"Wow, these young people today" - many decades ago, parents and grandparents were already sneering when they saw the incomprehensible or unacceptable actions and habits of their children and grandchildren. A Generation Z workers will make up more than a quarter of the workforce by 2025. The problem is therefore worth addressing and must be addressed.
This was done by the PĂ©cs TV World of Work his show which hosted DĂłra KlajkĂł, an organisational psychologist, in December 2023. According to the expert, what holds every generational group together is the fact that its members have experienced technological or social change together. They have thus developed and operate a similar set of "survival" behaviours, and this is also true in the labour market.
This generation has been using digital tools, including the internet, as a matter of course since childhood. For Generation Z, social media is already a platform for finding their way around, meeting people and making friends. Their reading and learning habits have changed, and the time spent on a single subject has decreased compared to their predecessors.
Work avoidance or automation? - what kind of employees are the "Z "s?
- Users and often even inventors of the automation of certain processes and work phases
- They believe not in doing too much, but in doing it efficiently
- They want job security, a family atmosphere and decent pay
- Immediate feedback is important to them
- They are not looking for long-term commitment, but rather for challenges
- Preference for teleworking and home office
The question rightly arises: how can workplace leaders from other generations adapt to all this? As DĂłra KlajkĂł puts it, instead of the classic hierarchical organisational form, with rules and controls, there is a need to involve the "Z" workers in decision-making in a conscious way.
Retain and motivate employees? The solution: rewards!
In this article we have so far laid down the theoretical foundations and given a general overview of the situation. But how can this be put into practice? A Beeward a community platform to build good workplace relations in everyday life. Its aim is to build a cohesive and motivated team, with members spending 60-70% of their active lives with each other.
The English name Beeward is of course no coincidence, since it refers to the industrious, foraging society of bees ("bee") and combines it with the word "award". This is the name of the gamified point system allows for public feedback and recognition between colleagues, making working together more effective and enjoyable.
What can constitute a point, i.e. a reward? A shared lunch, a cinema ticket, a delicious sweet treat, or even letting the "rewarded" employee decide what music should be playing in the office background. The possibilities are endless, and the types of recognition can be expanded as you wish.
It pays off for bosses too: motivating staff
Beeward is of course a great help not only for employees but also for managers. It takes the burden off their shoulders to feel that recognition is only their job, and can also keep up to date with the individual motivations of their staff. The platform even sends reminders about upcoming holidays (birthdays, colleagues' anniversaries, etc.).
It is therefore worth finding out what the possibilities are. Already 40 teams join Beeward, which meant 1 000 active hive members and more than 5 000 recognitions per month.
