SmartBrief’s Post

🚀 Navigating the Gen Z Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities 🌟 While Gen Z is projected to make up 30% of the global workforce by 2030, many organizations are still struggling to manage and integrate this generation effectively. 📊 According to a survey, 40% of respondents (including Gen Z) said that Gen Z are the most difficult colleagues to work with. 🤝 This percentage is higher than for other generations, such as Millennials (38%), Gen X (45%), and Baby Boomers (41%). 👥 In terms of management, 36% of those surveyed said that Gen Z is the most challenging group to manage. Even Gen Z themselves recognize that their peers are the worst managers (33%). 🤔 The primary reason is that Gen Z has different values and expectations compared to previous generations. They prioritize work-life balance, diversity, and fairness over devoting all their time to work. 🌍🏡 However, if organizations can learn to approach and leverage the strengths of Gen Z, they can create significant competitive advantages. This generation is tech-savvy, innovative, and forward-thinking. 💻🧠 Leaders need to proactively adapt, demonstrate empathy, and provide development opportunities tailored to Gen Z. This is not only a challenge but also an opportunity to build a dynamic, modern, and sustainable work environment. 🏆🌱 #GenZ #Workplace #Challenges #Opportunities #Diversity #WorkLifeBalance #Talent #FutureofWork #EmployeeEngagement #HumanResources #Management #Leadership #Innovation #CareerDevelopment #MentalHealth #TechGeneration #WorkCulture #EmployerBranding #DigitalNatives #GenerationalDifferences #WorkplaceTransformation 🚀🌟

What are you doing to diversify the workplace brain trust? Can you rely on your team for exciting, relevant, and innovative ideas? I was reading a Pew Research and McKinsey & Company paper on diversity and lemme tell you, “More Than Just the Right Thing to Do, It's Smart Business” Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are no longer simply buzzwords; they're strategic imperatives driving business success. Here's why: * Millennial Engagement: A diverse workforce is crucial for engaging millennial talent. According to Pew Research, 72% of millennials believe workplaces with diverse leadership are more innovative. This translates into a more engaged and productive workforce. * Revenue Generation: A study by McKinsey & Company revealed that companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to outperform their peers in terms of profitability. These statistics paint a clear picture: diversity is not just a moral imperative, it's a strategic advantage. By embracing D&I, companies can: * Boost innovation: Diverse perspectives lead to a wider range of ideas and solutions. * Enhance decision-making: A variety of viewpoints can help identify and avoid potential blind spots. * Strengthen brand reputation: A commitment to D&I resonates with consumers and potential employees. * Attract and retain top talent: A diverse and inclusive workplace attracts and retains the best individuals, regardless of their background. Investing in D&I initiatives is not just the right thing to do, it's a smart business decision. Let's make diversity and inclusion a core value, not just a checkbox, for a more innovative, successful, and thriving future. #diversity #inclusion #DEI #business #leadership #millennials #innovation #revenue #KempSolutions

Minor changes to your company culture can have a significant impact on attracting millennial and Generation Z employees. According to S. Chris Edmonds, an executive consultant and author, a "culture calibration" can make a difference. Research shows that 86% of millennials and 89% of Gen Z employees prioritize finding a sense of purpose in their work. #CompanyCulture #Millennials #GenZ #EmployeeEngagement

