Generation Y (Gen Y), defined as those born between 1983 and 1995, represent 18% of the UK population. Hays have spoken with about 1,000 of them about their attitudes and expectations regarding the world of work. In the first of five themes, this report specifically examines the area of leadership and uncovers what employers need to be aware of to attract the best future talent.
LEADERSHIP POINT OF VIEW REPORT
LEADErship: point of view report
8 88
FAIR SUPPORTIVE
SUPPORTIVE MOTIVATE OTHERS
MOTIVATE OTHERS
MOST IMPORTANT MOST MOST IMPORTANT QUALITIES IN A IMPORTANT QUALITIES IN A QUALITIES WORKPLACE LEADER: 47%IN A 47% 47% WORKPLACE LEADER: WORKPLACE LEADER:
44% 47%
A PERSON OF A PERSON OF ABLE TO KNOWLEDGEABLE/ ABLE TO KNOWLEDGEABLE/ CONFIDENT FAIR EXPERTDECISIVE OTHERS EXPERT KNOWLEDGEABLE/ DECISIVE INTEGRITY FAIRINTEGRITY SUPPORTIVE MOTIVATE OTHERSMOTIVATE ABLE TO SUPPORTIVE FAIR SUPPORTIVE MOTIVATE OTHERS EXPERT
Are you ready to lead Gen Y? 44% 42% 47% 47% 30% 30% 44% 42%22% 47% 47%
EXPERT FAIR
EXPERT
42% 44%
42%
DIRECT CONFIDENT
DIRECT
LEADERSHIP
talented people to take the organisation forward, for example. Above all, the right leadership model can bring benefits for your business, especially for SMEs. In the case of the SME digital marketing agency (see right), the company enjoys high levels of employee engagement A PERSON OF as a result of some of its approaches to DIRECT DECISIVE CONFIDENT INTEGRITY CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES management, with turnover of less than DIRECTCULTIVATING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES DECISIVE CONFIDENT A PERSON OF DIRECT DECISIVE CONFIDENT INTEGRITY fivebeper cent, and sick levels below the Your generation has high expectations their bosses. career, these qualities need to your cultivated in qualities need to be cultivated in Yourofgeneration has highyour expectations of their bosses. career, these national average: less thanoutside one day perthrough A dictatorial approach is not what isArequired, rather can be rather honed outside of work,Some through dictatorial approach isyourself. not whatSome is required, yourself. can be honed of work, you want leaders who show decisiveness, confidence volunteering, or being a mentorperson, to someone you want leaders who show decisiveness, confidence volunteering, or being mentorleadership to someone else, perelse, year. Thea right and directness. If you aspire to a managerial role in If you aspire for example. and directness. to a managerial role in for example. model will attract the best Gen Y candidates and will also get the best out of them once they have joined you.
47%
44%
47%
PERSON OF Traditional models ofAINTEGRITY command and control style leadership have long been out of vogue in progressive organisations. But a new model of30% leadership 22% is 22% 7% emerging, as a new generation of workers begins 22% 22% 7% 30% 22% 22% 30% to make its mark on the British workplace.
22% 22% 42%
7% 22%
7%
them further. For some organisations, preparing their leaders to have a broader set of interpersonal skills to meet these demands will be a new challenge. But by understanding what drives Gen Y and accommodating this in your leadership, you can get the best out of them.
Transparent Leadership
THE
WORLD OF WORK TODAY
YOUR GENERATION WANTS A NEW KIND OF LEADER, Gen Y doesn’t just have a unique WHO MOTIVATES AND IS approach to leadership. Did you know 61% of them also either want to or are SUPPORTIVE.
7%
already running their own business? But this needn’t be bad news for employers. Find out how to capitalise on their entrepreneurial aspirations with our guide to entrepreneurialism and Gen Y.
LEADERSHIP
One SME digital marketing agency shares a great deal of information with its 39 The idea of leaders as just employees, inviting all of them no longer appropriate in th to weekly meetings in which workplace. Your peers exp they share business information, whoofknow what they are ta including details the level of profit made on have different and integrity. Most im projects. The company also motivate their workforce in involves all employees when deciding on what projects to work on.
