Work should be evaluated based on Deliverables: Traditional Work Paradigms have long lost their Lustre

Dear Young People,

I'm going to make a bold assertion here by saying that our general consensus on the evaluation of work can be illustrated as follows:

If you're not judging me based on the deliverables that I'm consistently meeting then what are you judging me on? Is daily presence in the office or adherence to a strict time schedule still your means of evaluating my work ethic or contributions to the organization? Surely, I can work in a hybrid and/or remote structure and still be super productive and in many cases surpass your expectations. Or perhaps, I successfully completed that report (which you praised) you requested outside of my contracted 9 to 5 timeline because that's when I'm most productive. Or suffice to say, I simply got the job done how and when you wanted it and you were well pleased. Hence, the manner in which I organized myself to do so is highly irrelevant.

Now there are some extremes in those statements for sure but there are many truths as well. The situation is never black or white and that's the point tbvh (to be very honest for my non-genz'ers, I got you!). Gone are the days when employees need to be tied to an office desk 5 days a week slaving away at tasks that can be done from the comfort of their home or a nearby coffee shop or even from abroad (my personal fave). While we deeply respect our supervisors and direct reports, we don't need to be in their peripheral vision 24/7 to meet deadlines, turn in exemplary work or to be considered productive.

Now this is not a hybrid/remote work manifesto, it's more than that! While I am a huge advocate for hybrid/remote work, there are many other traditional work structures and perspectives that need to be lead to the executioner's block soonest (with Warm Regards).

Work culture has shifted. Global Culture has evolved. Life is much more than the work we do even though it forms an integral part of our identity. We don't want to stop working at all. We simply want to have it organized and evaluated in meaningful ways and to be flexible by design so that we're not only contributing to society but also fulfilling our own equally important needs and aspirations as we journey through life. And it's certainly not a big ask, it's the bare minimum tbh (minus the very).

Let's take a look at what needs to exit stage left ASAP

1. Strict 9-to-5 Work Hours:

• Research: Studies show that flexible work hours increase productivity and job satisfaction ([Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2010/09/why-flexible-work-arrangements/ )).
• Gen Z Perspective: Our generation values work-life balance and prefers the flexibility to work when we are most productive which varies for each individual. Strict 9-to-5 schedules are outdated and counterproductive and quite frankly doesn't cater to everyone's unique ebb and flow. Now let's be honest, who is truly productive for all 8 hours of the traditional work day ? And I mean productive, not busy. We've all mastered the art of appearing to be busy and occupied during the work day knowing fully well that we're probably only productive for a solid half of those hours. Oh and those emails you've scheduled to go out at strategic times during the day meanwhile you were practically finished with the day's load by lunch time, don't count lol (let me not spill the secrets, I'm sorry y'all!). Moral of the story, let's free those shackles up a bit (or a lot in some cases).

2. Presence Over Productivity:

• Research: Presenteeism (being at work without being productive) costs companies significantly in lost productivity ([Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine](https://journals.lww.com/joem/Abstract/2001/01000/Presenteeism__A_Potentially_Significant_Cost_to.12.aspx )).
• Gen Z Perspective: Gen Z believes in results over hours logged. We much prefer evaluation based on deliverables rather than mere presence in the physical/virtual office or perceived hours worked in a set daily timeline. And quite frankly, I loathe the fact that I need to be doubling down on this point in 2024. I don't know about you but I can certainly blitz through a day's work in a couple hours while also punctuating my schedule with ample moments to work on personal initiatives like this newsletter or attending to important personal affairs (and yes, I know my HR is watching. They love the articles fyi). Now, let's be fair as well, there are instances in work where you'll need to be physically present to perform certain tasks, attend key meetings or events or manage crucial initiatives but that's not an every day occurence for most job types. Managers, it's giving deliverables (nuff said!).
• For the non gen-z'ers , the slang phrase "It's giving" is used to express that something embodies a certain quality or vibe, often in a positive or impactful way.