Leveraging the Strengths of Five Generations in the Workplace Managing the workforce of five generations is a unique challenge presented by today's corporate landscape. From Traditionalists to Generation Z, each of these groups works differently, prioritizes different values, and carries different ethics. While providing such diversity, the challenge it presents to leaders and managers is how to integrate these generations into one operational unit of a high-performing team. Turning the challenges into opportunities requires an understanding of how to leverage and utilize generational strengths. Traditionalists and Baby Boomers bring wisdom and a strong sense of organizational memory, often loyal and hard-working. Generation X brings independence and problem-solving skills, filling between the old and new. Millennials are holding a technology mastery and promoting work-life balance which might finally lead to innovation and cultural changes. Lastly, generation Z has new views, digital nativity, and a strive for social impact. However, harmonizing these generational traits will be no easy task. Unfortunately, some of the major hurdles commonly encountered include styles of communication, adaptation to technology as well as aligning diverse work expectations. What's the way forward? Embracing strategies such as tailored communication methods, fostering intergenerational mentorship, and forming teams that balance experience with fresh ideas would lead to showing a good result. In such a way, conflicts will not only be minimized but also creativity and productivity boosted. By celebrating the uniqueness of the generations, leaders can create a dynamic, inclusive, and high-performing workplace. Such generational diversity does bring tremendous success to organizations when well managed. #generationaldiversity #inclusiveleadership #leveragingstrengths #leadershipdevelopement #diversityandinclusion If you would like to know how we can help your managers and leaders to leverage the diversity of different generations, book a no-obligation call with us using the link below: https://lnkd.in/e_TgzBsz

The following message is endorsed by the Gen Z and Millennial workforce 😉 Let’s take a look around your organization. What percentage of the workforce is between the ages of 21 and 44? My guess? The VAST majority. Maybe you fit in this age bracket too (I do!). 🙋🏼♀️ And let’s be honest - the old leadership paradigm of “Command and Control” just doesn’t align with these generations. My client Cecilia came to me after a recent promotion to Operations Manager. She wasn’t getting support from her direct manager, and though she first felt empathy for his busy schedule, she eventually built up resentment for his lack of engagement and blamed him for neglecting her. Ultimately, she decided that it was best for her to leave the company because senior-level management was too tied to the old paradigm. And she is hardly alone. A 2023 Deloitte study found that “Gen Z workers highly value empathy from their bosses and consider it a prerequisite to engagement at work, but bosses do not place as high of a value on demonstrating empathy.” Turnover in the Gen Z and Millennial age brackets is also higher than any other generation (averaging a tenure of 2 years 2 months and 2 years 9 months, respectively). So what’s the solution? It’s time to go upstream and cultivate conscious leaders from the top down. Here’s where it all begins… Step 1️⃣: Shift the focus from IQ to building a team of high-EQ leaders. Step 2️⃣: Embrace and lead through change rather than operating from a space of resistance and reactivity. Step 3️⃣: Be a coach, not a cop. Shift away from micromanaging and policing teams, and instead empower and guide them through coaching. And if you’re curious about how this works in the “real world,” you’ll want in on my first-ever training designed specifically to support organization-wide change. I’m pulling back the curtain on how to create a human-centered approach to leadership - all while ⚡️ Boosting employee morale and engagement 🤝 Improving talent retention 💰 Increasing revenue $$$ Keep an eye on this space for more details coming soon! 👀 As we head into the long weekend, what are the biggest factors that keep YOU feeling supported and engaged at work? Share in the comments 👇

Generations: What is the productivity potential of your multigenerational workforce? Today we have five generations in the workforce - Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. Protiviti have partnered with The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to announce the collaboration of our 3-year study: GENERATIONS Survey, and we have published findings of our preliminary survey report for companies to digest.   Why it matters?   - Embracing the knowledge, skills, and connections each generation brings to the workplace can deliver productivity gains and a competitive edge. - Focus on "What Matters" in driving productivity and talent retentions across generations.   Key Prelim Survey Findings: - 25% of employees surveyed self-reported low productivity. - Across generations, low levels of productivity are reported by 37% of Gen Z, 30% of Millennials, 22% of Gen X, and 14% of Baby Boomers. - Employees with larger age gaps with their managers report lower productivity. Those with managers more than 12 years their senior are nearly 1.5 times as likely to report low productivity. - Generations agree on the skills that are most important to productivity and career advancement. The top skills being active listening, time-management, judgement and decision making.    What's in it for you?   This is an important topic that will matter on how you shape your company strategy and culture. Read the prelim survey report here or participate in this study: https://lnkd.in/dufzUK5z   #protiviti #generations #generationssurvey #lse #collaboration

