Accenture champions workplace change at Women’s Summit 2008

Shaping the Workplace of the future within a Multi-Polar world was the title of the enlightening and well-researched presentation by Mr Lim Beng Choon at the 2008 Women’s Summit.

Lim Beng Choon is the Country Managing Director of Accenture Malaysia. Having spent more than 25 years with Accenture in the US and Malaysia, he leads the company’s Management Consulting service line within the Resources industry group in the Asia Pacific region besides being responsible for its growth and profitability.

Accenture Malaysia was among three Malaysia-based companies to be recognised for their commitment to improving Workplace Practices at the inaugural PM’s CSR Award in 2007. Lim is especially proud of the way his organisation is constantly adapting to meet the needs of its people, and to learn what keeps them driven and motivated. Towards further innovation and responsiveness, Accenture recently co-sponsored some strategic research on the Net-Generation, also known as Generation Y.

The Net Generation Strategic Investigation led by Don Tapscott and New Paradigm contained some powerful insights into the newest generation entering the workforce. In so doing, it points the way to building mutual understanding between the different generations within the workforce in ways which stand to reduce conflict and boost productivity. In presenting some of these findings to the Summit, he felt it would sensitise the business community to changes on the horizon.

To begin, Lim pointed out that the workforce is changing, and it is imperative that we begin to understand what drives and motivates the younger generation which will soon dominate the workplace. Globalisation, ICT and the internet have created a new generation of workers - the Net-Generation. These are the young people born in the 1980s that are beginning to enter the workforce. Their numbers might not be significant now, however, it is estimated that by 2010 they will represent 40 percent of the global labour force. The workplace of the future is the workplace of the Net-Generation and in both direct and indirect ways their values and expectations will increasingly influence the workplace of the future.

So who are the Net Geners?
Net-Geners are mainly those in the 20 - 30 age range and they shared some general characteristics. They have a strong sense of confidence and a hunger for knowledge. The internet is essentially their second home. This is the wired generation, for whom information and connectivity is everything. They are constantly on instant messaging; ‘talking’ to ten people at a time on completely different topics is the norm. They may send and receive 50 text messages every day.

What drives them?
Quite contrary to commonly held views, Net-Geners are quite achievement oriented. They are confident of their abilities and are always eager for new challenges. Net-Geners want to be valued and appreciate feedback and inclusion in decision-making. They are not shy about approaching management on these issues; for them transparency is key.

Gen-Y employees dislike authority for authority’s sake, but have respect for individuals from whom they can learn or be coached. They are loyal to their personal career vision and not slavishly loyal to their employer. Therefore, ‘jumping ship’ is an option for them if they feel stifled or stagnant in their current position.

Net-Geners have strong feelings about achieving work-life balance and having a life which does not revolve solely around work. They would be more inclined to negotiate for this and to argue for flexi-hours because they feel they perform their best when they are able to manage their own time. For them there is no clear boundary between personal and work life - they are adept at multi-tasking and work continues even after hours, although it is inevitable that their personal lives spill into the work day. Facebook and other social networking sites are essential networking tools.

Keeping connected is crucial
The internet is the real world to Net-Geners. Google is their encyclopaedia and as many as 28 percent of them blog. They are technologically savvy and programming and accessing technology are fundamental needs. Based on the research, 77 percent of Net-Geners would rather live without TV than the internet. They are also innovative and playful and excel at cutting-edge fields, like music and gaming.

Net-Geners value freedom and customisation is key. In choosing their lifestyle, they are basically looking for employer options. They will scrutinise and evaluate their workplace - as such probation becomes a time for them to assess the employer, rather than the reverse!

They look for openness and collaboration, and value authenticity and integrity. Many desire to be involved in solving global problems and demonstrating corporate social responsibility in business operations. In summary, they are different.

