Human connections are intrinsically complex, inside and outside of the workplace, and there are several aspects that impact how we perceive others, including age biases. One of our goals with this study is to foster a better understanding among generations on how we feel about our futures, our potential, our career aspirations, and the things we value the most, so that commonalities can outweigh differences.
Uncovering people’s outlooks on careers and the workplace is an important step in better managing your organization and setting it apart from others. The insights from this study can be a useful tool to elevate talent management strategies with a focus on humanity. It can also inspire leaders to implement a more mindful approach in their everyday interactions with people of all seniority levels and ages.
This study does not suggest we should be striving for homogeneity. Our differences are what make us unique and should be celebrated. As a society, we are part of an in-progress journey to embrace diversity in all its dimensions, which is enriching for organizations. But there is a destination we all aspire to reach — one where we all feel good about ourselves, where we can develop our potential, where we feel stable and capable of providing for ourselves and our families, and where we learn skills and contribute to the greater good. And we must continue developing empathy to achieve these positive outcomes collectively, regardless of age, seniority, or employment status. Leaders will play a key role in fostering this vision by becoming more self-aware and willing to transform themselves and their organizations.
We hope this study will enable all employees to develop a higher level of compassion toward one another — to see people as people, not just as skillsets or worker bees. This can be a starting point for organizations and leaders to develop a more human-centric talent strategy, unlock people’s potential, and build a stronger, more equitable future for all.