I recently came across this study on how worker attitudes have changed both with the generations, Gen Z is now in the workforce, and work from home continuance. Managers have been hit hardest by these changes. They thought they knew how to manage people but then the rules changed and there wasn’t time to adopt their skillset to this new reality. This has created challenges in keeping remote workers feeling engaged and adopting the corporate culture, and finding work friends. If the problems aren’t resolved it can result in worker dissatisfaction and the solution isn’t to just being everyone into the office everyday.
Here’s a link to the full report. It’s very readable. Great Expectations: Making Hybrid Work Work (microsoft.com)
A few take-aways
There’s a disconnect between employer expectations that everything and everyone should just go back to the way things used to be and employees expectation to keep what is good about remote work.
Many managers aren’t getting the support they need to navigate these new waters to propel their staff to greater productivity.
For GenZ, remote work is the only work that they’ve known. This is their normal. There’s nothing to go back to for them. Expectations have been set for an entire new generation of office worker.
Businesses retain employees by providing a welcoming culture. This much is given. But, when it comes to remote work businesses aren’t changing fast enough to make sure that their culture extends to the remote worker and that they are included by default.
Microsoft posts online meeting etiquette posted to reinforce the culture of how to hold an online meeting. No one should expect that everyone just knows how to host a great online meeting.
And here’s something not surprising. Younger generations are expecting to do work in the metaverse, which is just a way of saying using avatars, eventually while only 16% of all workers aren’t. Boomers and GenX are in the 38% percent acceptance range. Really it just means that younger workers are more open to new technology.
When looking at bonding with co-workers while working fully or partially remote, the news is mostly good. But those yellow bars leave room for improvement and that speaks to culture again.
It’s tough to be a manager in these times. Getting up to speed and adopting new methods of maintaining employee engagement across a number of different work scenarios is the challenge. I found the article informative and useful. I hope that you do too.
Harbor Computer Services is an IT firm servicing Southeastern Michigan and beyond. We work exclusively under contract with our clients to provide technology direction and either become the IT department or provide assistance to the internal IT they already have. We win awards! Recently we were recognized in the gratitude category for our corporate culture by dBusiness magazine.
There are a few simple things that make Harbor Computer Services the best choice for your business. •We are Professionals •We are Responsible •We care about your business
