A Message from Our CEO – May 2023

Dear Friends,

Employees are changing their expectation about work in ways we couldn’t imagine when “work” meant long grueling hours on a 19th century factory floor. Hyper connected with advanced AI technology in knowledge jobs, workers have new expectations about the role work plays in their lives. They’re looking for more than just a paycheck, or just a career. Now they want to be in community with others, connected to something larger than themselves-- something that has meaning and purpose. The backdrop is our current historical moment, defined by simultaneous crises—economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension, social change, and broken politics. With civic engagement drying up, and a dramatic increase in those that are religiously unaffiliated (almost one-third by Gen Z), a new book by Derek Thompson claims that the cubicle is the new pew. “Workism” is replacing religion.

While I’m skeptical on Thompson’s analysis, our research suggests that purpose, meaning, and a sense of community is prioritized now more than before in the workplace. So, what can leaders do to get a handle on this paradigm shift? First, get some research under your belt. Implement robust qualitative and qualitative analysis of your employees so you can “meet them where they are”. Because the workplace is changing so rapidly, implementing a continuous feedback loop to assess their priorities is key. Once you do this, get your managers into leadership training. Managers are the new leaders in the workplace today. Their job is far more complex than even 3 years ago, and their challenges are not just day-to-day, but strategic and long term. Finally, talk to your customers. Their expectations are changing too. Flexibility is the new strength, and you can’t operate in a fast-changing environment without listening to your employees and customers.

Expect. More. Change.

Warren