Work 2.0 - The New World

In todayís ënew world of workí, new rules apply. Gen Y is throwing its weight about ñ and resistance is futile. Their older colleagues are catching on and shrewd employers are paying attention.

Todayís business world is characterised not just by dire skill shortages, but also a shift in the priorities of employees. Those who are known as ëGeneration Yí (born 1978-1998) demand more from their employers than their predecessors. Flatter hierarchies, sophisticated technology and strong values are driving changes in how employers successfully attract and retain good people ñ of all generations.

ëItís not that Gen Y has a monopoly on the new order, simply that weíre the first people whoíve never known otherwise,í says Emma Reynolds, co-founder of e3unlimited, which has investigated the aspirations of todayís bright young things. ëGeneration X talked about work/life balance as though it meant working fewer hours. We believe there is a complete blurring of lines between work and play, being constantly connected means we can ëworkí at all times of day. Work used to be somewhere you went. Now itís something you do. Employers need to sit up and take notice.í

Dr Paul Redmond, head of careers and employability service at University of Liverpool, says the notion of a lifelong career with just one or perhaps two employers has long been consigned to the dustbin. ëThere would seem to be a mismatch between some employersí expectations of Gen Y and the reality,í he says. ëFor many younger people, the idea of a 40-year career can be a big turn-off.í

Closing the generation gap
According to Jon Glesinger, CEO of Expert Alumni, which matches much-needed retired professionals with organisations desperately short of talent, enlightened employers are increasingly bringing professional people out of retirement to help to address skill shortages. And Glesinger suspects that Gen Y and baby boomers, while perhaps living in parallel universes, are also co-dependent to an extent, particularly with regard to the workplace.

ëFor baby boomers coming out of retirement to help Gen Y to be successful, there has to be a shift in attitude amongst employers,í he says. ëBoomers are a lot less different to Gen Y once theyíve retired. They too will make demands on employers; they may not want to come into the office on Wednesdays if theyíre playing golf. Employers canít ignore that.í

Itís crucial that all generations realise that the pace of change ñ particularly in technology ñ has accelerated in recent years. ëAs Thomas Friedman says, our world is flat. It is now easier to collaborate and compete globally than ever before,í says Bruce Morton, co-founder of e3unlimited. ëItís crucial that generations old and young recognise their differences, but more importantly understand the many similarities coming through in this new world of work.í

e3unlimited ënew world of workí model; 2008 and the prediction for five years time.



ëWe see Generation Y as an attitude rather than an absolute age group. We all approach work differently to the way we did 10 years ago; people are far more loyal to their profession now than the organisation and itís not uncommon for people of all ages to change employers every few years. Forward thinking organisations understand the changing values of their workforce and are embracing this change,í says Morton.

Getting the right people
ëThe challenge for bringing in retired people is working out their unique take on their personal experiences,í says Redmond. ëOtherwise, you just have one generation sermonising to another. The danger with this is that itís often quite easy for older generations to construct false realities of what things were like in their day.í

But once the right people are on board, employers have little to lose and much to gain. ëEmployers are incredibly concerned about the loss of critical corporate memory and experience ñ from how to deal with people to technical tricks of the trade,í says Glesinger.

ëLosing such skills can adversely affect their business, often with colossal results. So theyíre highly receptive to the idea of harnessing the skills and wisdom of people who have retired, but still want to make a contribution. I believe ñ and employers tell me ñ that they categorically cannot manage without that experience. And not just to plug temporary skills gaps either, but to transfer hardcore knowledge for the long term.í

Image management
University careers services have had to re-think how they coach their students in promoting themselves to potential employers. ëAs careers professionals, we need to talk to students about how they manage their image by using language and terminology that they understand,í says Redmond. ëYou never get a second chance to make a first impression; they canít just turn up to careers fairs in jeans and a T-shirt. But if we use phrases such as ëself-brandingí ñ when teaching them about competing and using all their skills ñ then theyíre often far more receptive.í

According to e3unlimited, employers need to think about how they communicate their employment profile to Gen Y as much as they must consider carefully what theyíre offering: ëRecruiters need to explain themselves in language thatís better understood by potential Gen Y recruits ñ particularly if they have shorter attention spans, yet are still extremely bright and must know what theyíre doing,í said Reynolds.

That may mean the end of traditional, structured, formal presentations; anecdotal evidence indicates attendances have been dwindling. ëSome universities have actively discouraged employers from organising presentations,í says Redmond. Instead, networking events are being used ñ with great success at Liverpool: ëAt these occasions, the atmosphere is deliberately unstructured,í he explains.

ëEmployers and students mingle, thereís food and drink ñ but itís still all about networking. Students donít want to think of themselves as part of the herd; they want individualised contact.í

Meet the parents
But networking events require social skills ñ the absence of which in many students is often deplored by employers. Thatís where parents come in. Redmond says the phenomenon of ëhelicopter parentsí ñ who hover over their offspringís every move at school, university and even beyond ñ means employers need to create a good impression with more than just their potential recruits. Mum and Dad are increasingly accompanying their children to careers fairs and checking out potential employers for themselves. This may irk some employer representatives ñ but resistance is futile.

ëYou canít dismiss parents,í says Redmond. ëSince the mid-1990s, the rhetoric of choice has led to education becoming more of a marketplace, with parents increasingly seen as integral to a childís academic and personal success ñ and both socially and culturally, thatís a powerful driver.

ëHelicopter parents are in some ways a consequence of this,í he continues. ëThey also prove that the discourse of the ìgood parentî is socially constructed; that itís redefined by different generations. For many of todayís baby boomer parents, the idea of not accompanying your child to a university open day, or driving them back to college after a vacation, equates to bad parenting, particularly when everyone elseís parents are doing the same.í

Morton believes the desire to influence oneís childís job prospects is a generational concept: ëA key characteristic of the parents of Gen Y is that they were so determined to be successful themselves that, if a couple of generations later, their kids donít have the same attitude, theyíll intervene in a way that their own parents didnít. If kids are being brought up to be too dependent, however, then mentoring in the office may be invaluable once they enter the workplace.

So, in the new world of work, young and old may be closer to each other than many realise. ëItís critical that employers really understand what makes their employees tick,í concludes Morton. ëThose who are willing and able to embrace the new world of work will be more successful at getting the best people and getting the best out of them, for the time they have themí.