What Feedback Do Generation Z Want

Make way Millennials, because Gen Z is taking over the workplace, and businesses need to get ready for the largest demographic cohort that is set to start entering the professional workforce in the next few years. In order for companies to prepare for this next generation, they’ll need to start thinking about how to begin adapting their corporate cultures to suit the new kids on the block. Gen Z kids are no fools. They’ve seen the housing and underemployment struggles their older Millennial friends and siblings have been going through for the better part of a decade, and have learned to prioritize stability and security. As such, they’re not afraid of working hard and jumping into solving problems if it means thriving in a company whose culture suits them best. That said, they’ve grown up in a world connected by technology 24/7, and are no strangers to disruptive innovations. Boundaries mean nothing to this generation, and they actively seek out flexible opportunities that allow them to drive their own destiny.

 

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Clearly, Gen Z workers have high expectations, and they will not be held down by tradition. They are quick to adapt, and will have no problem pushing for change if they feel that their expectations are not being met as expected or promised. Companies looking to attract – and retain – this new generation of workers will have to learn how to communicate on their level. This means learning to listen, and learning to respond, as this is a generation that reportedly values happiness and relationship quality higher than careers. Failure to keep pace with their need for feedback and change could mean alienating a significant pool of valuable employees.

Businesses can start warming up their relationships with Gen Z early on by participating in things like career fairs or inviting students to “open houses”. Like their predecessors, Gen Z loves network-building opportunities, and such events can be a great way to help companies get their name out and start learning about the kinds of young workers they’re looking to hire the most. Amazing company culture is particularly attractive to this generation as well, especially since technology makes it easy to see and hear about what advantages competing businesses offer their workers.

Making use of 360 feedback software is one of the most effective ways for companies to get data on their employees’ strengths, needs and wants so that they can enact changes based on the results, allowing them to adapt company culture and other aspects of working life in a timely manner. Allowing Gen Z workers to get feedback from their colleagues, supervisors and subordinates on a regular basis gives them food for thought and shows them that their employer is invested in their personal growth and development. Statistics are secondary to these young workers, who would much rather learn about how to improve their interpersonal and team building skills, rather than having a box ticked off for having met last month’s sales quota.

Credits: iStock Photos

This is also a generation that seriously knows its technology. Bombarding them with bubble sheets and pen-and-paper reviews is a quick way to get on their blacklist if there’s a better, faster technical alternative. If 360 reviews have been rising in popularity, the rise of the Internet and recent technological improvements are definitely big factors, as large amounts of data can now be collected quickly and efficiently at the stroke of a few keys and the click of a button. Give Gen Z the most in-depth feedback you can, making use of the best tools possible, because if somebody else is doing better, they will know – and they will eventually ask for it.

On that note, young workers today want to see that their employers take review results seriously. This is a generation that favours face-to-face interactions when it comes to getting feedback or giving feedback, as they want to be treated with respect and be shown that they can be the voice of change when it comes to taking on company matters that affect their day-to-day life. They value managers who show a willingness to help them to improve their skills and behaviours, and will quickly turn away from platitudes. For instance, employers who leverage review results to help their young employees come up with personal development plans will be viewed with much more respect than companies that attempt to bribe employee loyalty with gimmicky toys whilst ignoring deeper needs and wants.

While all this might seem like a bit much, technology has made it very easy for today’s young workers to be very vocal about their desires – and to see just how green the grass is on the other side. 360 degree feedback will help employers understand what they can do to attract and retain Gen Z employees, allowing them to stay current and to keep their businesses thriving with the best talent they can find.

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360 Degree Feedback: Things to Consider Before Implementing

360 degree feedback has been all the rage these past few years, especially thanks to recent technological innovations which make it easier to collect, analyze and share large amounts of data than ever before. It’s certainly a great way to improve the way employee evaluations are undertaken, and can help businesses create great corporate culture. However, besides simply considering the benefits, there are a few things that businesses should consider before implementing 360 feedback:

What are your goals?

360 degree feedback isn’t right for every business. While it is certainly used across a different range of industries, and in businesses both large and small, 360 reviews must be undertaken with specific goals in mind for them to be remotely effective. For instance, businesses must establish what skills, behaviours and competencies they deem to be important within their organization. It’s also important to consider what factors are going to be measured, how they will be measured, and how they will be used.

Don’t forget to consider that 360 reviews are meant to be forward-looking, and are not actually meant to be used as a way of punishing or rewarding employees in terms of things like sales targets or number of absences. It should rather be implemented with the intention of helping employees to gain more insight on themselves, so that they may develop a personal career plan enabling them to grow and contribute to the company in a more effective, meaningful way.

How will you communicate with your employees?

Evaluations are always nerve-wracking, and nothing is more important than clarity when it comes to dealing with touchy subjects like implementing new review processes. It’s extremely important to consider how you’re going to train employees to participate in and make use of 360 reviews. Part of this includes justifying why you even want to implement a new review system in the first place, which goes back to the first point we mentioned earlier – having clear goals. Employees need to be reassured as to why new reviews are implemented, and how they will be personally impacted by the results. By failing to adequately train employees in the review process, you may end up doing the company a bigger disservice than anticipated. Be clear and upfront about how data will be used and by whom, so that employees are not anxious, suspicious or confused. You might consider providing a platform for employees to express their thoughts and concerns, so that you can take any prevalent concerns into account when implementing a 360 review system in your organization.

What do you expect from your employees?

When communicating with employees about how 360 reviews work, you should also explain to them what exactly you expect from whom. Many people will be unfamiliar with the 360 process, and might be quite surprised to be asked to review a supervisor or a close friend. On the other hand, others might be very intimate with the 360 process, and have some pretty vocal feelings about it – positive or negative. When training your employees on the 360 review system, you’ll want to give everybody a clear understanding of what is expected of them when giving out reviews, walking through their own results, or helping a subordinate to understand and make use of their review.

Make sure that employees are hyper-aware of what the goals of the review are – what is being measured and how they are being used. Employees should also have a clear understanding of what a review should look like in terms of quality and quantity. This will ensure that reviews are of an appropriate nature, and that everybody gets a fair, useful assessment. Don’t forget to let employees know when they should be providing reviews, and when they should expect reviews and results in turn. Managing employee expectations is just as important as articulating your own in order to ensure that everybody is satisfied with how the process is operated.

What is your current corporate culture?

While corporate culture may not seem like an important factor to consider when implementing a 360 review process, it can actually play a significant role in determining how employees participate in the system and make use of their review results. For instance, in some companies, employees may not actually be used to getting reviews at all, and may regard a 360 system with suspicion, or consider it particularly intrusive. Other companies may have a culture that is strongly tied with productivity and the optimal use of time, where employees may feel that participating in 360 reviews will take away from their “actual” work. They may even feel resentful if it is implied that participating in reviews means having to take on more work into their already packed schedules. As such, you should be honest about addressing your company’s values when considering how to best implement a 360 degree review process in a way that is useful without being disruptive.

Conclusion

Ultimately, as with many things in business, the biggest problems that a company may face when implementing a new 360 employee evaluation process may be adequately addressed through clear, upfront communication. Keep an open channel of communication with your employees so that you can be sure there is a strong baseline of understanding as to how a 360 review can be beneficial, and so that you may address any major concerns prior to actually implementing the new system. By communicating your expectations clearly and by showing an understanding of employee expectations, implementing and managing a new 360degree feedback system should go quite smoothly.

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from 360 Degree Feedback Tool & Employee Evaluations Software http://bit.ly/2J69EwD
via Grapevine Evaluations