👉 We need to stop attributing everything to generations. In recent weeks, a number of social media videos have gone viral for showing a 'millenial manager' in action: friendly, lenient, purposefully giving air cover to their employees from those higher up, stressing work is not everything (e.g.: https://lnkd.in/e7dDVhG4). Predictably, others have chimed in to say millenial managers are fake friendly, weaponising psychological safety to gather evidence against people then hanging them dry when it's evaluation time, i.e. all vibes and no substance. As popular as these narratives are, there is no evidence of major workplace generational differences re employee needs and outcomes, for instance regarding their job commitment, job satisfaction or turnover intentions. These are overly casual generalisations that help no one and hide the real causes for behaviours we see, which reflect a combination of personal choices/values, socio-economic backgrounds, cultural norms, age and structural incentives to behave certain ways within those organisations/industries. Talk about generations might make us feel like these are predictable issues to deal with and nice ways to easily categorise people, but that just leads to equally predictable issues of misattribution. If we misdiagnose the problem, it is highly likely we will misapply the solutions too. We should talk more about what individuals NEED at different points in their life and how differently managers can/do support those needs, i.e. the focus should be on actual actions of individual people, not perceived collective identities. We need good managers, not 'millenial' or 'boomer' ones. And to stop reducing everything to generations first. Evidence re generations and workplace behaviours: https://lnkd.in/eBDcfS8p and https://lnkd.in/eXfUrSNZ and https://lnkd.in/et4zjVf2 and https://lnkd.in/ejajddNd and this video summary: https://lnkd.in/e4_8ghy5 #leadership #management #generationz #generations #millennials #boomers #hr #hrcommunity #peoplemanagement #generation #generationaldifferences #generationaldiversity #aging #ageism #genx

Navigating a multigenerational workforce is no small feat. With Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers all under one roof, how can leaders ensure harmony and productivity? Here are some insights to consider: Embrace diversity: Each generation brings unique perspectives and skills to the table. Capitalize on this diversity to foster creativity and innovation within your team. Foster open communication: Encourage cross-generational dialogue to bridge any communication gaps that may exist. This can lead to better understanding and collaboration among team members. Leverage strengths: Different generations often have different strengths. Utilize these strengths strategically to maximize the potential of your workforce. Provide continuous learning opportunities: Offer professional development programs that cater to the learning preferences of various age groups. This not only boosts employee engagement but also enhances skill sets across the board. Lead by example: Show respect for all generations within your team and lead with inclusivity. This sets a positive tone and fosters a culture of mutual respect. As Simon Sinek once said, It's not about perfect. It's about effort. Harnessing the power of a multigenerational workforce requires dedication and intentionality. How do you approach managing different generations in your workplace? Share your insights! #ManagingMultigenerationWorkforce #DiversityandInclusion #LeadershipDevelopment #iLeapExperience

There is no escaping this conversation you need to have as leaders, managers, enabling team members ...together. Your Values and Culture go hand in glove with the environment your people want to be a part of, and will ultimately thrive in ...or not

Loved this on the growing emphasis on shared values in the workplace. It resonates deeply with my belief that we are moving towards an era where showing up authentically at work is not just encouraged but essential. Millennials and Gen Z are leading this charge, making clear that their hell yes is not just about a job description, but on aligning with the core values of their organizations. To me, this underscores the future where work is a reflection of who we are and what we stand for. Something for organizations and teams to pay attention to. #LeadershipDevelopment #CultureTransformation #AuthenticLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #ValuesDrivenLeadership #GenerationalChange #InclusiveWorkplaces #EmployeeEngagement #MillennialsAtWork #GenZWorkforce #PurposeDrivenWork #OrganizationalValues #FutureOfWork #TalentRetention #EmployeeExperience