We have become familiar with negative generational stereotypes, however seemingly accurate, or perhaps even more likely, exaggerated they might be. With several distinct age groups currently working together, namely the Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations, perceptions of generational differences in the workplace are undeniably prevalent. But are they important?
Life as we know it continues to undergo seismic changes, including a large ageing workforce, rapid technological advancements in an increasingly digital world, shifting perceptions about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a global pandemic that accelerated trends toward flexible work.
More than ever before, it is critical for organisations to understand their employees — not as broad generational demographics with uncompromising differences, but rather as people with unique work styles, needs, and preferences, which influence job satisfaction, performance, and longevity.
The Future of Time, a global study fielded by Adobe Document Cloud on the nature of modern work, shows how significant these preferences are, and points to important organizational adaptations that employers can make to attract and keep top talent.
Enable flexibility for better productivity and outcomes
According to The Future of Time, younger generations feel pressured to work during office hours, but that’s not always when they’re the most productive. The past few years have shown that they can be just as productive managing their own time, starting work as early or finishing as late as they please – even breaking up their work day for personal errands.
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In fact, housework emerged as a popular non-work activity among Southeast Asian employees working remotely. Even with designated work hours, about one-fifth of Singaporean employees surveyed say they carry out household chores when not working during office hours.
By understanding the generational differences — and, more importantly, treating employees as unique individuals — employers who exercise flexibility can set their workers up for success.
While managers and employees alike crave flexibility in their schedules, this is especially true for Millennial and Gen Z workers. What’s more, the cost of falling short is even higher for their employers. A study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in 2022 showed that more employees have indicated that they would consider changing jobs if working from the office becomes the default.
Between December 2021 and February 2022, 37 per cent of employees surveyed in Singapore said that they would consider looking for another job if their employer requires them to return to the office on most days.
However, among those surveyed from March to April 2022, when there was a further relaxation of COVID-19 measures, this figure grew to 42 per cent. In addition, 78 per cent of Millennial employees would switch jobs for a better work-life balance, compared to 50 per cent of Boomers.
For employees, burnout and attrition from rigid work requirements are real. And for employers that respond inadequately to the needs of their workers, so are the consequences. It’s a potentially urgent problem.
IPS reported that younger employees were more likely to plan on leaving their jobs in the next 12 months as compared to those who were older. Around 40 to 44 per cent of employees aged below 50 were planning to leave their job in the next 12 months, while 17 to 23 per cent of employees aged 50 and above are planning to do so in the same duration.
Adobe’s Future of Time study also revealed that employees who opted to stay with their current employers cited schedule and location flexibility as top reasons. These adaptations are straightforward but don’t come overnight — they require fresh perspectives, updated trust in employee competence and reliability, restructuring of outdated processes, and implementation of the right tools.
As Singapore’s workforce increasingly transitions towards hybrid work models, employers must redesign their processes and infrastructure. Technology such as cloud storage and collaboration applications can be a great enabler, allowing employees to access critical resources and continue co-creating solutions while working remotely.
This is corroborated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)’s study, which showed that organisations with the right technology and infrastructure were able to quickly adapt and address new challenges triggered by hybrid work models.
But modern workers don’t just want flexibility, they want to be more productive and efficient too. Younger generations of employees are issuing an unspoken mandate of sorts to companies that workplace and schedule flexibility, and the digital tools and processes which facilitate that flexibility, are essential, not only to attract and retain them but also to ensure they can work effectively.
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Companies now have an opportunity to seamlessly reshape the modern office to become digital, flexible, and more successful – and avoid the potential perils of ‘The Great Resignation’.
Talent attraction hinges on flexible working arrangements
Many organisations today are departmentally siloed, increasingly remote, and busier than ever. It is essential that an organisation’s technology infrastructure must enable staff to work in a hybrid way, in the office, from the home or a third location such as a shared workplace, according to MAS. Tools that empower collaboration and security will help to save time and accelerate business operations.
Building a flexible system of remote-ready tools and processes creates an efficient, productive document workflow for every team in an organisation. Employees in every line of business can see their productivity soar when implementing an integrated document management solution.
Understanding the needs of a modern, intergenerational workforce is imperative to creating an environment that both attracts talented employees and persuades them to stay. Automated, digital solutions can help employees and business leaders work smarter, simpler, faster, and more flexibly, wherever, and whenever, they choose, without compromising productivity.
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