The Five Shifts influencing Next-Gen at Work

According to the plethora of research on Millennials and Gen Z, there are at least five shifts occurring when it comes to their attitudes and actions in the workplace.

We’ll walk through each of these in-depth throughout this series, but today, let’s jump into shift #1.

The First Shift: Meaning over Money

As we’ve established, the search for meaning is not new.

What’s changing compared to recent generations is where we derive our sense of meaning.

Previously, we were content to feel a sense of purpose outside of work hours.  Families and faith communities were the focus of our mission, and work was simply a method for funding that mission.

But family and faith communities aren’t what they once were.

The nuclear family of the modern era is no longer the reality or the goal.  Marriage and children are delayed into one’s 30s, or not pursued at all.  Dual-career homes are the norm.  Divorce and separation rates are as high as 40-50%.

And when it comes to faith, the younger generations are far less likely to adhere to a particular religion than their parents were.  According to Gallup, the majority do not attend a church, mosque or synagogue.  Among those who do, anywhere from 50-80% of them will walk away from their parent’s faith by the time they reach adulthood.

Regardless of which research study you consult, the trend of rapidly declining religiosity is clear (and unlikely to change any time soon).

 

Whether it’s family, faith, education, or politics, trust in institutions is at an all-time low.

According to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, the one institution trusted above all others today is business.

“This year’s study shows that business is not only the most trusted institution among the four studied, but it is also the only trusted institution with a 61 percent trust level globally, and the only institution seen as both ethical and competent.”

Deloitte reported similar findings when it discovered that Millennials and Gen Z believe business leaders are having a more positive impact on the world than either political or religious leaders.

Take moment to let that sink in.  Despite a wave of corporate scandals over the last two decades, CEOs are still deemed more trustworthy than your local politician or pastor down the street.

These shifts have created a gaping void when it comes to meaning in most people’s lives.

We’re looking for a new anchor to attach our purpose to, and whether you agree with it or not, it is the workplace that has risen up to provide it.

Purpose at work

As a result of this cultural shift, purpose is now front and centre when it comes to engaging the younger generations at work, and you better have something more inspiring than “maximizing shareholder wealth” to offer them.

As Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, put it,

“Purpose is no longer a buzz-word.  It’s a must-have.”

Gallup’s research consistently confirms this trend:

“Millennials require an overarching sense of organizational purpose — a connection to the “big picture” of why the company exists and what it brings to the world”

(Despite this, they found that only 1 in 3 workers feel like they can make the connection between their daily work and the organization’s purpose).

Google’s “Project Aristotle” revealed the same.  After researching and studying their most effective teams for over a year, they discovered that two of the five keys to a successful team are meaning and impact.

Another study, by NetImpact, on what workers want discovered that the top three items that are very important or essential to happiness are:

1. Financial security
2. Marriage
3. A job where they can make an impact

 

We might not want to help them find a spouse, but we can certainly do something about numbers 1 and 3.  Once people are paid a decent wage, the next item in the line of motivation is meaning.  They want to do something significant.  This is ranked higher than wealth, prestige, leadership, promotions, or just about anything else we try to use to motivate our people.

Without meaning, none of it matters.

If work is meaningless, every attempt at motivation we make will have short-term results, at best.

• They’ll forget that raise.
• They’ll stop playing with the foosball table.
• The free lunches will come to be expected.
• The promotion will lose its shine.
• The Christmas bonus won’t cause them to like their job more in January.

As Simon Sinek puts it, it all starts with Why.

If your team can tap into Why their work matters, they’ve tapped a well with near endless reserves.

 

3 Circles of Meaning

If we want to unlock purpose in the lives of our employees, there are three primary levels at which this can happen.

First Circle: Self

The first question that needs to be answered is why their role is important to them.

As leaders, we often want to start by talking about ourselves.  We want to tell our story.  A wise leader will start with the experience of the employee.

A wise leader will make it personal.

Here are just a few ways you can help them answer the question, “Why am I here?”:

• Have regular “career conversations” with your employees, and find out what their aspirations and goals are and how you can help them move forward.
• Advocate for them and open doors. Help connect them to the right people inside and outside of the organization.  Find or create opportunities for them to stretch and grow in new areas.
• Empower them and let them take ownership of something. Few things fuel purpose like a sense of responsibility.  Increase the autonomy of managers.  Find ways to enable the ideas of those on the front lines.  If someone is passionate about recycling and composting, give them a budget line and put them in charge of sustainable initiatives.
• Create a healthy culture on your team through an emphasis on psychological safety, mental health, and overall wellness. A job that increases a person’s wellbeing, rather than drains it, can contribute strongly to a personal sense of purpose.
• Facilitate self-discovery. Through feedback, assessments, or team exercises, find ways to promote self understanding and growth.
• Build a sense of community. It has been said that in the army, people don’t die for their country, they die for their platoonmates.  Don’t underestimate the power of strong relational ties.  Purpose and meaning are often constructed socially rather than individually.
• Pay attention to job design. Use a human-centred approach to crafting roles and tasks.  In other words, don’t expect them to work like a robot.
• Simply ask them. Instead of telling them what the purpose of their job is, create opportunity for them to reflect on this and tell you why they think it matters.  Their answer may surprise you.

