Collecting Experiences

Team,

 Executives and business leaders like myself & you must understand that today’s talent is looking at experiences and chapters. A typical career used to resemble something like this:

 Start at a company, work your way up the ladder, get promoted, and then retire. (Baby Boomers & Gen X)

 That mentality has shifted as you have seen from resumes tenure at companies is over.  I believe something new is emerging. Top-tier talent is saying: “I’ll bring from day one my experiences, and I’ll help you be a better company. But I will leave at some point, and you should not be concerned by that. I will leave it better than I found it, but I will also leave better than I arrived.” Meet Gen. Z and they will make up 27% of the workforce by 2025.

 COVID-19 opened my eyes and those of my colleagues and VP’s of other major organizations to the Gen Z ethos of values, work-life balance, questioning the status quo, and seeking fulfillment and worth. Gen Z, millennials, and others are demanding more from their employers: They want transparency, respect, empathy, sustainability, and support for continued growth and development. They also expect real action from leadership on diversity and inclusion. This is the most diverse generation thus far in the United States, with only 52% identifying as white non-Hispanic, and 99% of those surveyed by Tallo rating workplace DEI as important.  

 We’re witnessing a new chapter in the modern workforce: a convergence of technology and purpose. This generation has simply had enough of older and other generations discounting their lived experiences, underestimating their capabilities, and standing in the way of progress on pressing issues: climate change, crumbling economies, and global health challenges.

 Key Leadership Retention Initiatives

• Communicate early and often: Integrate Gen Z into the company and create a sense of community, understanding, and connection to those across business units and functions.
• Provide stretch assignments: Ensure that young people are challenged and feeling that they’re continuously learning, with strong mentorship, new tools, and training.
• Use automation and AI to support growth: The advent of AI applications and other technological advancements can assist younger employees’ quest for personal and collective fulfillment.
• Create a listening culture: In meetings and in key team decisions, young people need to feel they have a voice and input into strategic activities and new directions for their team.

I hope this email sheds light on the current DNA of the generational mind set across all industries and empowers you to start making changes in your organization to accommodate the next generation of talent.