3. Hierarchy and Bureaucracy:

• Research: Flat organizational structures promote better communication and innovation ([MIT Sloan Management Review](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-flattening-organizations-improves-employee-performance/ )).
• Gen Z Perspective: Hierarchical structures stifle creativity and slow down decision-making processes. Gen Z prefers collaborative environments where everyone's input is valued. The less hoops I have to jump through, the better I'm able to effectively and efficiently complete my tasks and deliver on the work assigned. We definitely need some protocols, procedures and guardrails but the neverending string of red tape is a serious no no in the modern work environment. Also, youth voices and contributions matter in the workplace. Value a young person's input and they will move mountains in your organization. Discount their input or value and you'll be stuck in a perpetual cycle of turnover and recruitment. It's not a question of their values over yours, it's a matter of whether both perspectives can peacefully and respectfully co-exist, merge and/or marry for the greater good of the organization.

4. Mandatory Office Attendance:

• Research: Remote work has been shown to increase productivity and job satisfaction ([Stanford University study on remote work](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/does-working-home-work-evidence-chinese-experiment )).
• Gen Z Perspective: The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that remote work is feasible and often more efficient. As a generation, we value the option to work remotely or hybrid and see mandatory daily office attendance as unnecessary and truthfully exhausting. Now, I'm not certain whether complete remote work is the answer dependent on your career choice, industry or the firm but I wholeheartedly believe that hybrid work should at least be the standard. There is no reason for anyone to report to a fixed office space and cubicle for all 5 days of the work week. If your organization is configured in that type of manner, they should seriously be thinking about digital transformation to some degree. The younger workforce may adhere to said policies in the short-medium term but I can promise you that the moment a more flexible work opportunity pops up, they will not hesitate to jump ship. Lifestyles are constantly evolving and people are increasingly prioritizing convenience, comfort and ease.

5. Traditional Performance Reviews:

• Research: Continuous feedback is more effective than annual performance reviews ([Society for Human Resource Management](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/annual-performance-reviews-are-dead.aspx )).
• Gen Z Perspective: Annual reviews are outdated and insufficient. Gen Z prefers ongoing feedback and real-time evaluations to improve performance and growth continuously. What's the sense in waiting a year to tell me what I can improve when you can let me know today? So much can happen in the space of a year. It's more beneficial to maintain a consistent practice of informal and formal performance appraisals throughout the course of the year. Let individuals know then and there where they're excelling, where they need to put more emphasis and how they can take their career to the next level. We can still check in with each other at the end of the year but that should be a component of a routine periodic approach and not a capture all approach when the year has passed and some of the feedback or advice is already stale.

Looking forward, it's really about flexibility and convenience

In all that we've discussed thus far, I can concur that the overall message has been for more flexibility and convenience over static practices and ideologies that no longer hold weight for anyone in the workplace.

I completely understand that it's not a cut and paste scenario and respect that flexibility and agility even may look quite different depending on the organization, industry and work required to be performed by the employee(s) in question.

However, flexibility and convenience needs to be a forethought and not an afterthought. And respectfully, executives and managers, if you're going to be asking your employees to occasionally or routinely sell their flexibility and comfort for the gain of your organization that needs to be coupled with appropriate and worthwhile incentives and compensation packages for it to be a meaningful and fair tradeoff.

Times have changed and so have society's values. So many things have become equally or more important to the average employee nowadays that pales in comparison to the stringent and archaic work policies that some employers want to hold on to. We've already established in a prior article that Gen Z is not the sit around in a toxic and tense environment bunch at all. In fact, based on the diverse feedback on that article, I don't think anyone quite is anymore.

Evaluate your employees' work and work ethic by the deliverables that they produce. Rethink all those other metrics and practices before it's too late.

The World is rapidly changing and the firms that are slow to change their work policies may soon be left behind. Remember that people get work done.

Stay winning y'all and have a productive week!

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