Generation Engagement & 20/20 Vision
Here at Butler Rose, we work alongside you as a trusted recruitment partner who not only provides a ‘fill a need’ service but also one that takes real pride in keeping you up-to-date with the market’s latest trends and changes. One of the ways we do this is via quarterly seminars, one of which we recently held at the MK Dons Stadium focusing on two pertinent topics. Below you will find an intro to our two highly respected guest speakers, as well as a summary of the presentations which recap some of the key points from the morning’s discussions.
Alex Dummer
Colin Mulligan
HR Operations Manager
European Shared Service Manager
Tui Group
BSI
Alex joined us from Tui Group where she heads up the HR operation for the UK and Ireland. Alex has almost 10 years’ experience within corporate HR functions where she has been involved in extensive change programmes and with this, brings experience of delivering into a wide range of functions.
Generation game vs. employee engagement From Traditionalists to Snowflakes, Alex gave insight into how to communicate, motivate, reward and gain loyalty from the very different generations within dynamic workforces.
Generation game vs. employee engagement
Maturists/Traditionalists • Only form a small part of a typical organisation (c.3%) but their presence is very real – with people living longer and the removal of the default (forced) retirement age, they are working into their 70s and even 80s. • These individuals are highly skilled and have an enviable ability to not ‘sweat the small stuff’. • With their job for life mentality, they are extremely loyal and will expect loyalty, security and care in return. face-to-face
learning
20/20 vision Colin looked at the future of shared services, speaking on the challenges that face BSI as they implement their comprehensive transformation programme to meet the organisation’s long term vision, many of which will no doubt also affect your function.
Baby Boomers
Nowadays, we have up to five generations in the workplace at any one time, a unique situation if you look back over our working history. Our generations are comprised of:
• They prefer traditional interaction with others.
Colin is a Chartered ACA accountant and heads up the European Shared Services function for the British Standards Institution (BSI) based in Milton Keynes. Colin has a wealth of experience growing high-performing teams within high volume, challenging environments.
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• At this point in their lives, they are likely to be saving for retirement or just looking for a role that will keep their mind active. Therefore, reward structures and development/ engagement conversations with managers should be kept in mind.
• Have been in the workplace for a number of decades now. Having been bought up in the post-war boom and the ‘swinging sixties’ they have mainly worked in an era of commercial success. • They have also been used to strict hierarchies. With no real digital development in the core part of their careers, they are used to the flow of information being constrained, have an incredible work ethic and don’t place a huge amount of importance on work-life balance. • When the recession hit in 2008, many Baby Boomers decided against retiring. However, with the recovering economy, we are likely to see movement out of the workplace. Companies need to focus on continuing to value the contribution of Baby Boomers and building succession pipelines.
Generation X • At a time when technology was on the rise and Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister. This generation are fiercely self-sufficient, resourceful and value independence in the workplace. • They too have experienced the economic downturn on two occasions, which means they are less likely to
be loyal to one employer and value a ‘working to live’ mentality.
• Offer and support a flexible working approach – this is a culture change not a policy change.
• With the Baby Boomers and Traditionalists remaining in the workplace for longer, this has meant Gen X has been stuck in the pipeline for a number of years. Whilst they are ambitious and keen to learn new things, they may not all be willing to take on bigger, more pressured roles and those that do are unlikely to fill the gap the Baby Boomers leave behind.
• Encourage and foster intergenerational teaming and learning – there’s lots that these generations can learn from each other and much competitive advantage to be gained.
Generation Y/Millennials • Considered to be the most educated, tech savvy and socially conscious generation in the workplace, they were typically brought up under close parental supervision, had hectic school and social schedules and often look to their hardworking Baby Boomer parents as influencers. • They were raised in a difficult era, which made them resourceful with a healthy dose of scepticism. They grew up surrounded by technology and the rise of social media, driving their ambition and need for things to happen quickly. Korn Ferry has predicted that by 2025, Millennials will form 75% of the US workforce and they are looking for: • Constant feedback • Help navigating their career, quickly • Flexibility to manage work and personal commitments • Ability to learn skills required for the future of their career • Customisable benefits • A highly values-led organisation
Generation Z/Snowflakes • Brought up in an era where a huge amount of focus was on the environment, their key focus is not money or seniority, but securing their dream job and feeling fulfilled within an organisation. • The key focus for this generation will be training and development. They will have the same desire for pace as the generation before them, particularly when it comes to development and reaching their ‘dream job’. 27% of students surveyed by Adecco believe they should only stay in their first job for one year or less, with the remainder of the population looking to stay three years or less – therefore understanding these individuals and helping them reach their goals is going to be critical to retention.
Summary Following recent studies, the Hay Group highlighted five key points for engagement across the generations: • Be intentional in your approach to gain greater productivity and better results – plan for the future and create a compelling goal that teams can strive towards. • Offer rewards that are most valuable to different groups, at different stages of their lives and give managers the tools to offer them.
• Identify your critical roles and skill gaps – succession plan effectively, for now and the future. But…please remember demographics are generalisations and stereotypes to understand overall trends. The Hay Group carried out a cross-generational survey in 2016 which specifically looked to understand the key differences in expectations of a workplace, in each generation. Instead, they found the opposite with a number of similarities. The survey concluded that all generations want: • To work for a well-run, well-managed organisation • Care and concern from their employers • Access to key resources to do their jobs • Authority to make decisions that impact their work • Straightforward, honest feedback and flexibility from their line manager, but earlier generations are less vocal about it/demanding of it than Gen Y & Z
20/20 vision Introducing BSI Founded in 1901, the British Standards Institution (BSI) helps to keep business practices and products at high levels of quality. The BSI Group, a not-for-profit enterprise, works with industry leaders and international groups to set and maintain industry standards. It is BSI who helps draft and market both UK and international specifications and guidelines, such as ISO standards. In addition, BSI offer certification services to customers in more than 170 countries, and BSI Product Services test products in a wide range of industries.
Shared Services Vision 20/20 The future of BSI and most shared services will focus on three core areas of the business: Service, Technology and People.
Service
Technology
• Global platforms/regional hubs
People
• Global processes
• Process (R2R, P2P, OTC) enterprise software
• Repeat routine tasks > Manage exceptions
• Global process ownership
• Workflow
• Scalable
• Cloud
• Learn systems > Configure systems
• Reduce transaction costs
• Artificial intelligence
• User experience
• Robotic process automation
• Team skills
• Digitisation • Consolidation and integration
How? • Functional excellence
How?
• Customer service
• Financial accounting
• Process focus
• Automate balance sheet reconciliation and close process
How? • Align employee expectations and opportunity • Technical development • Finance
• P2P • Digitise supplier invoicing
• Shared services as a career choice
• Global P2P platform
• Service skills
• Automated allocations
Summary: • Standardise finance process • Enhance business partnering • Reduce transactional cost
Get in touch Over the next six months, Butler Rose will be hosting a number of seminars and other events to support the market. If you would like to hear more, get in touch with our Milton Keynes team: P: 01908 920 680
• Admin and bookkeeping > Multifunctional teams and service excellence
• Remove month end bottleneck
• Customer receipts
E: MK@butlerrose.com
• Enforce process > Train and evangelize