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Fiona Caines

A strategic powerhouse who loves to shift culture and change behaviour. Fiona’s experience spans global tech, retail, and hospitality. She’s particularly good at managing CEOs, breaking down complexity and bringing people on the journey. When she’s not singing in a chamber choir. We’re not sure what Fiona can’t do.

Fiona Caines
In Change

Are Gen Z reshaping the world of work?

Generation Z (1996-2012) walk among us. In fact, by 2025, they’ll account for more than 25% of the workforce. So, as organisations scramble for ways to attract and engage this new generation, how are our workplaces being reshaped?

Firstly, to understand a generation, we need to look beyond the stereotypes – and our unconscious bias – to understand people’s lived experiences and how it has influenced them.

So, how are Gen Z’s expectations shaping the workplace?

Technology
Gen Z matured alongside some of the greatest technology we’ve ever known, making them one of the most digitally savvy generations – ready, willing and able to adapt to new tools and technology. On top of that, they’ve thrived in the era of social media, driving a revolution in how we communicate. Their expectations of tech and comms needs to be met in the workplace (please don’t give them a BlackBerry) to create a stimulating and fulfilling experience. Anything less will be seen as the Stone Age.

Equality, diversity & inclusion
Gen Z grew up in a far more diverse world than any of the previous generations. And when they consider diversity, they are more likely to think beyond protected characteristics to include a mixture of experiences, identities, and opinions – as well as having the freedom to express themselves. To be seen and heard. Gen Z are holding organisations to account for their commitment to EDI – from a policy, leadership, and brand perspective – looking for those that stand by their word, and leaving those who don’t.

Purpose
Gen Z are the ‘hustle generation’ with many working two or more jobs. The cost-of-living is making this a necessity for some but on a deeper-level, Gen Z are exploring their passion projects, the activities that give them meaning – as well as extra cash. Organisational purpose has existed for decades but Gen Z are looking for workplaces where they can make a difference, doing something that sets their soul on fire. And let’s not forget about values – because how we do it (sustainably and ethically) means a lot too.

Flexibility
For Gen Z, the pandemic occurred at a pivotal time when they were just entering the workplace. So, all they ever knew was a zoom call from their bedroom. And this taste of work outside the office has meant that flexibility is a natural state of mind – it’s their expectation of work. And the key is flexibility – they don’t want to ‘WFH’ all the time, because they’re hungry for in-person communication, collaborating with real people. As workplaces reshape their office environments, creating space to connect and work together is vital for our newest generation. Those that can balance flexibility with collaborative environments will win the battle for Gen Z.

Fiona Caines
In Change, Communications, Culture

A new generation of benefits

Benefits are commonplace across many, if not all, organisations. They’re those extra little perks designed to help people save money, manage their wellbeing and maintain a better work-life balance.

But findings from a YouGov survey suggest that, in the UK alone, organisations are wasting up to £15bn a year on unused benefits. So, what’s going wrong?

One size fits all?

For some organisations, benefits are simply an incentive, in addition to salary. A way of saying, “when you work for us, you get access to all this great stuff!”

And it works. From free dental care and subsidised gym memberships to wellness programmes and flexible working… and everything in between. They’re normally packed with a variety of offerings – whether we need them or not – that can add genuine benefit to people’s lives.

But, at the same time, the one size fits all approach to benefits, fails to account for the real-life challenges, experiences and needs that people have. And with five generations in the workplace, there’s a lot of variance in terms of what people want and need, depending on where they’re at in their life-stage.

Perhaps this makes the eye-watering amount of waste make sense?

A meaningful approach

So, in an ever-competitive talent and retention market, organisations are beginning to evolve their approach to benefits, customising their offering and investing their budget in meaningful ways, responding to the needs of their employees, as they progress through their lives and careers.

These include student loan assistance and financial education for Gen Z; fertility treatment and family planning support to attract millennials; services to manage university admission processes for Gen X’s children and assistance services to manage the administrative aspect of caring for elderly relatives; and even ‘grand-ternity’ leave to allow employees time-off to support with childcare and spend time with grandchildren.

The organisations responding to genuine human needs are visibly showing their employees that, “we hear you, we see you, we care about you”. They’re creating a connection with their employees, and it benefits the organisation too – enhancing culture, boosting retention and even driving productivity.

Creating human benefits

Creating personalised, human benefits begins by understanding your employees. Yes, data can give you a broad understanding of the make-up of your organisation, but conversation is where you’ll uncover the real detail.

If your organisation has them, Employee Resource Groups are a positive place to start. These groups, formed around shared characteristics and interests, may already be engaged in conversation about the unique challenges they face and the support they require and/or would benefit from, from the organisation.

