Career/Development

Learning and development is a significant component in the career expectations of Generation Y and Z. This attitude has changed in comparison to the generations before and has two main focuses:

Building a broad horizon of personal and working experience is essential. Furthermore, it is about the development of individual competencies. Through a varied working life, they maintain the tension that is ensured by personal development.

Continuing education is an integral part of planning their professional future. A wide range of experience in different areas and sectors increases their attractiveness in the labour market.

In 2016 a study examined the career expectations of Generation Y. In the survey of 61 consultants, the areas of “growth opportunities” and “learning” were queried. The respondents mentioned the following quotes: “It should help me to build new skills as I am curious to learn”

and "It should provide me with career growth opportunities". These statements show the uninterrupted will to learn of the New Generations. (Murale, Preetha & Kasturika, 2016)

Deloitte mention in their report “Generation Z enters the workforce” (2017) following a statement regarding formal learning: “Organisations that have robust, formal development programs should take advantage of this opportunity to modernise their learning delivery methods and shift the focus of the content to the skills needed for new jobs. This could serve to both close existing skill gaps that Gen Z may have and create the infrastructure that organisations need to shift content to respond to future needs nimbly.” (O'Boyle, Atack & Monahan, 2017)

Often executives mention that the New Generations are not ready or willing to make a career. In a survey of the Austrian Millennial Report 2018, 78% of the asked Millennials (n=695) confirmed they aim to progress professionally and to make a career. In contrast to the age group 26-39 years where only 60% (n = 949) and in age group 40+ less than half (47%) (n = 856) confirmed this statement. 75% of the Millennials confirmed that the job presents the possibility to realise oneself and further, that a good education is the most important thing (75 per cent).

(Kobza & Chang, 2018)

In the area of career and job, the monetary reward plays an essential role in influencing motivation and commitment in the workplace. This is shown in a study from the Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences 2017 and adds "monetary rewards also fuels their sense

98 of entitlement, thus making them individuals with a high need for achievement as money reward is not the only incentive to effort." (Puspanathan, Ramendran, Muthurajan & Singh, 2017) This statement also highlights the study in the Millennial Report, which shows that “a job that satisfies me is / would be more important to me than a good salary”. This statement was confirmed by 72% of Generation Y.

Due to continuous learning and good primary education, “job hopping” is an essential factor because the New Generations can choose any employer. This is confirmed by 50% with the statement “Above all, I would like to have a secure job, even if the task is not so interesting/challenging”. The consulting firm Accenture confirms in their study that to retain Generation Z, meaningful and challenging work is the prerequisite. If companies can create this precondition, they are also ready to stay for five years or longer. The study shows further that 54% of 2015/16 graduates feel underemployed, while 62 per cent of graduates expect to stay at their first job for three years or longer. (Lyons, Lavelle & Smith, 2017)

The studies show the importance of employee development. Currently, there is still a gap between expectation and reality.

Therefore “career and development” has been defined as a key dimension for the New Generations concept map.

7.2.4 Digitalisation

The term "digital natives" is also often used in the context of Gen Y. Millennials are always ready to communicate and to share their knowledge. Therefore, the word "technoholics" is increasingly used for Generation Z. Precisely in this area, there is the most significant difference between the two generations. In general, the fields of digital affinity, media communications, and communication channel show the most significant differences to the Baby Boomer or Gen X.

The Millennials are the first generation who shows affinity to digitalisation and are described as digital natives. Preferred communication is online with a mobile phone. In Generation Z, everyday life takes place online. They use the smartphone as well as integrated communication media. In the process, the preferred communication is transformed back to face-to-face, which, however, takes place via Facetime (online). The use of Gen Z products also demonstrates the trend towards digitisation. Next to tablets and smartphones, which are also used by Generation Y, already nanocomputers, 3-d printers, and autonomous cars are used.

About organisations, the possibility of home office, usage of communication platforms and the cooperative identity via social media play a significant role in the field of "digitisation."

Study II showed that for Generation Y and Generation Z home office is a significant aspect of life. Digitalisation, in particular, makes it possible to work independently of time and place.

The Austrian Millennial Report 2018 shows that Millennials can live without alcohol, daily newspapers, television, and sports more easily than without mobile phones (16%) and the Internet (13%). This underlines the importance of using the technical possibilities within Generation Y. (Kobza & Chang, 2018)

99 Even if the technical aspect is in the focus of the digital natives, they also crave for the Human Element. 42% of Gen Z and therefore, a significant percentage of a study by Accenture show a preference for in-person meetings. In addition to problem-solving skills, the degree of communication skills is as an essential skill to attract potential customers. Members of Generation Z believe that further technological developments such as AI (artificial intelligence) can enhance the work experience which was approved by 2/3 of the respondents. As the grades grow up in a connected world where humans and machines are partners, they see themselves as well prepared for further challenges. They are already in the school well prepared for today's digital workforce. This statement was approved by 78%. (Lyons, Lavelle & Smith, 2017)

As part of the research, the experts were asked about the use of Enterprise Social Networks (ESN) in the context of digitisation in the field of communication and knowledge transfer. None of the eight companies surveyed used an ESN, and only a few were aware of it. The implementation is associated with great effort. Austrian companies use platforms for communication like WhatsApp. However, for privacy reasons, this is very insecure and is increasingly banned.

In German-speaking companies, the digital level is improving rapidly. Meanwhile, in all areas, the digital processes surpassed the analogous forms of collaboration. However, only the first steps are made. There are different questions regarding „knowledge": who knows who, who knows what, what do I know and how can my own experience be linked, applied, weighted or transferred into new knowledge. Knowledge acquisition is the central question today. By definition, knowledge is the "knowledge of knowledge". At the company level, meta-knowledge is seen as a generator of team development and innovation. Successful work 4.0 can only be established where employees can share their knowledge. The term work 4.0 is a conceptual framework that describes the changes in work until 2030 and is discussed within the European Union and further, not content of this work.

The coordination of team meetings and personal conversations are old fashioned. Work has become complex and fragmented. Through new working methods, colleagues work spatially and temporally separated. The German Social Collaboration Study 2018 shows that social media are highly valued in the private sector for communication and that enterprise social networks (ESN) are slowly implemented in the workplaces. Digital platforms make it possible to collaborate and to work together more efficiently.

The study confirms that the use of technology increases work efficiency. Companies with a high degree of maturity are working 30 per cent more efficiently. The meta-knowledge of employees should be increased by the increased use of ESN by 74 per cent compared to the employees who have no access to the networks. A more extensive network means access to more sources of knowledge, thereby promoting horizontal innovation through the combination of different sources.

The use of social collaboration tools has a positive effect on corporate culture. Respondents confirmed this with about 50%, 36% stated that they are more motivated, and 33% take new challenges more seriously. However, ESN only works if management is a good example. 47% of the 522 executives surveyed said they wanted to improve their corporate culture by using collaboration tools. However, with the use of ESNs, 43% of all employees miss the role model

100 function of their executives. Thirty-six per cent complain about the benefits of social platforms, and about 30% feel unsupported when introducing ESNs. (Paefgen-Laß, 2018)

Therefore "digitalisation" has been defined as a key dimension for the New Generations concept map.