IIM ROHTAK HUMANE-R PRESENTS IMPRESSIONS October 2021
HUMANE.R@IIMROHTAK.AC.IN
The Big Shifts driving Workplace Evolution of the Future
Title: Swaying the non-fawning Generation Y: How to retain and engage Generation Y in Young and Youthful Ways in 2021.
Introduction: “India is a country with world’s largest youth population that is 356 million people based on the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) State of the World's Population report”. They are considered demographic dividend as they majorly contribute in production and not consumption. They are the developers, leaders, managers and future drivers of the country. Being a developing nation India is promoting educational and health reforms for development of its youth, which brings a requirement in reforming the corporate sector. Robust talent development and acquisition plan is what is he requirement for Generation Y.
“Over the last few years, there is a paradigm shift in the workforce demographics with continued influx of Generation Y employees (born between 1981 and 2000) (Lancaster and Stillman, 2010),together with retirement of Baby Boomers”. But, there hasn’t been much change in the practices of how organisation work. Just like preferences and ideologies of Generation Y differ from the past generations in movies to politics, companionship to battleship, morals to vengeance; it is likely that their definition of work culture is different too. The method to understand them and use them in the most efficient way is the key to success for all firms.
Most of Generation Y people are employees or are about to be one in coming three-four years. This sudden addition of an entirely new batch in the workforce is something organisations are trying to understand and mitigate the results in a positive way.
This demographic dividend transition requires inputs from both sides to function smoothly. Things like on-the job training are no longer enough for the upcoming employees. Instead organisations need to find regions which have never been traced or touched and develop a skill set out of them. Generation Y doesn’t think out of the box but thinks as if there is no box. Organisations like Shoppers Stop are coming up with programs that are building vocational skills for people.
Organisations are required to be known for the culture and atmosphere. Johnsons and Johnsons is known for its one cheat day in a week for dressing up, the events like plays and theatres it organises, a culture which bonds employees like a family. Google is known for being considerate to its employees in terms of flexible working hours and informal office conditions.
Talent management needs a shift for the Generation y to develop, retain and engage them by taking a transition from traditional to innovative and flexible methods. Need: ü Experienced many changes. Generation Y has not only experienced major digital transformations like internet, social media and virtual networking but also awareness for the environment, social justice, equality and morality. A vibrant population like this is inclined towards introspection and retrospection of the environment in which they will be working. Companies need to realise that traditional practices won’t be effective on the new generation employees. Generation Y is the change, it is a flow which can polish company’s resources with their multitasking and creative skills, only if there are no rocks hindering their path.
ü Full of unexplored potential. "Never before have there been so many young people. Never again is there likely to be such potential for economic and social progress. How we meet the needs and aspirations of young people will define our common future," the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) State of the World's Population report said.
Generation Y is full of energy, innovation, rapidness and creative solutions. Most importantly their driver to work is passion and not a mundane desk job with constant pay. Companies have to incorporate certain practices to satisfy the value proposition they have with the job.
ü The blame game. When it comes to retention rate nearly “56% of new hires leave their job in first year”. The organisation is blamed for its culture who puts it on the HR, HR is blamed for its non-commitment towards the employees who puts it on the supervisor and supervisors are blamed for not providing enough support and comfort who blames organisation back. It is a vicious cycle of blame which no one is ready to own. This negatively impacts organisation’s bottom line and goodwill. Companies need a structured method to find the fault and correct it.
Objectives: To understand the difference between talent management and regular HR practices. It is more than just recruiting, developing and retaining people. Recruiting people not just based on the tip of the ice berg, but the bottom of it. The talents of ethics, ü skills, morals which are not visible directly. Developing not just by organising a meeting with food as Generation Y has a short attention span. It must be done with engaging group activities, exercises, mind games and not just one way interaction. Retaining through pays and promotions is obsolete now, they need to feel that they have longings for the job. The job must be passionate and challenging for them.
