This is certainly a question linked to what some people call “advanced age”, but generations Y and Z never cease to surprise us…
Their relationship to society, to the family, to work and to money in particular is often surprising: you have to show solidarity but only with your community, you put your family back together according to new codes and too bad if grandma is not part of it, work is only important if it allows you to learn, finally, you think that money is dirty, but you are happy to have it to buy what you want…
We must not be fooled and above all we must not fall into caricature, even if the above comments could be considered as such (smiles), because each generation has had its doubts and its little demons. This is part of learning about life and allows us to distance ourselves from the previous generation.
Focusing on the world of work, it may be interesting to ask some questions about this:
• How do you engage a generation that is riding the wave and no longer wants to commit to the medium term?
• Do we want to invest in the training of young people, knowing that they do not want to stay in the company but simply learn from it?
• How can we motivate trainers when they know that young people are looking for fun and learning before moving on? And how can we motivate young people to stay on their chosen path?
• How can we proceed so that generations Y and Z can find a form of professional stability in a world that has become totally unpredictable?
• Do we really want to offer a professional future to these young generations or are we only looking for temporary “resources”?
• How can we sell the “medium term” to generations Y and Z who have difficulty focusing on 1-2 subjects, particularly because of the plethora of jobs on offer and the fashion for “very short time”?
Perhaps we need to start admitting that generations Y and Z are not wrong but are looking for their own ways. Moreover, we must try to decode their ways of working and put in place the framework that best corresponds to their expectations and needs. This does not mean giving up or catering to their whims but dealing with the facts.
I belong to a generation that used to be told “KYC” (know your customer) all day long, perhaps today we must think “KYE” (know your employee) as the business world has become so complex. Switzerland’s strength has always been to force dual training, immersion in the company, and the complementarity of teams: it is a safe bet that generations Y and Z will find great opportunities in this context.
We can only wish these young people great professional discoveries and the opportunity to evolve in a peaceful environment, the rest will follow.
Have a good week, good thoughts, and good reading.