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Tag: Workforce of the Future

  • Top Career Motivations of Gen Z and Reasons They Choose an Employer | Entrepreneur

    Top Career Motivations of Gen Z and Reasons They Choose an Employer | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In the dance of generations at work, Gen Z holds the floor now. They will be the fastest-growing generation in the workforce over the next decade. To attract this emerging talent, employers should consider the top items Gen Z is looking for at work.

    A recent study of 11,495 of the highest-achieving high-school students, college students and recent college graduates in the United States reveals the preferences, attitudes and goals of the next generation of workers.

    Top three career motivations for Gen Z

    1. Entrepreneurial culture

    Gen Z is incredibly entrepreneurial, 60% express a desire to start their own businesses. Leaders must create an entrepreneurial culture that nurtures innovation, creativity and risk-taking.

    Encourage Gen Z employees to explore and develop their ideas, providing opportunities for them to spearhead projects and initiatives. Foster an environment that embraces experimentation and learning from failure. By fostering an entrepreneurial culture, leaders can tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of Gen Z, harnessing their innovative ideas and driving organizational growth.

    Related: The 5 Things Gen Z Is Looking for in a Job and Career

    2. Personalization and individuality

    Gen Z craves personalization and desires to bring their authentic selves to work. 92% of Gen Z prefer to have the option of personalizing their workspace. Leaders should embrace individuality and create a flexible environment that allows for personal expression and customization.

    Provide Gen Z employees with the freedom to design how, where, when and what they work on. Encourage diverse perspectives and opinions, valuing the unique contributions that each individual brings to the table. By embracing personalization and individuality, leaders can foster a sense of ownership and empowerment among Gen Z employees.

    3. Social impact and purpose

    Gen Z is deeply passionate about making a positive impact on society. 76% of Gen Z prioritize working for organizations that align with their values. Leaders must incorporate social impact and purpose into their organizational mission and values. Clearly communicate the organization’s commitment to social responsibility and highlight initiatives that contribute to the greater good.

    Provide opportunities for Gen Z employees to engage in volunteer work, community service, or sustainability projects. By integrating social impact into the workplace, leaders can attract and retain Gen Z talent who are driven by a desire to create a meaningful difference.

    Understanding and adapting to Gen Z’s expectations is crucial for leaders to build successful organizations in the future. By cultivating an entrepreneurial culture that embraces innovation, encourages personalization and individuality, and incorporates social impact and purpose, leaders can expect to attract, engage and retain Gen Z.

    Understanding Gen Z’s career drivers is part of the formula for effectively attracting and engaging new talent. The other part is understanding what factors they are considering when working for an employer.

    According to another recent study of 14,483 Gen Z respondents across 44 countries, these are the top reasons Gen Z chooses an employer.

    Top four reasons Gen Z chooses to work at a company

    1. Good work-life Balance

    When it comes to choosing an employer, work-life balance is a paramount consideration for Gen Z. This generation grew up in a hyperconnected world, witnessing the potential downsides of an “always-on” culture. They prioritize their well-being and seek employers who understand the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Gen Z craves flexibility, autonomy and the ability to pursue their passions outside of work.

    To attract Gen Z talent, companies must prioritize work-life balance initiatives that foster a harmonious integration of personal and professional lives.

    2. Learning and development opportunities

    Gen Z is a generation that values continuous growth, seeking opportunities to acquire new skills, expand their knowledge, and advance their careers. They prioritize employers who invest in their professional development and provide a clear path for advancement.

    To attract and retain Gen Z talent, companies must prioritize learning and development initiatives that align with their aspirations and foster a culture of growth.

    3. High salary or financial benefits

    Gen Z cites the cost of living as their top societal concern, above unemployment and climate change. So, not surprisingly, pay is top of mind when choosing an employer. As they enter the workforce, Gen Z faces economic pressures and desires financial stability. They seek employers who offer competitive compensation packages and financial incentives.

    Companies must address Gen Z’s financial aspirations and provide avenues for financial growth if they want to secure next-generation talent.

    Related: Everything You Need to Know About Hiring and Retaining Gen Z Talent

    4. Positive workplace culture

    Gen Z seeks an environment that is inclusive, collaborative, and supportive, where they can thrive both personally and professionally. Gen Z values a workplace culture that fosters strong relationships, encourages open communication, and promotes a sense of belonging.

    By prioritizing and fostering a culture of recognition and appreciation, leaders can create an environment that aligns with Gen Z’s aspirations and values.

    Gen Z is here, ready to make their mark on the world of work, and companies must adapt to effectively attract and engage this generation. By understanding Gen Z’s career motivations and aligning with the reasons they select an employer, companies can create workplaces that inspire and retain Gen Z talent.

