Following on from an insightful First Friday discussion we had with our Connect members about nurturing and learning from the next generation of talent, we got talking about how different generations approach things like stakeholder relationships and flexible working. It proved to be an interesting debate! So, we interviewed 3 people, one gen X, one millennial and one gen Z to see how their answers to our questions differ, and we’d love to hear your thoughts too.   

Here are Victoria’s thoughts from a Gen Z perspective.  

1. How has the way you develop relationships with stakeholders changed in the last 5/10 years? 

‘Things have changed since COVID. It affected personal and professional relationships. I think now it’s about trying to be authentic, trying to engage in ways that feel authentic and trying to find the little things that are going to build your relationships. Although it’s harder now due to remote working, it’s still possible.’ 2.

2. How is your success measured now, compared to when you started your career?  

Before COVID, I feel like success was measured by how much time you spent in the office, and sometimes, being there working after hours was even considered a good sign that you were productive. Of course, the quality of your work and whether you were finishing your tasks was also a measure, but I believe nowadays, after COVID and with flexible working being more accepted and adopted by companies, success is being measured by achieving your tasks and goals, if the client is happy, the quality of the deliverables and the project in general, if the client is happy, etc etc 

3. Have you seen/experienced any management styles that positively impact modern working? 

The way that my role is currently managed is something so positive and so welcoming, and that is something brand new for me. You know, whereas in previous companies, and especially before COVID, I feel like things were a little bit more rigid, I would say. You would have to come into the office, do these things, by these times… It’s a much more positive way of management nowadays I’d say, with positive leadership and acknowledging learning styles and preferences. I believe the goal is to make the person seen, understood, and safe in the place they work in, and to make the employee feel like they are encouraged to do their job, having a better balance between work and personal life, encouraging your professional development 

4. What are your opinions on the way remote working is affecting company culture? 

‘I think that with remote working, companies have to put more thought to how they make I think that with remote working, companies have to put more thought into how they make the culture work and impact their employees. If the team are not seeing each other every day of the week, or if you have employees coming to the office only once a week, the company will have to really solidify their culture and how it engages with their employees in a remote setting to fully integrate the team. Which can be hard, you know. When you have to go into the office once or twice a week, it’s easier to have social events with the team, but fully remote? That can be challenging. Now, working at Coterie in a fully remote role, I can feel like the team is hugging me virtually after every call. We have weekly calls with the whole team, we meet up face to face quite regularly, and I feel like the culture of the company is there, present. Choosing the right employees is also a big part of this, to select people who will fit in and contribute to the culture.  

5. In your opinion what does a company that does not offer flexible and remote working mean for you?    

‘It’s 2024, after COVID, we all know that we can work from home, it’s been proven. If a company offers remote and flexible working it shows that they trust their employees. I love remote working; it allows me to have a good quality of life and spend time with my family. I like being able to get up, have a long walk and get ready for work without the stress of a commute.’ 

6. What types of work do you think can’t be done successfully remotely?  

‘I think, working at a marketing agency, anything can be done remotely. Maybe there are some creative roles that require input from lots of different people and different teams, or roles that require manual labour, but I can do my role successfully remotely. I believe doctors could struggle with it too but I’ve had a few virtual appointments since COVID! 

7. Do you think it’s essential to have face-to-face meetings to build positive, long-lasting stakeholder relationships?  

‘It is essential, but I think it all depends on how often you do that. I believe that if you see them once every month or once or every quarter, I think that that’s a good thing. ’