Management 101: Changing expectations of work

Quiet Quitting, The Big Resignation and Gen Z wanting it all, are all things we’ve heard bandied about about our changing relationship with work. First the impact of the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis have accelerated shifts in people’s expectations of employment.

So if you are employ people what do you need to consider now to keep your team engaged, motivated and make sure that they stick with you?

The pandemic caused people to prioritise a better work - life balance and to expect health and wellness to be built into a company’s ethos. In many sectors this has led to a long term shift towards remote and more flexible working, but if you run a retail business or produce a product, that’s not really an option. But there are other things you can consider.

Treat your staff as human beings not just workers and be mindful about what they may have going on outside work whether that’s as parents or carers, or students with exams to study for.

Aim to provide rotas as far in advance as possible so that people can plan ahead and be as flexible as reasonable about people needing to swap shifts. Flag people who are doing too much overtime and find alternative solutions before resentment and burn-out develop.

Create a culture where people aren’t afraid to come and talk to you about what maybe going on for them outside work, weave wellbeing into your regular catch-ups and this includes talking about mental health. Listen, be respectful and help them find solutions.

The cost-of-living crisis has seen employers facing demands for pay rises inline with inflation. Even before the current situation, Millennials (those born between 1981-96) which are the largest generation working in the UK today and Generation Z (born after 1997) were facing a financial future considerably worse than their parents thanks to rising house prices and repayment of student loans.

But when your business is facing its own financial pressures due to the economy, this may not be an affordable option.

Alternatively, can you offer advice or tools to help people to budget and save. Could you offer interest free loans for example to cover the cost of a travel season ticket or to buy a car or bike to make it easier to get to work. If you don’t already, can you offer discounts if they shop with you or cost prices on products soon to go out of date?

Stepping back from practicalities, younger generations are looking to work for businesses that are aligned to their own values, ones where there is a clear purpose and set of values with social and environmental responsibility at their core.

According to McKinsey & Company, employees who “feel that their purpose is aligned with the organisation’s purpose” are more productive, healthier, more resilient, and more likely to stay with the company.”

Trust and transparency and good communication are key. People want to feel valued and appreciated so give feedback, involve people in decision making and listen to their opinions. Younger people especially, value the opportunity for personal progression and development and if they feel stuck in one position they are more likely to leave.

In a small business it’s not always possible to offer promotion prospects to everyone, but empower them to feel they are learning and growing in a way that can help them progress their career in the long term.

I often hear from managers who’s teams are made up of part-time staff who they say don’t show the same level of commitment as the full-timers and that their job is just a means to an end. If you’re managing part-timers be mindful of what else they’ve got going on, but try to manage all your staff equally and fairly.

Part-time staff often complain that they are left out of information and communications so remember to keep them in the loop even if they’re not in when something important happens or news is shared.

If one thing is for sure, our expectations of work have changed and so as employers we must change too.