A better workplace for women
Lim surmised from the research findings that paying attention to details that enable the workplace be more conducive to Net-Geners would also benefit women. In short, ‘understanding the Gen Y work ethic can form the basis for a revitalised and innovative workplace of the future’.
Generational differences can sometimes prove to be a barrier to effective coaching of new employees. Thus the research advocates nurturing a better understanding of the expectations, working styles and norm of the different ‘generations’, which in turn contributes to more effective coaching and knowledge transfer.
He offered the following advice.

1. Embrace change and be flexible
He encouraged Net-Genners to understand that BBs are accustomed to a 9 to 5 schedule and to be patient with their approaches to planning, decision making and info transfer which might be interpreted as slow and unintuitive. There were ways in which both generations could work together to determine realistic outcomes.

For Baby-boomers, he advised them to be more open-minded about work hours as Gen-Y is more comfortable with longer, looser work hours since they are more project driven and appreciate being able to organise their work as long as they are clear on what is expected of them. Net-Genners work best when they understand the criteria by which they are being evaluated and how they add value to the organisation. A good practice is to offer a variety of positions and use freedom to reward performance.

2. Understand motivation and reward
Different generations are motivated by different things and have different values. He encouraged Gen-Y employees to respect the experience and service to the company of their older generation peers and employers. To the Baby-boomer employers, he advised them to move away to rewarding people for time spent and to reward for performance and results. Gen-Y employees also appreciate instant feedback and transparency in decision-making. Finally, he advised employers to treat the resignation of good employees as an evolution of the relationship, not the end.

3. Teach AND Learn
Engage in coaching rather than managing. In other words, provide opportunities for Gen-Y employees to learn. Challenge and stretch them. Teach them new things and share experiences.

4. Technology appreciation
It is important to understand the role of communications technology to Gen-Y - and to look upon these and skills that can be tapped into, rather than a hindrance at work. Baby boomers could also stand to update their skills and familiarise themselves with multi-channel communications and collaborative tools to stay in touch. They should encourage virtual teaming and be more understanding of Gen-Y’s aversion to face-to-face meetings, which can also enhance efficiency.

The Accenture Example
Having covered some of the main pointers to bridge the inter-generational divide, Lim shared some of the ways Accenture is embracing the paradigm shift to become a workplace of choice for Net-Genners throughout its network. As a global company, it provides an attractive employee value proposition with attractive opportunities for career advancement. It has a market-facing structure dealing with consulting, technology and outsourcing, which is balanced with flexibility.

“Through our Global Delivery Network, we leverage the collective capabilities and creative power of our people all over the world” - Lim Beng Choon

Within the organisational structure, they have created ample opportunities to move around both globally and across sectors or job functions through Accenture’s one career marketplace. Accenture also believes in rewards and recognition. When employees stretch above and beyond for successful outcomes, they are given immediate recognition in the form of points which can be traded in for the latest gadgets and technology, for example. Accenture has also embraced people’s inclination to tell their stories and to network socially through its Accenture People webpages.

Accenture’s policies on Global Mobility make moving within the organisation simple and flexible while creating valuable opportunities for personal growth. In addition it has a comprehensive in-house training and learning programme which is driven by the employees own interests. This is reinforced by its ‘non-training’ talent development system which covers Communities of practice, Networking groups and events and finally, Mentoring.

In concluding his presentation, Lim emphasised that the new workforce is increasingly challenging the ways in which we structure the workplace. The Net-Generation is Changing Operational Demands by demanding more team-based and collaborative efforts. In addition they are increasingly challenging organisational silos and bureaucratic structures and inefficiencies.

Gen-Y is also Changing Employee Needs are actively seeking to utilise their intuitive use of technology to drive greater collaboration and communication. Thus, organisations need to upgrade and maintain a technologically savvy workplace to attract, recruit and retain the Net Generation.

Finally, Lim highlighted the need for businesses to be open to New Forms of Management. Organisations needed to provide global mobility, to provide more options for Net-Genners to decide how and where they want to work. The move towards reducing structure and enhancing networks would help boost agility and decentralising the decision-making process.

The Prime Minister’s CSR Awards, launched by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in 2007, aims to recognise companies that have made a difference to the communities in which they operate through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. Download the Official Entry Form.