Gen Y wants leaders that encourage YOUR GENERATION WANTS The idea of leaders as just authoritative figures is them to learn too. With 97 per cent of no longer appropriate in the twenty-first century Your generation has high expectations of their bosses. your career, these qualities need to be cultivated in A NEW KIND OF LEADER, PART MENTOR, PARTHays’ LEADER, CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES PART MENTOR, PART LEADER, respondents saying they would workplace. Your peers expect motivating leaders A dictatorial approach is not what is required, rather yourself. Some can be honed outside of work, through WHO MOTIVATES AND IS PART FRIEND, PART CONFIDANTE. CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES PARTstudying FRIEND,forPART CONFIDANTE. you want leaders who show decisiveness, confidence volunteering, or being a mentor to someone else, who know what they are talking about, are decisive consider professional Your generation has high expectations of their bosses. your career, these qualities need to be cultivated in and directness. If you aspire to a managerial role in for example. SUPPORTIVE. YOUR GENERATION HAS YOUR HIGH GENERATION HAS HIGH and have integrity. Most importantly, they need to A dictatorial approach is not what isYour required, rather yourself. Some can be honed outside of work, through qualifications to further their careers Your generation generation has has high high expectations expectations of of their their bosses. bosses. your your career, career, these these qualities qualities need need to to be be cultivated cultivated in in EXPECTATIONS OF ITS LEADERS. motivate their workforce in different ways. EXPECTATIONS OF ITS LEADERS. you want leaders who show decisiveness, confidence or being rather a mentor to someone else, A A dictatorial dictatorial approach approach is isvolunteering, not not what what is is required, required, rather yourself. yourself. Some Some can can be be honed honed outside outside of of work, work, through through or gain more recognition, leaders who and directness. If you aspire to a managerial in who for example. you you want wantrole leaders leaders who show show decisiveness, decisiveness, confidence confidence volunteering, volunteering, or or being being aa mentor mentor to to someone someone else, else, can tap into this thirst for learning and and directness. directness. IfIf you you aspire aspire to to aa managerial managerial role role in in for for example. example. Gen Y want something a bit different effectively will benefit over the longer from their leaders. 51% of respondents term. The structure of your organisation really want a coach or a mentor for a boss can help with this. The work that leaders PART MENTOR, PART LEADER, PART FRIEND, PART CONFIDANTE. and they are less motivated by traditional do needs to enable them to have the YOUR GENERATION HAS HIGH leadership styles. time, motivation and recognition for EXPECTATIONS OF ITS LEADERS. PART MENTOR, PART LEADER, coaching and mentoring their team. For PART FRIEND, PART CONFIDANTE. PART MENTOR, PART LEADER, example, one of the ‘Big Four’ accounting YOUR GENERATION HAS PART HIGH FRIEND, PART CONFIDANTE. MOST IMPORTANT firms has an on‑boarding programme It is imperative for the leaders of your EXPECTATIONS OF ITS LEADERS. YOUR GENERATION HAS HIGH BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN QUALITIES IN A whereby graduates are mentored by EXPECTATIONS OF ITS LEADERS. organisation at least to understand the FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP WORKPLACE LEADER: senior employees even before they needs and wants of Gen Y. This segment CULTURE AND MANAGEMENT have formally joined the ADVISOR firm. Equally, of the workforce accounts for 18 per cent COACH/MENTOR LEADER ADVISOR COACH/MENTOR LEADER DEVELOPMENT? adapting the management structure of the total UK population, and will be where necessary to allow leaders to fundamental to the success of most It may mean that Gen Y needs to be mentor and coach can see a move away organisations, as well as making up a ABLE TOTO ABLE KNOWLEDGEABLE/ managed differently. The old models of from the traditional role that leaders have significant amount of future leadership FAIR SUPPORTIVE MOTIVATE OTHERS EXPERT FAIR SUPPORTIVE MOTIVATE OTHERS leadership may need to be re-evaluated of just allocating work to employees. cadres. Gen Y employees want to be in some organisations if there is a desire Adopting a culture of learning can supported, mentored and motivated. LEADER ADVISOR to manageCOACH/MENTOR differently. According to also be achieved by considering how According to Hays’ research, a US-based start-up called The Levo in-house talent may be able to create respondents’ two most important CONFIDANT/ FRIEND DIRECTOR/ CONFIDANT/ FRIEND DIRECTOR/ League – a business community for study or training programmes that are qualities in a workplace leader are the DISCUSS PRIVATE ALLOCATOR DISCUSS PRIVATE ALLOCATOR young women – this means being more AND WORK OFaccredited WORK externally. This AND WORK OFmay WORK provide COACH/MENTOR LEADER ADVISOR ability to motivate others and to be honest with this generation of employees, MATTERS MATTERS COACH/MENTOR LEADER ADVISOR a practical and cost effective alternative supportive, both of which were chosen by and explaining the bigger purpose to other external training interventions. 