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Unleashing the power of generational diversity: Time for HR to take the lead!
How to set up a successful hybrid work model
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or many of us COVID-19 has transformed how we work and our expectations for how we will work in the future. There is no going back to the standard 9-5 in the office – that is not what most people want, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. This is not a binary office versus work from home discussion – the opportunity comes from recognising both have a place. Where, when and how we work needs to be determined by balancing individual needs with understanding the needs of our colleagues, our customers and the organisation. Organisations now need to seize this opportunity to reset and rethink their approach to flexibility if they want to be an employer of choice in the new world of hybrid work. Because the ability to deliver on a reimagined workplace is the new battleground in the war for talent. At Telstra, we embraced flexible working almost a decade ago – but it has taken the pandemic for us to evolve from simply working from home once or twice a week to something much broader, more profound and enduring. We are now helping our teams to work in different ways based on what works for them, whilst also thinking about where the best space is for particular types of work. Here are three things to consider when setting up a hybrid work model.
1. Help your teams find their flex There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to working flexibly. We all like to work in different ways – some of us need the social
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interaction of an office environment, others are more productive working from home, while some need flexible hours to juggle caring responsibilities. We have refreshed our flexible working policy to give our people choice with where, when and how they work. They will discuss their preferences with their leader and then put a plan in place to make it happen. It is all about making sure individuals are working in a way that is most productive and engaging for them so they can get their job done and enjoy it. This approach also avoids a culture of haves and have-nots. Our field technicians cannot fix a cable from their lounge room, and our retail teams need to be in store to serve customers. But this policy means everyone has access to some sort of flexibility.
2. Earn the commute The office is still important, but its purpose has evolved. Our teams have told us they are much more productive overall and enjoying a better work/life balance by working from home. And they have told us the main reason they want to come into the office is to collaborate with their teams and customers. The onus is on organisations to create environments that facilitate this collaboration in person and on leaders to help teams organise their week’s work into ‘me time,’ which might be at home, and ‘we time,’ which might be with their team in an office. Think of going into the office as the new offsite and invest the same time preparing for your team coming together.
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W 3. Make mental health and connections a priority Working in different ways means we need to put more emphasis on how we stay connected as a team, particularly when working virtually. Leaders need to be more personally engaged with their team, and that means making more time to connect, check in on how they are going and making sure they are taking time out to recharge. It also means making mental health a comfortable conversation. We are investing in training to help leaders manage virtual teams, but it is also up to organisations to provide the tools teams need to connect and collaborate in a consistent way wherever they are. The quality of the tools and technology you are using, the reliability of the connection, and how well you manage the meeting to engage everyone are all important and play a major role in how well a team can feel engaged and connected.
About the Author ALEX BADENOCH is Transformation, Communications and People Group Executive, Telstra. At HR Tech Fest Connect 2021, she will be making a presentation titled Leadership for a new workplace experience in 2021 and beyond on May 27 at 11.15am (SGT).
ith the rapid adoption of technology and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations are likely to face challenges that cannot be addressed through the traditional and hierarchical way of conducting business. Collaborative decision-making — where each generation has equal voice, brings unique capabilities and skillsets to the table, and deploys them towards a shared vision — will become critical in order for businesses to thrive in the new world of work, secure a wide range of skills, experiences and perspectives, and drive innovation. However, while business leaders understand the importance of embracing generational diversity, few organisations seem to have strategies, initiatives and programs in place to bridge the generational gap and foster a culture of intergenerational collaboration. According to the 2020 XYZ@Work Multigenerational Workforce Study, while 93% of professionals across generations say generational diversity should be a key aspect of their employer’s diversity & inclusion agenda, only 22% of HR professionals say their organisation is strongly committed to it. Team leaders and talent professionals fear being misunderstood and offending people, often doubting their ability to align every generation — with their unique styles and preferences — under the same vision. The truth is, many HR practitioners find intergenerational conflicts unsolvable in reality. While their fears and insecurities are understandable and often justified (there are still a lot of sensitivities around this topic), burying their head in the sand is only doing organisations a disfavour. Generational diversity can be a great asset, but when not addressed it creates a volatile environment that leads to obstacles in communication and conflicting expectations. And in fact, 47% of surveyed employees say that having multiple agegroups at work makes the workplace less productive, 50% say that conflicts
stemming from a lack of understanding between generations are frequent, and 40% of Millennials and Gen Z say they would prefer working with people from their own age-group. If organisations fail to encourage and facilitate cross-generational awareness and understanding, intergenerational conflicts will continue to persist. The younger generations will continue to only see their older colleagues as hierarchical, stubborn and resistant to change; failing to appreciate their experience, knowledge and wisdom. Similarly, the older generations will continue to predominantly see the young ones as overly sensitive, entitled and overconfident; failing to appreciate them for their social-mindedness, digital savviness and creativity. The result will be discord among workers, unhealthy competition, lack of mutual respect, low employee engagement, high attrition, slow moving projects, and stagnated innovation. Only when organisations are willing to address generational diversity, call it out, explore it, understand it and get comfortable with it, they can truly help their employees become aware of the forces that shaped each generation, become more empathetic and understanding, and learn from one another. 90% of employees across generations say there is a lot they would like to learn from other age groups, and 99% say they want to find a way to positively work together. This represents a unique opportunity for HR. By implementing programmes and initiatives to promote cross-generational
awareness (through training, coaching, workshops, shared workspaces and teambonding activities), collaboration (through matrixed multigenerational teams or Shadow Boards) and learning exchange (through reverse mentoring or, even better, two-way mentoring programmes), talent professionals can lay the foundation for future business success by unleashing the power of their organization’s human capital. 2021 is the year we should all start being open and proud of our generational diversity. When we are truly able to see and appreciate each other’s unique skillsets, characteristics and mindsets, learn how to communicate effectively with one another, and optimise our generational strength in service of a common goal or a shared vision… well, this is when the magic happens!
About the Author RACHELE FOCARDI is a global thought-leader and public speaker on Multigenerational Workforce Dynamics, Employer Branding and The Future of Work. She is also Chair of the Multigenerational Workforce Committee for the ASEAN Human Development Organisation, and will be making a presentation at HR Tech Fest Connect 2021 on May 27 at 12.15pm (SGT). A P R I L - M AY 2 0 2 1
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