The Workplace Has Been Redefined. Are You Ready?

There are many forces that are having a major impact on today’s workplace. One of the most important is the retirement of the Baby Boom generation and the coming ascendancy of the Millennials. Employers are being challenged by these new employees that look at the world quite differently than the Baby Boom generation. These employees tend to be highly tech-literate, globally-oriented, well-educated, socially engaged, idealistic, and under enormous pressure to succeed.

In the workplace they are often called Aspirational Employees. They present both an enormous resource for organizations and a challenge for the modern human resources function. In order to engage and unleash Aspirational Employees, organizations will have to begin to redefine the traditional employer/employee relationship. Traditionally, that relationship has been one of basic mutual reliance: the employee comes to work, performs their job and the employer provides compensation.

The redefinition of the employer/employee relationship must go beyond the basics; an organization must internally brand itself to its employees in the same way that it does to external customers. Employers must become more familiar with the aspirations of their employees and assist in fulfilling them. Ignoring this important facet of the modern workforce leads to higher turnover rates and the discouragement of remaining employees, resulting in reduced productivity. According to recent surveys by the consulting firm Deloitte, 44 percent of Millennials would leave their current employer in the next two years. That percentage rises to 66 percent when the participants were asked about their plans four years in the future.

In order to fulfill the aspirations of these employees and retain them, employers must take into account the following:

Aspirational Employees want something to believe in. They want to work for an employer who will give them a sense of a deeper purpose, or in other words, an outlet for their idealism. Employers should take the necessary steps to become more environmentally “green” and helpful to people in need. For example, making donations and allowing employees some time off to participate in programs like Habit for Humanity, environmental cleanups or food drives.

Aspirational Employees want to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves. They want to be socially engaged at work. It is important to build cohesive teams where all members work together in a participative way. Too many times a strong-willed team member takes control, limits the participation of other team members and ends up producing an inferior result. This brings us to another Aspirational Employee value, the desire to have a voice in decisions that impact on their work and lives. They want to share their ideas, opinions and experiences. They strongly believe in collaboration and have a strong belief that it produces the best results and leads to innovation.

While believing in teamwork and collaboration, Aspirational employees also want to be recognized and be granted additional social status. Employers must move beyond the yearly performance review, the yearly “pay for performance” increase and the benign neglect of their employee’s aspirations. Organizations must transition from the traditional employee/employer relationship into one where individual aspirations are recognized and their potential is developed and put to full use. This transition is possible and, for organizations that wish to compete in the global economy, necessary.

The Human Resource Potential Center has the expertise and the most modern tools to assist employers in making this transition. The use of personality assessments, career interest inventories, and ability testing gives employers valuable insights into employment candidates and existing employees. These insights are also valuable to employees, allowing them to choose education, training, and career paths that accurately reflect their interests and personalities. With this knowledge they can maximize their potential and that of their employers.