Thriving People Culture: 4 Key Elements for a Future-Forward Approach

There’s a lot more to GenZ than a group of people who live their life digitally and are always ‘woke’ with the awareness of what’s happening around them. Primarily it is mostly because they spend a lot of time online from a young age. Taking into account that almost a third of the world’s population is made up of GenZ making it the most diverse generation in the world’s history.

In the last 2–3 years, we have inducted many GenZ folks into our teams and we have noticed notable changes in their motivation to work in an organization and are taking a whole new approach to work ethic compared to their older colleagues. Think about it, most of them have just about started their careers and in a short duration, they’ve already witnessed a once-in-a-century event like the covid pandemic, a war, and a climate crisis. These world-changing events have a considerable impact on their lives.

Understanding these key trends is key for any organization that intends to grow its team.

During our interaction, we found these 4 major factors this new generation is looking for in an organization.

1. The importance of setting up a community

We are sure you would have already heard this before, but what exactly does setting a community mean? By community, we mean a place where people find belongingness, a group where they feel seen & heard, and grow personally as well as professionally.

If you’re a start-up, this becomes extremely crucial as retention is key for you. Look at focusing on building a community for your employees. Understand where they come from and how you can add value in their life that goes beyond a mere paycheck.

2. Ethical leadership and business practices

This generation has grown up seeing what unethical behavior looks like, especially in a country like India where corruption and business scams are not unheard of. In our discussions, GenZ folks will refrain from being a part of an organization that indulges in the same.

Along with being ethical, GenZ also gives brownie points to companies that engage in sustainable practices. It’s time to amp up your CSR activities! This generation expects their organizations to go a step further and stand for the right things; for a cause that matters

3. An employer who cares about their work-life balance

The generation today wants to work with organizations that view them as people living individual lives as opposed to someone who merely works for them. Anyone who is working for a long time would have noticed this themselves and sometime might even have complained about it. Be as it may, times are changing and so is the work culture in our country and the GenZ are leading the workforce when it comes to living a balanced life.

Understanding and going that extra mile to care for their well-being. You can read our blog on how to take work-life balance seriously and promote that in your organization. An active way to do that would be conducting wellness programs, keeping aside set leaves for mental wellbeing, or including health insurance for them would go a long way.

4. They want leaders who support and believe in diversity

Rainbow washing or talking about pride only in the month of July will no longer do. As a generation, GenZ is extremely sensitive when it comes to inclusivity and equality in the workplace; it’s no longer an option, but rather a must-have for any organization.

Recognizing people from the LGBTQAI+ community and creating an environment in which people with disabilities feel comfortable and accepted is a prerequisite for a GenZ. This would translate into not discriminating against anyone on basis of their orientation or gender, events where everyone feels inclusive, and more.

To conclude, we’re entering into a new world, a world that wants ESG — environment, social, and governance. Where money is no longer the criteria when it comes to joining a company. They would want to be associated with an organization they can proudly talk about. A place where they feel they belong.