powwow over breakfast

Powwow over breakfast, hosted by NDK International and e3 April 2008...The New World of Work – are you ready for it? The message is loud and clear, we are on the brink of a revolution – the world of work as we know it is rapidly changing. However, as attendees of the NDK & e3 Powwow over Breakfast will now appreciate, it is essential to tackle this transformation by “leading from the front” and encouraging innovation amongst this new species of employees. You may ask… what makes this new generation of workers so different from the rest? Well, let me introduce you to Gen Y, defined by their radical working values and their 24/7 connectivity to the outside world.

As Alexis de Tocqueville once said- “Each generation is a new people”, however the perception of Gen Y values was more blatantly summarised by the words of Bruce Morton of e3- “Work used to be somewhere we went; now it is something we do.” The flattening of the world, i.e. the evolution in technology and its availability to the masses is the main contributing factor to the Gen Y attitude, as it has significantly affected processes of expectation and learning, causing the gap between reality and perceived reality to become increasingly blurred. Wikipedia, anyone?

Paul Redmond, Head of Careers and Employability Service at the University of Liverpool, referred to the recent Cadbury’s Dairy Milk advertisement (think drum-playing monkey and Phil Collins) as a key example of the evolving outlook of Gen-Y as consumers, and how this mirrors their demands as employees. Radical steps must be taken by employers to command and maintain the interest of this generation. To grab the interest of high potential Gen-Yers, a war for talent has broken out, with employers falsely believing that there is a drought of exceptional talent.

In a step away from the traditions and attitudes of generations past, Gen-Y are resolutely loyal- not to their employees, but to their profession. They are defined by what they do, not who they work for. Therefore, it is common practice amongst this generation to leave jobs after approximately 2/3 years. According to Bruce Morton, they “value their values” and work hardest not for reward, but for a cause, or an end result by which their abilities and potential can be measured. To this end, Gen-Y seek roles which allow them to add value from day 1.”

So what lies ahead for the new world of work? Various ideas on this subject have been thrown into the ring, including the de-centralisation or outsourcing of HR departments, although it has been unanimously agreed that companies must maintain an excellent talent Pipeline, as well as a cutting-edge Resourcing function or supplier. Retention is also a contemporary, yet controversial issue. Simon Kerevan of NDK painted a stark picture of the cut-throat war for talent, referring to the “If you don’t look after them, they’ll work for me” attitude of modern employers.