47 per cent of respondents. These people of your organisation’s operations. want to learn, they don’t want to be A PERSON OF CONFIDANT/ FRIEND DIRECTOR/ DIRECT DECISIVE CONFIDENT INTEGRITY Gen Y employees want something dictated to. Equally, they want a friend or MODEL EMBRACING THE NEW MODEL DISCUSS PRIVATE ALLOCATOR Leading Gen Y employees is also aboutEMBRACING THE NEW different from their leaders. The confidant from leadership in the AND WORK OF WORK giving them regular feedback – they need Google’s model of leadership has set a trend model within of leadership fit thishas model This is aoverwhelming small of the role Google’s set aanymore. trend within fit part this model anymore. Thisthis is a small part of on the role MATTERS sense of is a focus workplace. 30 per cent say that their ideal the corporate world. A flatter company structure—world. A flatter that a company leader plays. A vast set of qualities needed to feel engaged with what they are doing the corporate structure— that a are leader plays. A vast set of qualities are needed equity, guidance and experience. They boss is someone they can discuss private of different forteam leaders to be always andup a senior management made upsuccessful, of differentand they forwon’t leaders to beget successful, and they won’t always get and why they are doing it. Mentoring and a senior management team made people that cross generational divides—have become everything right. Consider how don’t you everything willwant manage yourConsider someone merely there to people that cross generational divides—have become right. how you will manage your FRIEND DIRECTOR/ as well as work matters with. 16 per cent CONFIDANT/ A PERSON OF these employees cannot only identify markers for financial success. The manager high expectations and how you can markersas for financial success. The managerfor asyour bosses high expectations your bosseswho and how you can PRIVATE ALLOCATOR allocate work, butforsomeone coaches CONFIDANT/ DIRECTOR/ FRIEND goes further – describing their ideal bossDISCUSS EMBRACING THE NEW MODEL someone who allocates work to employees does not replicate those qualities innot yourself. replicate those qualities in yourself. their aspirations, but can help meet someone who allocates work to employees does DECISIVE CONFIDENT INTEGRITY AND WORK OF WORK DISCUSS PRIVATE ALLOCATOR and mentors, is fair, supportive and as a friend. Just one in ten is looking for MATTERS the organisation’s goals by Google’s model of leadership has identifying set a trend within fit this model anymore. This is a small part of the roleWORK AND WORK OF knowledgeable and who will develop an “allocator of work” as their manager. the corporate world. A flatter company structure— that a leader plays. A vast set of qualities are needed MATTERS
CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
GEN Y’S GEN Y’S IDEAL BOSS: IDEAL BOSS:
88
GEN Y’S IDEAL BOSS:
GEN Y’S IDEAL BOSS: GEN Y’S IDEAL BOSS:
51%
51%
51%
40%
40% 51%
30%
30%
16%
16% 30%
and a senior management team made up of different people that cross generational divides—have become markers for financial success. The manager as someone who allocates work to employees does not
2
30% 34% 40%
40% 51%
34%
16% 30% 34%
10% 16%
34%
10%
47%
47%
10%
10% 16%
10%
for leaders to be successful, and they won’t always get everything right. Consider how you will manage your high expectations for your bosses and how you can replicate those qualities in yourself.
EMBRACING THE NEW MODEL Gen-y and the world of work EMBRACING THE NEW MODEL
34% 40%
Google’s model of leadership has set a trend within fit this model anymore. This is a small part of the role the corporate world. A flatter company structure— that a has leader Awithin vast set of qualities needed Google’s Google’s model model of of leadership leadership has set setplays. aa trend trend within fit fit this thisare model model anymore. anymore. This This is is aa small small part part of of the the role role and a senior management team made up of different for leaders to be successful, and they won’t always get
30%
© Hays PLC 2013
© Hays PLC 2013
MOST IMPORTANT QUALITIES IN A WORKPLACE LEADER:
44%
47%
44%
47%
22%
42%
22%
7%
CULTIVATING LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
30%
Gen-y andneed theto world of work your career, these qualities be cultivated in yourself. Some can be honed outside of work, through volunteering, or being a mentor to someone else,
22%
Your generation has high expectations of their bosses. A dictatorial approach is not what is required, rather you want leaders who show decisiveness, confidence
22%
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