Example: Pop Xo is a start-up for content creation and fashion sales brand. While recruiting it asks candidates to dress in a way which expresses their personality. They have pictures and sofas in the cells and fancy parking spots to let them know their work culture.
ü To understand that hiring raw talent strengthens the organisation. When organisations hire young and developing employees they can easily train them to build up their strengths. Generation Y is all about two questions: where their career is heading and is my workplace fun to work. They are hardworking raw talent which guided properly will contribute to organisation’s success.
Example: McDonald’s always hires people who are in their first five years of job experience.
ü To understand that retention is positively related with competency management. Companies need to work on competency management for Generation Y as the competencies engage Generation Y and make them stay put with it. “If an organisation offers developmental opportunities to enhance employee competencies, demonstrates
its commitment towards them and, thus, has a profound influence on the intention to stay of the employees (Chikumbi, 2012)”. When Generation Y feels that organisations are committed to their development they show positive inclination towards their stay in the organisation. ü To understand the changing nature of the psychological contract of the employees and employer. Generation Y is not looking for permanent stay and job security but flexible working hours, methods and more supportive environment. This defines that promotional aspects and performance management also require a breakthrough. Organisations require to build professional as well as personal competencies to make an emotional attachment. This will supplement the Attitude, Behaviour and Competency theory for organisational commitment.
ü To start using technology as an aid in the process. Automation goes hand in hand when it comes to Generation Y. It will help support performance management, keeping records and measuring them with highest permutations and combinations, under recruitment selection and scanning process will be easier with no human bias, new modes for succession planning and career development of employees. It will speed up the process, bring more transparency and make it more scientific in nature. ü To understand the importance of providing work-life balance to employees. Organisations need to look for methods where they can provide a suitable balance for the employees. Providing maternal leave to husbands whose wife is pregnant and live alone, arranging a day care for single mothers, providing work from home flexibility to employee who is approaching higher studies. Such situations hold your employees even if they don’t get promotion as they feel a connection of support when it was needed the most.
Advantages: ü Bring the life. Generation Y makes the atmosphere of work very lively and friendly to work in. They seem to bond emotionally and not just professionally in their work environment. They are very open in communication which improves work dynamics as they have everything in the Open quadrant and almost nothing in the Hidden quadrant of Jo-Hari Window. ü Difficulty triggers them. Generation Y is likely to work better under pressure. Their potential to challenge the work culture, methods brings in great expectations from them. They have been through situations of complete uncertainty and high pressure which moulds them as a survivor.
ü Energetic and Motivated. Generation Y is very independent, optimistic and positive work force. They are always enthusiastic and eager to learn new things. They often come up with innovative approaches to look towards things. They try to bring in smart work as compared to hard work and provide evidences for productivity in smaller time frames. ü Socially Responsible. Generation Y values integrity and ethics in every aspect of their life. They will improve a sense of responsibility towards the nation and society. They are improving the diversity quotient in the workforce. Not only women participation has increased but also people from third gender, specially abled and those who need upliftment.
ü Promote work life balance. They always ponder towards flexible work approach. They give equal importance to work and fun, improving and promoting balance.
ü Tech savvy. They are more inclined towards using technology in all parts of life possible. From job roles to personal life, they make things easier and popular at the same time. Their meetings and presentations are so engaging and creative which could
not be approached traditionally. Disadvantages:
ü High expectations. With high energy comes high expectations, with flow comes deviation, with creativity comes wider horizons. These expectations can be very challenging to provide in times of crisis and random hazards. In such position Generation Y seems to be less productive and more of a difficult population to handle. ü Lack of patience. Generation Y seems to be very impatient and avoid the bureaucratic approaches which are sometime important to follow. In such cases their impatience may destroy relationships with clients or trouble the internal work environment.