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    Ryan Jenkins

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  • 10 AI Tools That You Should Be Using In Your Business This Year | Entrepreneur

    10 AI Tools That You Should Be Using In Your Business This Year | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We hear a lot about AI, and there’s no question that this technology will have a great impact on our businesses in the next few years. But what about now? Here are 10 AI tools that you can use today to help increase productivity and hopefully profits.

    This is the conversational chatbot created by OpenAI that started the hype late last year and it really does have a lot of things a business owner can be hyped about. Use it to write blogs, suggest better ways to create emails, analyze your website to improve search results, do advanced math, create HR policies and a number of other functions. You should also play with OpenAI’s Dall-E 2 app which can create images using text commands (i.e. “a horse standing by a river.”) that can be used on company communications or your website.

    Microsoft owns 49% of OpenAI (and ChatGPT is hosted by Microsoft servers) so a lot of ChatGPT’s functionality will soon be part of the Copilot app which can already be used with Bing searches but will also be a major part of Office in the next year. You’ll use Copilot to analyze spreadsheets, create templates, update presentations and even have it attend Teams meetings on your behalf.

    Related: The Future Founder’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence

    Bard is Google’s answer to ChatGPT and Duet is the application that will use Bard’s underlying Large Language Model to power Google’s business apps in a very similar fashion to Microsoft Copilot. The release of these features is expected within the next six months, but already Gmail is using Bard’s AI to help write emails and check grammar.

    Very similar to Dall-E, Crayon is an advanced image generator that uses AI to generate art, photos, drawings and other graphics directly from your text descriptions. The quality is excellent and the variety of choices is seemingly endless. Use this for images on your website or other promotional content.

    If your business is heavily into content, Heywire is a powerful content generator that uses AI to glean information from the Internet and automatically turn it into stories, articles and other blog forms. The application uses real-time, journalistically validated data that you can publish. The tool can help further establish you and your company as a thought leader in your industry. It can also establish multiple “personalities” for whoever you want to be seen writing and creating social posts based on the content it generates.

    Ever bump into a really interesting video and then see how long it is and then say to yourself “I don’t have the time.” Eightify solves that problem. This AI app will watch the video for you and then summarize it into specific points of interest. As a business owner, we often have to wear all the hats. Which means we have to be knowledgeable about a bunch of different subjects. There’s so much great content on video that can help us run our business and with this app, we can absorb much more information than ever before.

    I’ve been using Temi for years and, as a writer, swear by it! It’s a powerful AI-driven transcription service. I upload audio and video recordings I’ve made and within minutes, Temi transcribes it into words — and it’s close to flawless. Transcribing a 10-minute recording costs just a few bucks too.

    Need a good, professional form for your business? Maybe a job application? A quotation template? A request form for people visiting your website? Feathery uses AI to create professional-looking forms in just minutes. You can save and edit forms as you create them and customize them for your business. All of this is done through a natural language interface.

    Related: Previous Tech Revolutions Rewarded the Builders — This AI Revolution Will Reward the Users. Here’s Why.

    Want to prepare your prospective employees for a job interview? Or perhaps you’re a freelancer or remote independent contractor that’s scheduled to speak with a prospective client. Interview.ai uses AI to walk you through the conversation in advance. Its mock interviews will help you hone your speaking skills and its algorithms generate interview questions that are tailored to the job and to the industry. The platform promises to deliver customized questions that are both technical and situational, all based on the information you provide beforehand.

    So many of us are using video in our businesses for campaigns, case studies, testimonials or just to generate some buzz. The videos go on our website but of course, we want to do more with them. That’s where Opus Clip comes in. Using their AI-generated platform you can upload a long video and it will break it down into shorter, more digestible clips that can then be posted on social media or included in your email campaigns.

    Pretty cool, right? And I’m just scratching the surface. All of this reminds me of the early days of the iPhone and its smartphone competitors where apps began appearing — and then proliferating. I expect the same to happen during this AI revolution. So there are lots more to come. But in the meantime, play with these tools and I promise good results — and better productivity.

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    Gene Marks

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  • Workplace Trends You Need to Know for 2023

    Workplace Trends You Need to Know for 2023

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The New Year always brings a fresh perspective to our lives and work. And as with any fresh start, savvy leaders are identifying strategies to increase productivity, keep their workforce engaged and help take their business to the next level.

    A nuanced look at gender equality, closer-knit workforces and unique ways to engage staff through wellbeing are just three trends we’re likely to see in workplaces come 2023. It’s hoped they’ll make corporate culture in the U.S. much more hospitable for employees.

