How can we ensure that our best professionals choose to stay in our organization longer and more committed? How to deal with this new generation that fits its professional component into a more comprehensive whole, namely with regard to the family environment, the extended concept of quality of life and even in terms of personal development?

The theme is not really new, and we have already seen remarkable transformations in different organizations. But in an objective analysis, what part of our business fabric is really preparing for what comes next? What should we pay attention to in a process of adapting people management? I have observed two critical success factors: knowing the new culture and preparing the internal machine, including leadership. Let’s look at each one.

1. To better understand the emerging professional culture The professionals are different from each other, and they want different things at different times in life. Joao, a creative young man, does not want to know much about salaries for now. He wants another unpaid leave for his second round the world. Joana, commercial director, who is pregnant with her third child, has concluded that she wants to work only four days a week. The boss, not guessing, has in the manga a great promotion that will entail many more trips. Never has the concept “success” been so called into question. If in the past we have survived well “incarnating” the professionals up the stairs in the traditional job grids, with half a dozen tricks of prestige and prestigious titles, today the model is bad. It is in the specific knowledge of what each “customer” values ​​that we can generate loyalty, customizing the offer. We are ready? Do we know what these “ferraris” want? Do we have internal flexibility for agile “out of the box” trading?

And we are taking care of the satisfaction in the work itself? A talented professional values ​​the environments of excellence. Good tools, of course, but also efficient processes, without redundancy or unnecessary bureaucracy. Responsibilities assiduously updated. Good course, but less control. Autonomy for decision and agility in superior approval. Be easy to evolve and innovate in the way you do. Communication is enough, but only necessary, without heavy reports or time wasted in useless meetings. Good personal identification with the organization’s mission and values ​​posted on the corridor wall, yes, but only if they are consistent with the boss’s attitude.

2. Prepare leaders and internal mechanisms Challenge, learning, recognition, opportunity, novelty, development. Magical words that have always surrounded the theme, but which today have gained a whole new weight at the time of choice. Have we measured these factors assiduously? The great difficulty is in the machine. On the one hand, in the qualification of the leaders, often come from a scope of technical excellence, but not gathering the necessary emotional and interpersonal skills. Are leaders prepared to be evaluated as responsible for this talent management? Will we be prepared to include at the end of each year not just the question: “have you achieved your business results?” But also, and above all, “does your team know to do more than last year?” Or ” Most of them feel motivated and want to stay here longer? ” And will HRs be prepared to help with speed, speed and autonomy when an urgent review of conditions is required to keep a key person from packing at the door?

We need more and better training for leaders, no doubt, but we need top management to understand the importance of a deep strategic partnership in people management so that all assessment, accountability, metrics and flexibility mechanisms are implemented With the same dynamics and autonomy of a commercial team of the nuclear business. In short

Times have changed. The talents want more out of your life. Want protagonism and achievement in the professional arena, but balance it with other equally important components. To retain these professionals will increasingly understand the motivational specificities of the new generations in general, and of each individual in particular, flexibilizing and customizing the available offer, in terms of remuneration conditions, but mainly in the contribution formats. Preparing the bosses and work management mechanisms for this new mindset will be as mandatory as complex and will include some painful breaks with the traditional assessment and performance monitoring and motivation format. In particular, it will require to measure more diligently if leaders are doing well in this area. And whoever is not looking forward to this, you may well risk seeing your most valuable collaborators migrate to more innovative places, maybe in the competition …

Source: RH Magazine

Human Resources Consulting