Elsie Hui
HR director, North Asia, HRBP, Property & Asset Management, Jones Lang LaSalle
Challenges
The post-80s generation is characterised by individualism. What appeals to them is the idea of a place where it is fun to work. Compared with older generations, they make having a good work-life balance a high priority. As they generally have a high level of academic qualifications, they often look for higher salaries and faster promotions. Failure to achieve this can easily lead to a sense of frustration. At the same time, the post-80s generation expects more autonomy at work and they are not afraid to tell people what they want in terms of rewards, recognition and elements of fun.
Adaptations
Jones Lang LaSalle has an open culture and an office plan that reflect that, so all employees can get to know each other without regard to grades or titles as a barrier to communication. For us, coaching is an important part of the corporate culture. Our managers are trained to listen and to involve their teams in decision-making, putting the principles of participative management into practice. They speak to subordinates about career aspirations and help them achieve their goals. We also make a point of organising a range of activities so that people meet and socialise outside the workplace.
Feedback
We are in the process of completing a formal global employee engagement survey, the results of which will be ready by the end of this month. Informal feedback so far indicates that the younger generation appreciates the time spent to help them learn and grow.
They also mention the feeling of teamwork with the company and the fact that they can see there will be opportunities to keep learning during their career with us.
Bonnie Lau
Head of human resources, Ngong Ping 360
Challenges
About 50 per cent of Ngong Ping 360's employees are members of the post-80s generation. They are sociable and have a fun approach to life, but are also quite realistic in practical matters. One thing we have noticed is that, at work, they prefer emails and the internet over face-to-face meetings.
In the workplace, they show tenacity and the ability to multitask. Besides that, they keep asking, `what's next?' To encourage and motivate these employees, you need to let them work with bright and creative people. In addition, they expect positive feedback and regular encouragement.
Adaptation
For these reasons, we provide an open environment where colleagues are welcome to step into their manager's office and discuss things directly. We also encourage staff to have multiple skills so that they can work in different roles and have greater responsibilities. To make this possible, we provide job rotation opportunities to help staff develop new skills and gain a wider perspective. As a way of communicating more easily with younger colleagues, we chat on Facebook to understand their feelings and concerns.
Feedback
With all these measures, we have created a stronger sense of unity within the company and our staff turnover rate has dropped. Colleagues are more willing to share their feelings, discuss ideas and make an extra effort to perform well in their positions. These are signs of a positive culture and happy work environment. Most importantly, we feel employees, including those from the post-80s generation, are proud to be members of the Ngong Ping 360 team.
