The Future of Work Will be Driven by the Values of Younger Workers. Here’s Why.
Gen Z and millennials currently make up approximately 38% of the global workforce – this percentage will rise to about 58% by 2030. As younger generations enter the workforce, they seek different means of fulfillment and contribution than their predecessors. But there is a message that lives within their value set that informs us of how imagine the future of work – and how we can help facilitate it.
If workplaces remain stagnant and leadership styles fail to change, they risk missing out on top talent.
Millennials and Gen Z are emerging as the most empathetic generations yet. They are breaking down archaic barriers of the “work you” and the “personal you” to facilitate genuine relationships in the workplace. According to a poll conducted by PGI, over 70% of millennials want the people they work with to function as somewhat of a “second family”. Up until now, the norm has been to keep all the personal [stuff] at home. However, all the data advocates for the opposite: creating personal connections that go beyond the office simply makes people happier.
Mentorship can (and should) act as a channel to create connections between new hires and seasoned professionals. However, younger workers don’t want their mentor to be just another boss, but rather a coach. Millennials and Gen Z workers want to create their own “personal board of advisors” - for professional AND personal development. Targeting personal and professional fulfillment makes the relationship less one-sided and more mutually beneficial. By taking a new hire under your wing and developing a genuine connection with them through mentorship, you will find mirrored value from shared experiences and perspectives.
Employees report that they are 50% more likely to remain with an employer and twice as likely to recommend them if they have a close friend at work.
Younger workers also offer the advantage of fresh perspectives on many of the issues our world is facing right now like climate change, DEI, and much more, let alone perspectives on the Future of Work:
I want to work somewhere that represents my values. I want to work to live. I want to actually enjoy going to work.
These may seem like lofty expectations, but I am not the only one thinking this way. Old-value workspaces will lose younger generations if they don’t evolve. As a member of Generation Z, I can already see these values shifting the tide.
In order to rein in top talent, retain them, and benefit from peak productivity, employers must expand zones of comfort and discard outdated corporate norms. Concurrently, these new hires and practices don’t have to polarize the office. Creating spaces and environments where people can create genuine connections can help offices bridge the gap between the old and new norms of workplace interaction.
November 15th, 2023 | Boulder, Colorado
GWENYTH BRASS
Online Media Production Lead
[GWENYTH’S BIO]
