What got us thinking week #18
Our weekly dose of three things to read about the world of work, helping you keep your finger on the pulse. We do the hard work so you don't have to.
Today we've got 3 great stories to fuel your watercooler chat when you next head into the office. Impress your boss with how 'on it' you are, by telling them about your Gen Alpha talent strategy, how Asian cultures have influenced your leadership style and why the GenAI journey is more important than the destination for your team. Read on...
Still getting to grips with Gen Z? It's already time to learn about Gen Alpha.
Much of the post-pandemic discussion in talent circles has focused on how to manage the different expectations of Gen Z compared to when their earlier cohorts entered the workforce. This Fast Company article shows how forward thinking employers such as Unilever are already asking themselves what follows Gen Z. The answer - Gen Alpha. 14 and under today, they are the children of the Millennials already in your workforce. Having grown up through recession, climate change, Brexit, Trump and Covid, followed by a period of heightened geopolitical instability, it's anticipated they will seek out structure, belonging and community, be inherently cautious with money and prioritise economic stability. The knock-on effect on workplace culture will be interesting. After all, you can’t fake community in a massive organisation.
Look to Asia to learn how to nurture your introverts.
With organisations becoming more responsive to the range of neurodiversity in their workforce, how do they try to overcome the perception that being an introvert hampers your chances of making senior management? If you think extroverted individuals make better leaders it is likely influenced by the fact that extroverts are much more likely to tell you how good they are! In reality, they are often better at thinking on their feet and reacting quickly to on-the-spot questions - often thriving in meetings and other fora where they are likely to be noticed and earmarked for promotion. This trend of favouring extroverts in Western business culture began a century ago, when formerly prized values such as duty, morals and good manners began to be replaced by qualities such as being magnetic, strong-willed, and energetic. In most Asian societies introverted qualities are still respected and favoured. So perhaps there's something we can learn from them in ensuring all our talent gets recognised.
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GenAI will challenge your company culture - are you ready?
Successful adoption of GenAI in the workplace will mean taking our people on the journey. Harvard Business Review have published some helpful guidance on how to get your employees on board. TLDR?
In The Loves Corner
Jules here. I popped in on Bath Careers Fair on Friday, and - given that the UK has now officially suffered a recession - it was wonderful to see lots of organisations, big and small, thriving and looking to recruit talent in the area. What stood out for me? How few companies had any collateral that spoke to what it's actually like to work there. Most just had some rather bland corporate logo on a banner, and a few job descriptions printed out as take aways. And there were some big national and global business there. The one that did it best? A local luxury hotel. With brochures describing the training and career progression, the benefits of working for a family owned business, and more - they were punching well above their weight. It just goes to show you don't need massive budgets to get your message out there. This small local business was showing how to to employer branding at a careers fair properly, and put many much larger organisations to shame.
P.S. Are you planning to attend IHR Birmingham? We'll be there - get in touch if you will be too!