In May this year, a Collier Pickard blog article argued that EX is more important than CX when designing CRM and workflow automation. And it argued that you need a No-Code platform to deliver great flexibility and speed of change to meet the demands of delivering top-quality EX within the workforce. Now this argument becomes even stronger with the arrival of Gen Z into the workplace. The ability to quickly accommodate changes in emphasis will be an important factor in retaining and developing Gen Z employees.
Following the ManpowerGroup 2023 report (referenced in the May blog) that showed 77% of employers have difficulty attracting the talent they need in their workforce – the research spawned another investigation here in the UK – the focus of which was engagement with the ‘next generation’ workforce. This research identified a mismatch between employer expectations and Gen Z aspirations. But before going into this, let’s look at some generic characteristics of this upcoming generation of employees.
Gen Z people are tech-savvy and proficient in multimedia communications and apps in general. They are driven by a strong sense of purpose and keen to understand ‘why’ rather than simply following procedures by rote. They are more aware of diversity and of mental health than previous generations, and this puts a different emphasis on the so-called work-life balance. Flexibility is the aspiration, over and above previous generations. They also value continuous learning and skills development and are therefore happy to engage in new areas, provided they are seen as purposeful.
The private UK survey identified that 86% of interviewed organisations have difficulty in recruiting young people – mainly because the younger generation has aspirations that are not satisfied by traditional recruitment methods and perceived employment packages. Some employers are trying to buck this trend by using social media and outreach programmes to understand the generational shift in attitudes – but this amounted to only 50% of the employers engaged in the research.
So let’s get back to the question – what impact will Gen Z employees have on CRM and workflow planning? And the answer has to be that they will investigate and propose ways of working that better suit the attributes outlined above. They will want to adapt the status quo in favour of their work-life balance views and in favour of constant improvement. In turn, the employer needs a strong focus on the employee experience (EX) when designing or adapting business workflows and process automation.
Given the high level of competition for talent in this country, the ability to demonstrate great EX within an organisation could become a differentiator in recruitment success and in long-term skills retention. And it could help minimise potentially adverse outcomes, arising from the impact of Gen Z employees entering the workplace.
If you would like to find out more about a focus on EX and No-Code platforms for CRM and workflow automation, please get in touch.
Data sources: a private research project, ManpowerGroup, ONS.
