The words, “manager,” and “future,” invariably go hand in hand. For many managers, the first few words of their job title include something relating to the future. “Long-Term Projects Manager,” “Hiring Manager,” and “Sales Manager,” all include some form of glass-ball seeking outlook. So, for any manager with even a little bit of prospective abilities, a question that should arise is, “how will Generation Z change my workplace?”

The common response would be to move the office in the direction of the stereotypical technology start-up. Open-concept desks, an in-house coffee shop, and office gym passes seem like stereotypical responses, but, rather ironically, they are simply symptoms of what Generation Z cares about.

Company culture.

As the top end of Generation Z blows the candles out on their 23^rd birthday cakes and frames their newly minted post-secondary credentials, managers need to start analyzing their own company culture. For Gen Z’ers, a company’s purpose, the people they work with, and opportunities for growth all matter more than the number on the paycheque. Unlike other generations, salary was rated third in terms of importance by a group of Generation Z employees, according to an International Federation of Accountants workplace study. Rainmaker Thinking elaborated on this research, interviewing 4,000 more Gen Z’ers. The two tops, “needs,” for this wave of workers? A supportive leadership team, and positive work relationships. The least important attribute, according to these same 4,000 workers born after 1996, was salary.

Company culture can build or break a team.

But, how do you build a company culture? It’s not something tangible, the same way sales numbers or output quantities are. The answer lies in embracing the modern storm of data-analytics.

Group Analytics and Team Work Styles, aspects of the Predictive Index’s Talent Optimization System™, allow employers to use real data to construct a team that is both high performing and will get along.

By using the data-driven reference profiles of top performers who are already on the team, companies can build job models that are similar. This allows the hiring manager to look for candidates who match the job model and will thus have a compatible workstyle. This has a dual effect that benefits both the company and the team.

Group analytics allows managers to see the average of their top performers.

By hiring those will similar work styles to top performers, the company can continue to add “carbon-copies,” of their best people, who will add to, and push, the team further. For the employees, this will build a team culture that fits the employees within it, increasing the cohesiveness of the team, and thus, the member’s workplace happiness.

Data-driven analytics are the future of the workplace. As the need for cohesive groups grows, good managers will look for data-backed solutions to building high performing teams. To find out how you can utilize Predictive Analytics to optimize your company culture, click here, or contact hharrison@predictivesuccess.com.

Sources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2018/12/26/how-the-newest-generation-generation-z-will-impact-your-workplace/#408f05dc2af6