation and professional identity of young social 

workers. Based on the research results, the following suggestions are put forward to enhance the professional 

identity of young social workers and promote the healthy development of the social work industry. 

5.2.1 Give Full Play to the Leading Role of Young Social Workers with Compound Motivation Types 

Create leadership opportunities. Establish a clear selection mechanism for young leaders, and select young social 

workers with compound motivation through comprehensive evaluation of work performance, leadership potential, 

and peer reviews. Provide customized leadership training courses for the selected leaders, covering topics such as 

decision-making, team management, and conflict resolution. 

Promote experience sharing. Develop a detailed experience-sharing plan, including sharing topics, time, and forms, 

to ensure that each sharing session achieves the expected results. Establish a "Best Sharing Award" to encourage 

workers with compound motivation to actively share their experiences and insights. 

Participate in decision-making. Clarify the roles and responsibilities of young social workers with compound 

motivations in decision-making committees or working groups to ensure their effective participation in the 

decision-making process. Regularly evaluate their contributions to decision-making, provide positive feedback 

and constructive suggestions to help them continuously improve their decision-making abilities. 

5.2.2 Stimulate the Intrinsic Enthusiasm of Internally - Driven Young Social Workers 

Empower individuals with autonomy. Clearly define the scope of powers and responsibilities of internally - driven 

workers during project planning and execution to ensure that they can fully unleash their creativity and enthusiasm. 

Establish an "Innovation Project Fund" to provide them with financial and resource support to implement 

innovative work plans and suggestions.  

Assign challenging tasks. Regularly release information on challenging and innovative work tasks or project 

requirements, and encourage internally - driven young social workers to proactively take on and complete the tasks. 

Establish an "Innovation Reward Program" to recognize their innovative proposals or achievements with material 

rewards and honorary certificates.  

Establish communication platforms. Develop detailed plans for internal seminars and innovation workshops, 

including information such as themes, times, locations, and participants, to ensure the smooth progress of the 

activities and achieve the expected results. Build long - term cooperative relationships with social work institutions 

in other industries or regions, conduct regular mutual visits for exchanges, and share experience and achievements 

to broaden the horizons and thinking of internally - driven young social workers. Meanwhile, industry experts or 

scholars can be invited to give lectures or provide guidance to enhance their professional qualities and practical 

abilities.  

5.2.3 Strengthen the External Incentives for Externally - Attracted Youth Social Workers 

Maintain competitive compensation. Establish a compensation research team to regularly understand the industry's 

compensation levels and benefit trends, ensuring that the institution's compensation and benefits are competitive. 

Set up an "Outstanding Employee Award" to provide additional material rewards and honorary certificates to 

outstanding externally - attracted workers.  

Clarify the promotion channels. Develop a detailed promotion path map, clearly define the promotion requirements 

and time nodes for each position, and assist externally - attracted workers in planning their career development 

paths. Establish a "career development counseling" service to provide them with personalized career planning 

advice and career consultations.  

Organize professional training. Collaborate with well - known training institutions in the industry to provide high 

- quality training courses and learning resources for externally attracted workers. Establish a "learning fund" to 

support them in participating in professional training, obtaining relevant certificates, or pursuing further education 

such as postgraduate degree - upgrading courses.  

 



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5.2.4 Guide the Motivation Exploration of Young Social Workers with a Lack of Motivation 

Provide career counseling. Collaborate with professional career counseling institutions to offer one-on-one in-

depth counseling services for workers with motivation deficiency. Establish a "Career Planning Workshop" to 

assist them in understanding their career interests, strengths, and development directions through group activities. 

Enrich work experiences. Develop detailed job rotation plans and cross - departmental cooperation project plans, 

and clarify the goals and expected outcomes for each stage. Provide them with experienced mentors or coaches 

who can offer guidance and feedback during the work process to help them better adapt to new positions and 

projects. 

Strengthen colleague mutual assistance. Establish platforms such as WeChat groups or QQ groups for "colleague 

mutual assistance groups" to facilitate colleagues to communicate and share experiences, insights, and help - 

seeking information at any time. Regularly organize team - building activities and outdoor development training 

to enhance team cohesion and sense of belonging, and help young social workers with motivation deficiency 

integrate into the team culture.  

Although this study provides valuable insights into the employment motivation and professional identity of young 

social workers, it also has some limitations. First, the limited sample size of the study may affect the 

generalizability of the results. Second, the study mainly focuses on the influence of employment motivation on 

professional identity, but fails to fully explore other possible influencing factors, such as work stress, 

organizational culture, leadership style, etc. Future research can consider the following directions. By increasing 

the sample size, the representativeness and generalizability of the research results can be improved. In addition, 

other factors that may affect professional identity, such as work stress, organizational culture, leadership style, etc., 

can be studied. Cross - cultural comparative studies can also be conducted to explore the relationship between the 

employment motivation and professional identity of young social workers in different cultural backgrounds. 

Acknowledgments 

This paper is part of the Lingnan Normal University and College of Education's university-level youth project 

"Research on the Mechanism for Building a Rural Youth Social Worker Team Based on a Competency Model" 

(Project Number: QW2401), the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Strategic Special 

Fund (Undergraduate Science and Technology Innovation Cultivation) Project "The Impact of Self-Leadership on 

Job Satisfaction Among Rural Youth Social Workers Under High-Quality Development" (Project Number: 

pdjh2025bg134), and the Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project "Qingguo 

Qingcheng: A New Exploration of a One-Stop Youth Service National Trend IP" (Project Number: 

X202510579066X). 

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