Second Circle: Us

From the individual level of meaning, we move to the collective, or organizational, level.

What is the deeply held conviction or sense of mission that employees can align themselves with?  What is the collective identity of the group?

Too many people still try to engage their people and lead their organization with carrots and sticks.

What’s needed now are those who know how to lead with purpose.

Here are a few ways in which you can help answer the question, “Why are we here?”:

 

• Clarify your values and purpose. Don’t just come up with nice sounding words, either.  Use a collaborative and intentional process to identify what truly drives you as an organization.
• Communicate your values and purpose. Over and over and over again.  A study by KPMG showed that 80% of employees whose leaders communicated purpose felt the work they do makes an impact, compared to only 39% of those whose leaders did not communicate this.
• Bridge the gap between your external brand and your internal culture. If the messaging that goes out to the world doesn’t line up with life on the inside, your people will experience you as inauthentic and fake.  Learn to be as intentional with your employee experience as you are with your customer experience.

Does your team know your purpose and values?

It’s easy for these core statements to become nothing more than nice sounding words on your website.

If you need to re-engage your team with the WHY behind your work, we’d love to help.

We’ll come in and help you articulate your purpose and values, embed them deep into your organization, and communicate them to your ideal customer.

Third Circle: Others

This final level is where it all comes together, and it’s almost too obvious to mention.

To instill your team with a sense of significance, you have to do something significant for others.

In other words, your organization needs to make a tangible difference in the world, both locally and globally.

Consider the way leading companies articulate the reason for their existence:

• Starbucks            Inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.
• Toms                     We’re in business to improve lives.
• Airbnb                  To help create a world where you can belong anywhere.
• Tesla                     To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
• Coca Cola            We are here to refresh the world and make a difference.

While the second circle of meaning is about internalizing this purpose into how you work, this third circle is all about living it out.

This is about learning to be the best neighbour.

Here are some ways to help answer the question, “What difference are we making?”:

• Focused philanthropy. Giving to a wide variety of causes is still a noble form of generosity, but if you want to heighten the sense of meaning that is connected to your work, consider narrowing your focus to align with your identity.  It makes sense for IKEA to support sustainable forestry and Delta Air Lines to work against human trafficking.  The other way around would be more confusing.
• Sustainability isn’t optional anymore. Regardless of what else you focus on, the younger generation expects you to care for the planet.  It’s a non-negotiable.  Deloitte’s research shows climate change and the environment to the be the top concern for Millennials and Gen Z.
• Track more than the bottom line. If your goal is to make a difference in the world, find meaningful ways to track that difference.  Some call this your total societal impact (TSI).  Others use the triple bottom line approach, where you place equal emphasis on people, planet, and profit.
• Communicate your impact. Gather stories and data that speak to the good work you’re doing, and then shout it from the rooftops.  Let your employees and the world know what’s important to you.  Don’t fake it, but don’t hide behind false humility either.
• Involve every employee. Your team has ideas as to how you can be a better neighbour and leave less of a footprint on our planet, I promise you.  Give them a chance to share those ideas and put them into action.  New Belgium Brewers is an example of company that empowers individuals to collectively improve their social and environmental impact.
• Create shared experiences. Don’t reserve philanthropy solely for your top executives, but find ways to engage your people and give them opportunities to contribute as well.  Volunteer in your community as a team.  Match contributions that employees decide to donate.  Go on a “mission trip” together.  Everything becomes a lot more meaningful when you have skin in the game.

Next Steps

I think it’s obvious that every generation wants their work to be meaningful.  But while it may have been seen as an “optional bonus” previously, it’s essential for today’s younger workforce.

If we can orient our work around purpose, we can not only transform our people, but we have the chance to transform our world.

What does meaning in your workplace look like?  How do you instill purpose into your work?

Share your ideas and stories!  Leave a comment below or let’s start a conversation on social media.

This is only the first of the five shifts we’re experiencing at work with the younger generation. 

Next up: Growth over Promotions

Let’s keep learning together.

Dan

Ps – if you want to engage your team and learn how to infuse meaning into your workplace, we work with organizations to help them clarify their purpose and values.  Reach out if you’re ready to be more intentional in this pursuit.