Upwork’s third annual Future Workforce Report found that 48% of younger generation managers (composed of Millennials primarily, with early Gen Z managers included as well) are director-level or higher already, showing they have major influence on workforce planning. This influence will only grow with these younger generations making up 58% of the workforce by 2028, an increase of 38% from today.

In today’s always-on workplace, 84% of Millennials have reported experiencing burnout at their job. Traditional methods of hiring are no longer providing sufficient relief. In fact, more than two times (42%) as many younger gen hiring managers felt hiring had become more difficult.  Now in a position of authority and facing this pain, younger generations see the need to rethink how work is done and are taking action.

“As younger generations ascend in the workforce and become the majority of managers in corporate America, they’ll reshape work as we know it," said Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork. "We know already that the most in-demand professionals place high value on flexibility. For example, the youngest generations are most likely to freelance. And professionals craving flexibility will increasingly have managers who not only understand this priority but will themselves expect it. We see this clear trend towards more flexible, remote work on the hiring side already based on this year’s Future Workforce Report.”

How Younger Gen Managers Are Shaping the Future of Work

They support remote teams as the new norm

• 69% of younger gen managers have team members who are allowed to work remotely.

• Younger generation managers are 28% more likely to utilize remote workers than Baby Boomers and believe that two out of five full-time employees will work remotely within the next three years.

• By 2028, the study projects that 73% of all teams will have remote workers.
  
  

They’re prioritizing workforce planning and embracing an agile future

• 52% of younger gen managers ranked future workforce planning as a top priority for their department, nearly three times more than Baby Boomers.

•  They are nearly two times more likely than Baby Boomers to have made significant progress in developing a flexible talent strategy as well as in investing in technology to support a remote workforce.

• The study predicts, by 2028, non-traditional, flexible talent (ie. freelancers, temporary and agency workers) will comprise 24% more of departmental headcount as compared to today.
  
  

“There are a many misconceptions about younger generations in the workforce today,” said Matthew Mottola, Future of Work and On-Demand Talent Program Manager at Microsoft. “We frequently hear things like lazy, entitled job hoppers. But nothing could be further from the truth. In my experience, Millennials are equally, if not more, committed to their work. But we expect more from our company. We expect to architect our careers according to our lifestyle and our passions. With the various opportunities our generation has at their fingertips – freelancing, remote work, entrepreneurship - companies can no longer assume our generation will settle for the status quo. The good news for companies is that if they embrace this agility and flexibility, they can drive innovation and change with their organization.”

Additional ASE Resources
Organizational Development - Workforce planning is an integral piece of Organizational Development. ASE offers consulting in many aspects of organizational development.  For more information, contact Michael Burns.

EDSI - ASE partner, EDSI, specializes in workforce development and planning.  For more information on our partnership and how EDSI can assist you with a workforce planning project, please contact Anthony Kaylin.

Source: upwork.com