Work and image: The transformation

Over the past 10 years, the world has changed significantly as a result of a variety of factors ranging from disruptive technology to the rise of the Millennial generation. At the same time, these changes have driven a transformation in how we value work, as well as our understanding of what constitutes a successful employer and employee.

The old-school image of successful employers and employees

A decade ago, an organization’s worth was measured by how big its building was and how many warm bodies were at work in that giant skyscraper or on that huge campus. A company would actively project an image that involved one or more large, opulent buildings filled with lots of happy, well-dressed employees—because the larger and more luxurious its real estate, the more successful the business. And success automatically meant it was a good place to work. (Right?)

For the employee, the professional world was all about face time and fitting into the company culture. Positioning yourself for success involved dressing according to the company dress code and demonstrating your value to your employer by spending long hours at the office. Career advancement was pretty much synonymous with overtime. Staying late at work, working weekends, and putting in 80-hour weeks—spending most of your time away from your family—was a badge of honor. If you had all of that, you were successful—and so was the company you worked for.

Millennials bring new values to work and life

Nowadays, however, these notions are outdated—and that’s mainly due to the fact that Millennials have become the largest generational group in the workforce. It’s a well-known fact that they have different values than Baby Boomers and Gen X workers. In her World Economic Forum article titled “What do young people value?” Rosamund Hutt points out that 84% of Millennials believe it’s their duty to change the world by lifestyle choices they make both in their personal and professional lives. As a result, a significant number want to work for socially responsible companies with which they can make an impact on the world.

By now, most of us know there aren’t going to be any studies that find Millennials place high value on large, opulent buildings. In fact, if you watch HGTV, you’re probably familiar with the Tiny House Movement—a growing group of people who, instead of living in “normal” sized houses, choose to live in tiny homes, which are typically between 100 and 400 square feet. These people don’t define their value by the size of their homes or their employers’ campuses, nor do they believe success is about spending long hours in the office away from their families. They want quality of life, both personally and professionally.

What this means for employers

What all of this means is that as an employer, you need to determine what your value is to a generation of workers for whom social responsibility is far more important than snazzy suits and shiny skyscrapers. You need to rethink what image you’re projecting to the talent that you need. And you need to redefine what “success” now looks like for your company—because the talent you want has already defined it for themselves.

To continue the conversation connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on Twitter @JamieRStacey

Original blog post written on the KellyOCG RPO blog: https://bit.ly/2oiBnBY