UAE professionals say leadership style in the workplace would have to change before the next generation enters the workforce, according to new research by Robert Walters, a global recruitment agency.
32 per cent of professionals believe employers will have to rethink current leadership styles before Gen Alpha, the generation succeeding Gen Z and encompassing those born between 2010 and 2025, start working.
This compares to just 9 per cent believing faster AI and technology adoption will be the biggest challenge in managing a generation expected to enter work with unprecedented AI literacy, the Robert Walters study found.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Moreover, leadership style also ranked ahead of career progression (18 per cent), learning and development (16 per cent) and office attendance (15 per cent), suggesting employers should be thinking carefully about how they will develop and manage Gen Alpha workers, according to the study.
How do current employers view Gen Alpha?
Gen Alpha is unlikely to reshape workplace culture alone, with just 11 per cent of professionals believing they will have the greatest influence on workplace culture by 2036. More than a third (37 per cent) expect Gen Z to have the greatest influence, 23 per cent point to Millennials and 25 per cent expect workplace culture to be shaped by a mix of generations.
Andrew Powell, Chief Commercial Officer at the firm, said the future workplace won’t belong to a single generation, adding that managers will bring together people with different perspectives.
Today’s workforce is also broadly positive about Gen Alpha’s arrival, with 31 per cent looking forward to the fresh ideas and perspectives they could bring. Just 12 per cent say they are concerned about workplace differences.
“The strongest leaders will understand the individual in front of them, establish clear ways of working and create opportunities for knowledge and experience to move across their teams,” Powell said. “Trying to manage people according to generational labels will only get them so far.”
Technology is only one part of the adjustment ahead with 31 per cent of professionals believing different expectations around work-life balance will present the biggest challenge for managers, followed by demand for flexibility (18 per cent) and different communication styles (15 per cent).
Source: Khaleej Times