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Managing today’s workforce is a tall task. Within two years, five generations will be at work simultaneously. Longevity and worries over financial security will keep more people in work, even as younger generations join. And as the corporate ladder turns into a corporate lattice, talent management has become increasingly complex.
Many leaders and managers have more questions than answers on how to engage diverse groups of employees. How often should I recognize my millennials? What’s the best way to inspire Gen Xers and baby boomers? What do I need to know about Gen Z and the upcoming Gen Alpha workforce?
Moon landing
Civil/women’s rights
Experimental
Innovators
Hard working
Personal computers
Fall of Berlin Wall
Gulf War
Independent
Free agents
Internet, MTV, AIDS
Mobile phones
GEN Z
Born after 199
Mercer’s experience shows that the following model clarifies the critical factors that affect employee motivation, regardless of career or life stage. It provides the C-suite and managers with a set of guiding principles for assessing what employees want when it comes to career, health and wealth.
| Factors That Build Engagement | Factors That Undermine Engagement |
|---|---|
| ACHIEVEMENT | |
|
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| CAMARADERIE | |
|
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| EQUITY | |
|
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1. Start with your leaders and managers: Effective leaders understand who they are, how they behave and how they influence their team. But with limited resources and even less time, leaders face ever more elevated levels of stress. Overwhelmed leaders provide significantly less recognition and support.
2. Integrate your data: A robust workforce analytics platform can lead to clear insight and action. Whether it be through agile surveying, the personalization of engagement or infused analytics, you will have a clearer (and actionable) picture of turnover, productivity, service, profit, efficiency and stock performance.
3. Focus on performance: Do you know what drives performance in your organization? Through linkage analysis, organizations can identify the critical factors that impact performance.
4. Tap into the power of personal engagement: In most organizations, leaders, managers and HR are responsible for building a culture of engagement. What about employees? Mercer’s experience suggests they have a role to play, too.
Born in the late 1990s, Gen Z are the ultimate entrepreneurs. Digital marketing is a given: They post social media profiles instead of CVs, and do their due diligence on potential employers online. They are also more risk-averse and globally aware. Growing up after the 2008 recession, they value financial security and companies that have a demonstrated positive impact on society.
Reflect on the impact and value of the organization and the work
Communicate career needs and challenges to leadership
Mentor colleagues at the organization
Over the past 25 years, people have realized the importance of engagement. Engagement represents the extent to which employees are psychologically invested in their job and their organization. When employees are engaged, they work harder, stay longer and provide better customer service.
But engagement does not guarantee exceptional performance. In today’s VUCA world,12 success requires a workforce that is adaptive, resilient and evolving. The best organizations focus on expanding employees’ skills and capabilities. These organizations don’t just create an engaging work environment — they also enrich the personal assets of their employees, helping them build better careers, healthier lives and greater financial security. They create opportunities for employees to improve themselves and the world through meaningful work, compelling missions and a sense of purpose. Organizations with a thriving workforce thrive themselves: Stock performance is 11% to 16% higher in organizations with highly enthusiastic employees.
Mercer’s Talent Trends Study highlights one other important finding: Only half (54%) of employees we recently surveyed are thriving. The rest were in dull, draining or depleting jobs. This suggests that when it comes to building a thriving work environment, most organizations have a way to go.
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