Recruitment teams may also provide further valuable insight into the types of questions potential candidates are asking around benefits, as well as what competitors are offering.

And we, at Home, can also share some of the recent changes we’ve introduced to ensure we show up for each other, through many of life’s difficult phases.

On our LinkedIn page, we’ve shared our menopause and cancer policies. And although we call them ‘policies’, they’re designed to ensure that we can all benefit from a culture and environment that recognises the unique (and incredibly challenging) circumstances we can all face.

By making these available our aim was to spark a conversation that needs to be had, making these policies more common, and to provide a template – a foundation – for other organisations to build on and implement.

Let’s transform how we think about benefits from a catalogue of short-term perks to a personalised offering that enables people to be at their best, no matter where they are in their life journey.

If this is something you’d like to chat more about, drop us a message, email or even give us a call.

Fiona Caines
In Culture

New Year resolutions for employee experience in 2024

The new year often feels like a fresh start, and the perfect opportunity to go after those big ambitions.

So, if your resolution for 2024 is to create a great employee experience, here are four ideas to get you started… and some tips to make sure your resolution sticks.

Listen with the right intent

By listening to people’s aspirations for the future, we can design the most impactful and authentic employee experiences. The type that keeps people coming back day-after-day, doing their best work.

But it’s important we listen with the right intent. The intent to act on the things we hear.

Simply listening more won’t make things better. In fact, it often leads to frustration. We have run many focus groups where attendees say things like ‘I’ve said all this before. What’s going to be different this time?”

So, before you embark on any listening activity, be clear on your intent to act:

Are you listening for insight – to better understand our audiences, their opinions on the current experience and aspirations for the future?

Are you listening to involve – including people in decision-making, keeping them informed and seeking their view on changes that directly impact them?

Or are you listening to innovate – proactively looking for feedback to generate new ideas and better ways of working – for people, and the business?

Make the workplace, worth the commute

It’s no secret that hybrid working is here to stay. And whilst there are plenty of benefits of working from home (well, hello there work-life balance!), we also have an opportunity to rethink how we use the workplace to give us something we all need – connection.

Because with more and more organisations asking (or even mandating) for people to return to the office, let’s make the commute worthwhile by creating experiences that can only happen in the workplace.

Think team meetings, leadership interactions, growth opportunities. The types of activities that bring people together, create a sense of fulfilment, a better understanding of the business and enable people to be productive.

By changing how we think about the workplace, we can make it a place where more people want to be – and a place that drives better business outcomes – rather than a place people have been told they have to be. 

Prioritise wellbeing

We all deserve to have employee experiences that are positive. Ones that make us feel energised, where we can flourish and feel good about ourselves. Because when we feel good, we’re able to be our best selves and do our best work. When we don’t, we just can’t.

So, let’s adopt a holistic approach to wellbeing, focusing not only on physical health but also on mental, emotional, and financial wellbeing.

This well-rounded approach to wellbeing recognises the complex and varied challenges people can face during their lifetime, and can equip them with the tools, knowledge and support to navigate them.

Our problems and worries don’t disappear when we start work. This support not only benefits an individual, but it also benefits the business too – reducing burnout and absence, increasing retention, and boosting productivity.

And how do we create a holistic approach to wellbeing… by listening to people for insight, to involve them and to innovate with them. What does wellbeing mean to them?

Create the leaders of the future

We keep saying everything is different, but why do we keep trying to lead people in the same way?

Our expectations of leaders are completely different to what they used to be. Culture is now one of the biggest leadership priorities. So, maybe it’s time we changed how we develop our leaders, so they always have a positive impact and show up in the right ways.

Let’s rethink leadership development, balancing theory with real-world and immersive experiences to focus on the things that will have the biggest impact on people, culture and the organisation. Human leadership.

Get a head start in 2024

Whatever your resolution for employee experience in 2024, here are a few simple steps to make it stick:

  1. Dream BIG
    Because why not?! Big dreams are compelling. Something to aim for. A vision for a future we want to be a part of.
  2. Make a plan
    Now take the big dream and break it into small, manageable chunks. Think of it as the who, what, where, when and how to achieve your vision. Having a plan written down can help you stick to a goal… it also feels great crossing items off once they’re complete!
  3. Get support
    Having a robust support system can help you stay accountable and motivated. At Home, we believe in career-defining relationships… because we want to see you succeed. So, if you’re looking for advice, strategic development or a fresh creative approach, we’re just the team you’re looking for.

 

We’re offering free inspiration sessions to get you in the right headspace for a successful year. Here’s the link to find a time that works for you and your team: https://calendly.com/this-is-home/creative-inspiration-sessions?month=2024-01

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