Droves of people realized during the pandemic that there is more to their careers, and companies were hit with the realities of having real employee experiences that matter.
Further, the shift in expectations puts an onus on organizations and CXOs to deliver on these expectations through digital investments, upskilling, and much more.
To help me explore all of this on this episode is Scott Vaughan. He’s an experienced CMO, and Board Level executive with many years of advising and leading the organizational go-to-market strategy, and Acceleration Economy network analyst.
Highlights
00:15 — This episode is brought to you by the Cloud Wars Expo. This in-person event will be held June 28th to 30th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.
00:42 — As an experienced CMO and board-level executive, Scott Vaughan joins for a conversation on the next generation of the great resignation and the reimagination of employee experiences.
02:02 — There has been a recent shift with the idea of the great resignation. One cause of this period could be due to major events that we have experienced and witnessed over the past couple of years—from the pandemic to racial and social injustices, and even simply life changes. The unevenness of society and businesses has created a surge of people stepping back and reflecting, shifting the great resignation more so toward the great reshuffle.
04:35 — Aaron reflects on a leadership mentor program that he was part of. Something that stood out to him during conversations with young professionals was that their passion is driven by their curiosity.
06:30 — There are two forces coming together in the great reshuffle. There are workers who feel displaced or couldn’t work for some time. Then, there are companies that need to find talent. Now, companies are waking up to realize they might just need to build their own programs and development efforts.
“It’s about attitude and aptitude that’s going to create the altitude if we can find the right kind of people.”
Scott Vaughan
07:58 — With the explosion of working from home, many saw the ease of accessibility to digital tools and learning capabilities. For instance, digital tools such as Zoom become more accessible to enable users to connect and collaborate for personal, professional, and educational purposes.
08:45 — Further, there’s a generation of native digital workers and talent that now have the tools to learn faster. Companies can take advantage of these opportunities by bringing in talent that could be from another industry but has high growth potential for both the company and the individual.
09:24 — The concept of ‘anti-work’ does not imply that people hate working. Rather, it’s intended to highlight how people were treated by an employer or their work environment and what they’re against in the workplace. People want to work where they feel valued.
10:24 — There’s a new set of criteria considering not just work-life balance, but work-life integration. It’s not necessarily to work more hours, but to rethink the strict, artificial standards that were in place.
11:15 — An important point that workers are prioritizing now is if they share the same values as the company. Do you share the same aspirations about things that matter? Companies are implementing specific types of diversity and inclusion efforts as well as acknowledging cultural values.
12:04 — Companies have been implementing sustainability efforts now, as many people have values that align with the environment and sustainability.
12:44 — Is there a lack of digital investment from companies? What impact does this have on a worker’s decision to work for a company? This can be a barrier to the employee experience. It’s an advantage to potential employees to stay modern with a digital infrastructure, mindset, and culture to ensure that it’s not just about the consumer experience, but also the employee experience.
15:40 — The company culture and company values can be the greatest contributors in industries that might have a staffing shortage. Companies need to be able to understand what their employees want and need, then make that part of the process. Additionally, companies need to have the ability to empower their employees to make the right decisions.
18:30 — There needs to be a customer-centric focus, too. If you’re focusing on your employees and customers, there’s going to be a symbiotic relationship of how things interact, especially in industries that are heavily dependent on employee-to-customer engagement.
“When you’re in the middle of a great resignation moving to a great reshuffle…there’s going to be a different environment that business leaders have to pay attention to.”
Scott Vaughan
20:02 — It’s more about initiatives and outcomes versus specific tasks and jobs that have to be done. That’s where empowerment comes in.
21:12 — With the pace of change in the workplace, it’s important to stay upskilled, as the jobs and roles that existed several years ago no longer exist as they do now. They’ve morphed into something different than they’re traditional thought of. This gives employees the opportunity to transform themselves as the business values and business evolution charge forward.
24:30 — People are becoming more empowered when it comes to pay equity and transparency. Business leaders need to be proactive about checking in and not just giving raises, but also looking at total compensation and all that can be done to continue maintaining empowered employees. In addition, business leaders shouldn’t wait for laws to be put into place to implement transparency.
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