    In 2022, the buzzwords included flexible working, prioritizing purpose and increased transparency to help leaders better connect with their staff. So what will 2023 bring?

    1. Closer-knit workforces

    This time last year, Covid-19 was slowly rearing its head again for a dark and gloomy winter. Some employees had already started returning to the office, but many companies U-turned and sent staff home again. Fast forward to the present; a lot has changed in a year. People are back in offices, hybrid working has solidified and a seismic shift has happened.

    Related: Workplace Trends That Will Shape 2022

    What has been the result? While many employees are happier, 65% of businesses say it’s been “challenging” to boost morale and create a cohesive company culture while people are remote working.

    In 2023, these issues are likely to be addressed head-on: How can we make hybrid working work better for everyone? This could be more full-team meeting days while people are in the office, so their commuting time is productive. It could also mean cultivating a more appealing place to work to ensure when people do come in, they experience the benefits.

    2. Meaningful social impact

    While many businesses have focused on corporate social responsibility in the past few years, some have fallen into the trap of “greenwashing”: Making others believe their company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is.

    Alongside that, the generation now entering the workforce — Generation Z — is prioritizing working in companies that contribute to making the world a better place.

    So as the need for corporate social responsibility grows, companies should focus on what meaningful action they are taking now to protect our planet and the people on it.

    What are you doing this week, month or year, to make a difference?

    Focusing on this will have a desirable effect on your business. In a 2022 Gartner study of more than 30,000 people, 87% said companies should take a public position on societal issues. They found when corporations do take a stand, they can expect an increase in the number of employees who go above and beyond at work: 18% more employees showed high levels of “discretionary effort” at vocal employers compared to those companies that stayed silent.

    Related: 6 Signs It’s Time to Make Your First Operations Hire

    3. A focus on wellbeing

    Mental health and burnout have long been part of the conversation when we discuss improving work and the culture surrounding it — especially since the Covid lockdowns.

    But as we near the end of 2022, a shift is happening — for the better. The U.S. Surgeon General reported that 71% of employees believe their employer is more concerned about their mental health and wellbeing than ever before. This is a huge step forward and one we must grasp and run with. In response, the U.S. Surgeon General released a framework that aims to support workplaces in better improving the mental health and wellbeing of their employees. This includes: Ensuring there is an opportunity for growth, valuing employee contributions, enhancing social connections in the workplace and focusing on achieving better work-life integration.

    We’re likely to see more mental wellbeing initiatives and strategies employed across businesses that deliver meaningful and practical help to their employees — from self-care days off once a month to increased wellbeing benefits, mental health first aid training and even adaptations to the workplace.

    4. A nuanced take on gender equality

    In late 2022, Harvard Business Review surveyed high-performing professional women in the U.S. and found that while some women are, on the surface, flying high — they are taking on a set of specific maladaptive behaviors and beliefs to get by, and suffering because of it.

    Women reportedly are sacrificing their needs, beliefs and sense of individuality to stay at the top or even simply to “fit in” to get that promotion. One woman said, “Denial is the only way I can survive and do the job I was hired to do.”

    While gender equality has been part of workplace discussions for decades, the conversation will become more nuanced this coming year. Companies will aim to not only reduce the gender pay gap and bring more women into senior-level positions but also listen to women. Listen to their voice, their ideas and their creativity. Hiring women for powerful positions while leaving them feeling disempowered will not shift the equality landscape. Ultimately, it’s the understanding that women bring their strengths and ideas to the table and don’t need to adapt to traditional corporate values and structure to be successful.

    Related: 3 Ways You Can Brand Your Candidate Experience to Attract Top Talent

    5. Leadership investment

    It’s never been easy to be in a leadership position, but now more than ever, it can be complex to navigate. Leaders already deal with business pressure, budgets, negotiations, strategy and more. They also have to support and lead on communication, transparency, wellbeing, engagement, inclusion and equality for every single one of their staff. And now? They need to lead change: Prioritizing social impact, their employees’ and customers’ needs and wants and adapting their businesses to a changing social landscape.

    In a 2022 HR Insights Survey, CCI Consulting found more than 50% of businesses lack one critical skill that can make a difference: “leading change.” This is why, in 2023, we’re likely to see an investment in leadership through coaching, courses, training and exposure to diverse strategies that could work.

    There’s a lot of hope that 2023 will make positive strides for the corporate world, enticing those who left the labor force to reenter it. But to do that, there needs to be a real commitment to the issues discussed above and a belief that things will improve with dedication and effort.

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    Dr. Samantha Madhosingh

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