Learn how employees expectations have changed, and why adapting to these changes will help lead to higher job satisfaction and a stronger company culture. Generational gaps in the workplace can prove difficult to manage. Priorities and expectations are different among different generations and across various levels of seniority. Expectations an employee with 40 years of experience have will be vastly different from the expectations and needs of a new employee just starting their career.  

Some of the key changes in the workplace are:

1.   The Rise of Woman Power
2.   Right-Brain/Left Brain Thinking
3.   Education
4.   Technology
5.   Confidence
6.   Values
7.   Generational Shifts

What is Expected?

The priorities of the current workforce have changed over time. As a result, the criteria that leads to job satisfaction have changed along with it. Many employees now expect more than having job security and fair compensation. The younger workforce now prioritizes employers that show they treat their employees respectfully, build trust among their workforce, and encourage flexible work hours.

Employees are now more likely to leave a position that they feel is not meeting or satisfying their needs and expectations. While in years past employees would average about 10 years at a company, now the average is typically around 2 years.

You know, as most entrepreneurs do, that a company is only as good as its people. The hard part is actually building the team that will embody your company culture and propel you forward.” — Kathryn Minshew

Finding Purpose in Their Work

Over the years, working has become more than just earning a pay-cheque. Employees want more than punching in and going home at the end of the day, it is important to them to be able to find purpose in their work.

Employees want to be able to enjoy the work that they are doing and feel like they are making a genuine contribution and can give back to society. As an employer, it is important to show employees how their efforts impact the company and why they are valued for it. Help employees feel like they are apart of something greater, allow them to find purpose and meaning in the work they do.

Culture

We have already emphasized how important company culture is – it is one of the most important aspects of a modern business. Employers should be sure that they are doing everything possible to maintain a positive company culture. Culture is continuing to play an important role in job satisfaction. It is an important consideration for the current workforce and is a key factor in employee retention.

Technology Changes

In our previous post about Digital Transformation we emphasized the importance that technology plays in today’s work environment. The need for training and adoption of this technology will vary for employees of different generations. More experienced employees typically have a steeper learning curve to learning new technology. This typically is the opposite for employees that are at an earlier stage in their career that were raised having to constantly adapt to new technology.

Ensuring that your organization is properly training employees based on their needs is an essential step in successfully adopting new technology in your organization. Training helps to ensure that your organization is using these new technologies to the company’s advantage. Properly training all staff helps to ensure productivity improves when the new technology is adopted.

Onboarding

A negative onboarding experience is now one of the top reasons an employee will quickly leave a position. The first few days and weeks is an imperative time, it is important to set boundaries, learn the daily expectations of the position, and what new hires should expect to experience while working at the company.

Leadership

The new expectations that employees have start at the top, if they have a poor experience with management, it can negatively impact their job satisfaction. It is important that the company leaders embrace the company culture, as well as embody and reinforce the company values and beliefs. These leaders also need to be able to build trust with their employees.

“People want guidance, not rhetoric. They need to know what the plan of action is and how it will be implemented. They want to be given responsibility to help solve the problem and the authority to act on it.” - Howard Schultz

Autonomy

Micromanaging should be a thing of the past. It is now important for employees to feel in control of their work. Micromanaging shows the employee that the company lacks trust in their ability to get work done properly and in a timely manner. Empowering employees to be independent and giving them the ability to prioritize their workflow helps to build trust and increases job satisfaction.  

Recognition

We have discussed recognition in our Empowering Employees post, but we did not cover how it is important in todays workforce. Showing recognition in your employee’s work is part of the foundation of job satisfaction. Taking the time to give your employee a thankyou for the work they have completed can go a long way in building trust and allow that employee to have job satisfaction.

Recognizing when an employee has gone above and beyond in a project, whether that is through a ‘thankyou’, a reward program (i.e., buying them a coffee), or encouraging them to recognize the effort their peers put in for them.

Growth Opportunities

Encouraging learning and professional development is a large factor in a potential employee’s decision on whether to join a company. Being able to learn, grow, and apply new skills and knowledge to the job is an essential part of job satisfaction. It is important for a company to provide opportunities to their employees, it helps keep the employees engaged, allows for company growth, and prevents the company from becoming stagnant.

Positive Impacts of a Cross-Generational Workplace

Millennials currently make up the majority of the workforce, followed by Gen X, Baby Boomers and then Gen Z. Having a mix of generations in the workplace usually has a positive impact. It can lead to employers making changes such as a more casual dress code, flexible scheduling, and more collaborative work environments.

The world is constantly changing, and that means the work is never done. As a company with employee wellness and job satisfaction priorities, it is important to stay dynamic, grow and evolve to have a high employee retention, and attract the top talent.

BluePrint CPAs helps early-stage life science firms digitize their businesses and ensure that staff are well trained and engaged to maximize the financial value of their business. Book a consultation today.

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