Together with the new generations at work, their values and needs also enter the company. Needs for work-life balance, needs for flexibility, search for meaning, for a healthy culture and to work for companies with a sustainable impact on the planet.
The theme of well-being seems to be a must have for the new generations at work . CEOs, managers and HR must increasingly consider the culture of well-being as a strategic lever to attract and retain the best talent and, more generally, to avoid waste of energy and knowledge due to the high rates of burnout that have given rise in recent times to phenomena such as quiet quitting and gret resignation.
In this interview we had the pleasure of speaking with Federica Leotta, Group Talent Attraction & Acquisition Manager of Fedrigoni Group and expert in employer branding to delve deeper into the strategic role of well-being in attracting the talents and needs of the new generations to work.
What are the needs of the new generations at work?
Generation Z now moves through the corridors of many offices - or connects remotely on calls - and their entry into the company has often called into question what really matters when choosing your employer. According to the results of the most recent Deloitte Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey , the biggest concerns of very young Italians - born after 1997 - are, after climate change and the cost of living, unemployment and health. In a historical moment in which global warming and its consequences are becoming increasingly evident and tangible, it becomes even more important to live in the present: why "sacrifice" oneself to "make a career" when there is no certainty that there is a future to benefit of the fruits of one's labor? Globally, 58% of respondents aged 18 to 24 say they are ready to leave their job if it becomes an impediment to their ability to enjoy life ( Randstad Workmonitor 2023 ).
And so pay takes on greater importance and 41% of young people between 18 and 24 declare having asked for and obtained a raise during the previous year (Randstad Workmonitor 2022) against the 36% overall average. It's not enough to talk about compensation : generation Z is more sensitive than all the others to issues of mental health and wellbeing (66% of the sample interviewed would like the company to invest more in initiatives of this type - compared to 51% of millennials and 41% of Generation X according to the 2022 LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report). Flexibility cannot be missing from the wish list: posts on LinkedIn that mention it receive greater engagement from Generation Z compared to the average of the results of other published posts (77% compared to 30% of millennials - LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report 2022 ). Globally, 45% of 18- to 24-year-olds would not accept an offer that did not provide workplace flexibility, and 50% would say no to a company that imposed fixed working hours ( Randstad Workmonitor 2023 ) .
The desires are completed, in addition to compensation, wellbeing and flexibility, by the company's alignment with its values in the social and environmental sphere (52% of very young people - Randstad Workmonitor 2023 - would not accept working for a company whose values they do not share positions) and the sense of belonging, the absence of which would push 54% of them (48% in Italy) to look for another job.
If you want to learn more about the difference between work-life balance and work-life integration , read Trainect's advice in our blog!
How does well-being fit into the company strategy to attract and recruit the best talent? How can well-being be included in a company's employer branding strategy?
Mental and physical well-being, the awareness of working on projects that have value for people, for the company and for society therefore become essential elements of the company's value proposition. If there was a war for talent in the past, there are those who say that today the war is over and talent has won. Every employer must convince the people he considers talents to be interested in his company, send their application and then accept an offer: to attract their attention he can talk about the welcoming environment, the constant challenges, a rapid learning curve or an international environment. In showing "its cards", the company cannot neglect to mention well-being but to do so it is essential that it believes in its importance and above all that it brings concrete examples to support its commitment to promoting and guaranteeing it. Are there training courses on healthy eating? Are discounts offered for gym memberships or mindfulness courses? Are there mental health awareness initiatives? And then, do people participate? Do managers promote them among their teams? How is the wellbeing of your people monitored? Authenticity is essential - and we know that policies and initiatives alone are not enough: it is good that a culture of wellbeing is created and kept alive so that the working environment makes it possible to talk about and act on wellbeing at all levels of the organisation. And the external public rewards the company that admits that it is not yet "perfect" but that recognizes the importance of the topic and is working to dismantle stereotypes ("it's a waste of time", "why don't you think about working instead?") by setting measurable objectives and involving the leadership in the change of direction and in its internal socialization.
In bringing this theme to life internally and then having a solid (or solidifying) basis to tell to the external public, it is important not to neglect the generational diversity that characterizes companies today: well-being becomes more important at all ages but at every stage gives a different definition of life and not everyone has the same ease in dealing with certain topics openly in the workplace. An employer branding strategy can only start from what is true or is about to become true and must not forget the talent it is targeting - both to convince them to stay in the company and to approach them and bring them on board.
What happens to an organization that doesn't invest in employee well-being?
Those who do not invest in the well-being of their employees are destined to lose competitiveness in the market. The people who represent "talent" for the company today are probably in great demand on the market, at a time when every role has blurred boundaries and it is skills and potential that guide the careers of professionals: if the company does not takes care of them, they will not hesitate to leave it to favor those who continuously and genuinely offer initiatives and services that promote and guarantee their well-being.
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