ü Misbalance. Generation Y seems to more productive with their age but when it comes to adjust with other generations their productivity tends to decrease. Often other generations find Generation Y inexperienced to work with. Organisations need to find a way to bridge this gap. ü Fragile. They tend to be easily insulted and offended. They can be deeply hurt if they are chided in a group. They require a positive reinforcement as negative reinforcement only pushes them away and makes them rebellious. Conclusion: “In a research for Generation Y in Chennai, India offering insights on their preference in a company by Sunayana.D” it was found that these are the top ten factors that drive talent management strategies for Generation Y. It can be conclude from the survey that these are the drivers which require strategic importance from the company as respondents put in Career advancement opportunities with 94%, work environment with 96%, training and development 93% and mentoring for 92%. They need best atmosphere of growth with best people to feel engaged and retain their position.
Generation Y is a force which will improve and transform the basic and bureaucratic approach of working. Therefore, talent management for engagement will be a very tough task for the organisations but at the same time it will improve the spontaneity and productivity of organisation. Working with and for Generation Y will improve the readiness
and adaptability of all employees which will ultimately affect the bottom line positively.
Snigdha Patankar Institute of Management, Nirma University (IMNU), Ahmedabad
The Big Shifts drivingWorkplace Evolution of the Future
"The best thingsin life are oftenwaiting for you at the exit ramp of your comfort zone."
The covid era brought about an avalanche of change to the HR industry. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, companies across the world have seen substantial shifts in their accountability and responsiveness in navigating uncharted waters and restoring normality to people and businessoperations. HR respondedwith incredible speed and commitment, leveraging technology and diverse skill sets in unprecedented ways to become a force to be reckoned with. It is not just because of the pandemic now that the organizations are rewriting the "future of work, worker, and workplace"; this was quite prevalent before the pandemic. It's just that this time, organizations are more vigilant, attentive, and wellprepared. We know how the global workplace has evolved to be less centralized, extremely mobile, and more flexible. Now the employees prefer working from the comfort of their home without having to report physically to the office. Many believe that the global pandemic has given rise to a concept called "The Death of Office." This is a new reality. As the world approachesthe end of the office, increasing use of mobile technologies will accelerate the future workplace trends, and the office will no longer be required to be in a permanent location. Companies will rely on outsourced labor for both high and low skilled positions, as freelancers represent the fastest expanding part of the economy According to me, a few trends which will be shapingand influencing the future of the workplace are: 1. HYBRID MODEL: According to a survey by Salesforce, just 23% of the surveyed employees said that they feel more productive while working from the office while the rest felt more comfortable and yielding, working from home. This implies that employees today wish to work from the comfortof their homes only. However, a complete shift from the office to remote working isn't possible as specific roles require the workforce to be present there at the workplace.
So, the organizations are now adopting a hybrid workplace and workforce model, wherein a certain workforce ratio works from the office while the other group works from home. Quoting an industry example, ManipalCigna Health Insurance chalked out a policy and redefined their roles into three categories1.Rolesthat could be workedfrom home completely 2.Roles that could be worked out in a hybrid model, where employees couldfunction partially from home and partially from the office. Roles that required employees to be always present at the office The criteriafor deciding on those roles shouldbe whether the functions are measurable and whether it is a customerfacing role. Organizations going for a hybrid model needs to ensure that this is an iterative process and not done only by keeping in mind the pandemic. Here comes the role of HR Managers to work as Change Managers. The HR Managers have to see it from the front that how they can manage this change and ensure that it should not be looked upon as thrust by the employees. So once this is done, they need to implement it, starting from creating a more amiable workplace to a hybrid working model to revamping their employee benefit schemes,considering the cost constraint.
2.Varying demographics: Firstly, as the Millennials and Gen Z workforce is coming up, they are driving workplace design trends towards collaborative spaces. Millennials and Generation Z were raised in a technologically advanced world. Their lives revolve around social media. This has had a significant influence on how they work and what they expect from their careers. Peers are a powerful motivator for millennials. They thrive on teamwork, prefer to work in groups, and want constant feedback. Secondly, now the workforce comprises people from different demographics. There are men, women, transgender people, bisexual people, belonging to the LGBTQ+ society, and all these people come from varied backgrounds and carry their own culturealong with them. So, the HR leaders need to be more cognizant of making and evolving the workplacein such a manner that it is inclusive of each and every employee, like for there should be restrooms made for the third gender as well as for the disabled employees. For people with special requirements, ramps and lifts should be constructed; also,the workplace must be safe and conducivefor everyone to work in. So, knowing the people and their specific needs is critical because if we don't know who the people are, how will the organization designthe workplace.
