YOUNG PEOPLE LEAD THE WAY, THEY ALWAYS HAVE

History proves that young people are the disruptors. They always have been. Alexander the Great conquered countries at 18 years old; Mary Shelley published 'Frankenstein' at 20; Zuckerberg set up facebook at 19 years old and aged just 15, Greta Thunberg kick-started the global climate-action movement.

So why do older generations still dismiss youth?

“Young ones these days don’t get it. They’re outspoken and challenge everything - they fail to accept that this is the way it has to be.” “It wasn’t like that in my day.” “This generation doesn’t have the work ethic that my generation has.” It doesn’t take a deep internet trawl, or thousands of conversations with older generations, to find comments like this.

At The Youth Lab, one of the most common business challenges we work on is bridging the cultural divide to ensure organisations (and brands) remain relevant, engaged and attractive to younger audiences and unlocking a motivated and engaged intergenerational working culture. A combination of youth insights, reverse-mentoring, the establishment of youth boards and meeting young people to hear and witness things first hand; has an extraordinary impact on leaders. It changes their world view and positively impacts how they lead.

AN APPETITE TO UNDERSTAND THE YOUTH PERSPECTIVE

Young people, particularly Gen Z born into a digitally connected world, aren’t bound by a systematic, one-way approach of doing things. Indeed, their modus operandi is to ask ‘is there a smarter way to do this?’. In the world of work, this can lead to intergenerational conflict between those that are keener to press repeat on a tried and tested model, versus those that are more open to exploring new ways of approaching challenges.

Working with Frank & Honest, Ireland’s No.1 Self-Serve Coffee brand, to establish and grow a brand that disrupted the competitive coffee market, one of our secret weapons was listening. Rosemary Walsh, Marketing Manager, Frank and Honest, Musgrave said; “Listening to, and understanding youth audiences helped us establish a brand that was capable of disrupting the coffee market and connect meaningfully with a new generation of coffee drinkers. We always remember to have lots of laughs along the way with the brand’s cheeky, knowing tone-of-voice. For me, learning about the next generation’s changing habits and outlooks constantly, is the only way.”

Claire Hyland, Head of The Youth Lab, THINKHOUSE said; “The key to intergenerational collaborative workforces is an understanding and appreciation that younger and older employees have a lot to learn from each other. The organisations I have seen consistently outperform the norm are those that value the act of listening. In an age of such rapid and disruptive change, putting in systems that give a platform for young voices to be heard, while also facilitating opportunities for young workers to learn from older workers’ expertise (their journeys of failure as much as their success stories), now serves as a competitive advantage.”

COVID-19 spurred on The Great Resignation. This was a moment in time where workers re-evaluated their commitment to jobs and companies that did not necessarily value them or didn’t align with their values. For many it was a case of ‘it’s just not worth it’.

THE BURNOUT GENERATION

Gen Z has learnt from the mistakes of Millennials. Millennials entered the workforce during a global recession and were forced to ‘hustle’ to get a job, and then forced to ‘go the extra mile’ to retain that job. Giving all of themselves, and more, to the role. This was presented as ‘aspirational.’ And where did this get them? Millennials are now broadly recognised as The Burnout Generation. Burnout was only formally recognised by the World Health Organisation in 2019, not as an illness but as an occupational health phenomenon “resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed”.

Gen Z is more measured in its work outlook - there is no longer a desire to work long hours for little return. Instead, in their yearning for less stressed working lives, they are putting boundaries on what they determine to be acceptable in an employer-employee relationship. Flexibility in terms of where and when they work is highlighly prized as it afforded them the opportunity of a work-life balance. Prioritising flexibility from an employer perspective demonstrates that employers value young people’s health and well-being. Leading with trust rather than power, choice rather than predetermined ways of working set employers up for success with young employees, who feel more empowered and more in control of their work schedule.

Empowerment can come in other ways, such as leaders demonstrating honesty, transparency and high emotional intelligence. Leading by example is also valued, as it creates a sense of togetherness, and gains genuine buy-in and loyalty in the process.

WORK ENVIRONMENT, CULTURE & VALUSE

A decade or so ago; ping pong tables, fun office slides and free lunches were cutting it. Today, young workers are turning their back on work environments, companies and brands that don't serve them.

Instead, they’re seeking opportunities for skills development and advancement within like-minded, diverse companies who consistently demonstrate that they value and support their workers. Diversity within a workplace can be a deciding factor for many graduates, who are themselves of the most diverse generation ever - according to a recent Monster Report on The Gen Z Workforce in the US, a third of college grads say they wouldn’t accept a job at a company that doesn’t have a diverse workforce. Another quarter say they “wouldn’t work for an organisation without women (26%) or diversity (25%) in leadership roles.”

Where they don’t find diverse work environments - they go and create them. Indeed, in a recent Nielsen study, about 54% of Gen Z indicated they wanted to start their own company.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY, A SENSE OF BELONGING AND, erm, MATING.

Feeling a sense of belonging within the workplace is also high on young worker’s Priority List, and in this new era of hybrid-working brings additional challenges for employees and employers alike. Employees want to feel safe, trusted and included, whether they’re in person at a desk or on screen in a virtual office. The cost of living crisis (still living with parents, expensive fuel) is forcing young people into the office - so make it a place worth going to. Make it a place that focuses on a sense of belonging, and brings some fun to the working day.

“Why is nobody talking about mating? Everyone knows that work is where many people meet their lifelong partners. Without a place to flirt, play and socialise - young people have one less place to hang out, to find their mate. An office environment is important for our overall social cohesion.” HR Consultant, Ralph P. Merriman.

By creating a workplace culture that celebrates and recognizes contributions, companies can grow their sense of belonging. At THINKHOUSE, we do this once a week in a structured and open way with our “Kudos” programme - a feelgood, inspiring kick-start to every Monday at THINKHOUSE.

Research from the HBR on Psychological Safety and books like Love + Work by Marcus Buckingham explores work culture further.

BRAND TAKEOUTS

Listen to, be inspired by and collaborate with young people - or accept that your brand, your organisation and/or your role as a leader risks slipping into irrelevancy.