Valuing Young People in the Workplace

Webinar Report: 21st September 2021

How workplace innovation meets the aspirations of Gen Z: A conversation between experts, business leaders . . . & young people.

Scotland’s Developing the Young Workforce strategy focuses on a key priority for the future of the country’s economy and labour market. People born since 1990 now make up around a third of Scotland’s workforce, and workplace innovation has an important role to play in ensuring that younger workers have every opportunity to reach their full potential at work.

There is a mountain of research and survey evidence about ‘Generation Z’ and younger millennials, and how their behaviours and aspirations differ from their predecessors. Younger people are characterised as digitally-literate multi-taskers who are comfortable with diversity – attributes sought after by employers – but also more susceptible to stress and mental illness.

In choosing employment, young workers place a premium on ethical and transparent leadership, diverse and inclusive workplaces, opportunities for interaction and collaboration, meaningful work to which they can fully commit themselves, and personal wellbeing. Helping younger people to reach their full potential at work will be enhanced by emotionally intelligent leadership, coaching behaviours, task variety and two-way inter-generational learning.

Through panel discussions, this webinar explored the experiences of young people at work in Scotland, and identified international good practice in the workplace.