3.Shifting to the total wellbeing of employees: With the systematic incorporation of financial and other dimensions, the concept of wellbeing is developing, with sustenance shown through policy design and the creation of an ecosystem drivingsystemic behavioral change.With the coming up of pandemic and employees having to restrict themselves to the four walls of their homes, employees became vulnerable to mental stress, anxiety, loneliness, and disengagement. To cater to all this, organizations had to integrate employee wellbeing programs with management practices. For example, CIPLA, a pharmaceutical giant, had a wellness app extended to all of its employees, providing them with a fitness routine, yoga and meditation classes all from the comfort of their own homes, as well as counseling to deal with stress, anxiety, and any new issues they were
encountering while working from home. Also, Chevron, EY, Verizon Media, and TIAA assistedtheir employees' mental health in several ways, including access to qualified counselors, a recognition program, a daily newsletter with resources, monthly mental health challenges, and more. Therefore, leaders and managers need to be up skilled to be emphatic and responsive to their employees' needs and establish a psychologically safe workplace. 4.Touch less Solutions everywhere:Ever since the pandemic, everyother innovation aimedat making the products accessible without touching. The fear of the transfer of the virus through a simple touch encouraged many to go for touch less solutions. Even at the workplace, in the future, everything would go touch less. It will be possible to navigate buildings without using your hands. Advance turnstiles, elevators, doors, sensors, speech recognition devices, or other technology solutions will be added. Touch less dispensers will disperse items such as soap, sanitizer, paper towels, and break-room cutlery. 5.Evolution of Artificial Intelligence:The pandemic and the evolutionand gradual adoption of Artificial intelligence have greatly influenced the workplaces. Earlier, people used to say that the evasion of aliens would disrupt and bring about a revolutionary change not only to the world, in general,but also to our workplaces and working practices, in particular. But I feel today, Artificial intelligence and technology have brought about a revolution. These tools are the disruptors. Today, the use of analytics and data has enabled us to complete any work just in the blink of an eye, with a full confirmation. As we all know how AI has enabled us to do all the work using these tools, thus prohibiting us from moving to the offices. I have noticed that the time people used to take in commuting earlier has reduced considerably today.
They use data and technology tools and work from the comfort of their homes. Though it called for a reduced infrastructural cost to be incurred, this also caused many people to work for longer and stretched hours. This gave rise to the most feared 24/7 work culture.Since the employeesbelieve that working extra hours might secure their job, they have now started utilizing each and every minute, like many are using this time to catch up on adminand email, thus stretching themselves and affecting theirhealth. So, in my opinion, these shifts will drive the workplace evolution of the future. 2020 will be remembered as a year of unprecedented transformation. As we entered into 2021, a new environment developed, highlighted by lessons gained from the pandemic and a fresh or renewed commitment to areas like employee experience, virtual work, mentalhealth, and DEI. The ability of companies to execute and thrive is now greatly influenced by team design and evolution, and skill development. Designing a new and evolved workplace is not an easy task. The HR Managers need to work really hard to implement these changes and make sure that the employees are easily able toadapt to these changes. These new places must be employee-friendly since we all know that employees are the most critical assets of any organization. If the workplaces are joyful, vibrant, complement, and suit everyone's requirements, the employees would be happy, so happyemployees mean enhanced productivity and thus increased revenues. The employees' happiness not only swells up companies' profits but also makes the world more content and a better place to live in. Since these people are also a part of society, they will radiate happiness and make the world a happy home.
Bhargwi Bahri Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar