TALKING

Anywhere between half and three quarters of Gen Z workers are planning to change jobs next year .

biggest challenges facing AP , with Ardent Partners finding that almost a third of professionals cite it as a major concern .

Attracting Gen Z to AP is a tough sell at the best of times . The job is difficult , repetitive and workers can only use mandated tools . There ’ s little opportunity for innovation or autonomy because the scope of the role is necessarily limited by the systems already in place .

Things are very different when a department embraces modern digital tools that are customizable by design . These enable a business to move to a truly communitybased model of employment where anyone can contribute ideas for new applications , workflows and other tools – or even code them themselves .

Instantly , every employee gains a whole new perspective on work : it ’ s no longer something you do for a paycheck or to satisfy your line manager but becomes an occupation where your contribution – to your colleagues , your department and to the wider business – is limited only by your skill , imagination and ambition .

Many companies like to talk about how they ’ re changing the world , and Gen Z are savvy at distinguishing between those that mean it and those that don ’ t . If a business can show they are using technology to reimagine roles and give workers responsibility and agency , it will make younger people sit up and take notice . And it will do wonders for an even bigger bugbear of recruiters : retention .

Multiple studies have highlighted the line between employee dissatisfaction and burnout . If people lack the tools to do their job efficiently or spend most of their time processing manual inputs like a stoker shovelling coal into a boiler , they won ’ t get the notice or praise that makes such a difference to morale . Instead , they end up feeling like robots whose job is simply to keep the wheels turning .

Compare that to workers who are allowed – or better , encouraged – to write a bit of code or suggest an improvement to operations , and then see it adopted by their department . There ’ s no feeling more satisfying or re-energizing .

In the post-pandemic landscape , Digital Transformation has become an imperative as businesses look for new strategies , operating models and innovations to take them forward .

If a business doesn ’ t think Gen Z has a contribution to make towards that mission , they ’ re not going to have much luck enticing them to join . So consider what your next job posting will look like : will it simply contain a list of responsibilities and requirements , or will it be a call for new recruits to take a central role in shaping the future of your company ?

With the right technology , you can ensure your business is the most attractive to any candidate – today and for many generations to come . p

38 INTELLIGENTCIO LATAM www . intelligentcio . com