Does your generation have a “work-ethic”?
Do Gen Z have a work-ethic? Are Gen Z entitled? Are they resilient? Business leaders often express their concern to me that when it comes to promotions, job titles and increased pay packets, they “want it all now”. For a generation who have been raised in a technologically immersed, entertainment saturated and globally networked context, it is essential that managers and co-workers understand how to communicate with this new generation of employees.
Understanding key attraction, engagement and retention strategies is essential for leaders, as a motivated workforce provides a competitive advantage in any work environment, and improves the life satisfaction for employees.
Faced with the changing social realities and new generational attitudes, leaders are wrestling with how to build an effective multigenerational workforce which straddles the generational span from the Baby Boomers through to Generation X, Generation Y (Millennials), Generation Z, and the incoming Generation Alpha.
In today’s knowledge-driven economy, companies are investing heavily in attractive workplaces to lure top talent, but it is unclear whether beanbags, ping pong tables and free hot lunches really activate the enduring motivation in Gen Z or simply fosters dependence on constant perks.
To better understand this, I did a PhD on the topic of understanding what motivates Gen Z at work. It was reassuring to discover from Gen Z that there is more to their motivation than the desire for endless perks, job titles and promotions. Through the research I discovered that many of the key motivation drivers for Gen Z at work connect to workplace culture. This is good news - because whether your organisation is a small business or a large enterprise, we can all shape our workplace culture.
Over a series of blog posts I’ll share some of the key findings about what aspects of workplace culture we can focus on to shape an environment where our Gen Zs (and all generations for that matter) are more likely to feel motivated at work.
For now - reflect on how you would describe the work-ethic of your generation. How does this differ from generations older and younger than you?
A great question to ask your team members to discuss next time they are together is “in one sentence, how would you describe the work ethic of your generation?”. My Pop was part of the Builders generation, and he would say “if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing properly”. When I have asked groups of people this same question, Baby Boomers will often say “we just do what it takes”, Gen X will often say “work hard and get the job done”. Millennials, or Gen Ys, may say “we find a more efficient way to get the job done”, and Gen Z may comment “we will get the work done in our own way”.
Starting the conversation among colleagues from different generations is a great way to reduce assumptions, correct misconceptions and start to build on the strengths that each generation bring to work.
———
Dr Claire Madden is a social researcher and keynote presenter. If you would like to enquire about having Claire speak at your next event, please get in touch.