Young People Are Taking Over the Workplace, and That’s a Problem for Bosses
Excerpts from Wall Street Journal article by Katherine Bindley and Chip Cutter
Gen Z workers are expected to outnumber baby boomers in the U.S. workforce this year. If only their bosses could understand them.
Companies find their youngest employees the most difficult to work with, surveys show. Now executives are making efforts to engage them more. They are arranging mentorship for employees who entered the workforce remotely during the pandemic; they are giving guidance on how to communicate and when to keep their thoughts to themselves; and they are offering new kinds of perks, like an on-site therapist. ...
... At the semiconductor company SiTime, instead of annual reviews, managers meet with their employees individually once or twice a quarter to check in, share feedback and find out more about the employees’ long-term goals. This is in addition to what are known as “problem-solving” one-on-one meetings, which are more time-sensitive and focused. “The younger crowd lives on feedback,” said Rajesh Vashist, SiTime’s CEO.
The company launched a program that takes the top 20% to 30% of individuals within teams and offers them additional mentorship opportunities. The program is also meant to help ensure that high-performing junior employees can see that they are having an impact.
“What they want is this meaningful way of working,” said Vashist. “Even though we pay very handsomely,” he added, “it’s not enough to do that.” ...