Talent Has No Age, Only the Conditions It Needs to Grow

The snowflake generation. Gen Z is changing the world of work. Young people are not ready for the workplace. Headlines like these are appearing in the media with increasing frequency, but in the vast majority of cases, they are more about creating a sensation than accurately reflecting reality.

The problem with articles like these is that they reinforce prejudices and stereotypes that treat an entire generation as if everyone in it were the same. They also fuel generational tensions that are already heightened today.

Rather than relying on labels such as Gen Z, Generation X, Generation Y or Boomers, it is more useful to look at age cohorts – groups of people connected by shared experiences of political, economic, cultural and technological developments during their formative years. It is true that today’s emerging generation has grown up with modern technology as a natural part of life. They learn with it, work with it and live with it. Technology has shaped them from an early age, with all the benefits and risks this entails. But that does not mean that all young people are addicted to their phones, watch nothing but trivial videos or struggle to understand written text. These are stereotypes we create based on articles like these, or perhaps on a single personal experience.

We should not forget that every generation is made up of individuals. Each person is unique, with their own talent – perhaps still hidden or undiscovered – but everyone has potential. Capable and talented people can be found across all generations, and it is often multigenerational teams that are the most successful. Age alone tells us very little about a person’s abilities.

Life stage rather than age

Rather than dividing employees according to age, it is more useful to consider their life cycle – their stage of life, competencies, experience and current needs. A young graduate needs something different from a parent of young children, who in turn has different needs from a 55-year-old employee who is also caring for ageing parents.

A company that knows how to take these different life stages into account is attractive to employees. It can offer them what they need in their particular situation. This is naturally more challenging for large companies with thousands of employees, and even more so in manufacturing, retail or services, where a physical presence in the workplace is essential. Nevertheless, with well-designed internal policies and benefits, together with effective cooperation with line managers and shift supervisors, there are still ways to retain talent.

This is where the “macro perspective” – the shared experience of a generation – meets the everyday reality of HR: a specific person in a specific situation.

It is time to rethink what talent really means

Many companies still view talent in much the same way: a young person expected to progress upwards and gradually climb the career ladder; someone identified through succession planning as a future leader. But what if today’s young people are not particularly interested in management positions, while older colleagues are no longer seriously considered in succession plans? Talent management as we have known it is ceasing to fulfil its purpose. Perhaps it really is time to look at talent differently.

Why couldn’t a 45-year-old who wants to change careers or try working in a different department be considered talent? Yet assumptions immediately spring to mind: they were probably fired, otherwise why would they leave; or they will be too expensive and will not stay with us for long anyway.

Why couldn’t a recent graduate be considered talent? Again, doubts immediately arise: they are too young, they have no experience, they cannot lead a team.

And why couldn’t a person with a disability, or a woman returning from parental leave, be considered talent? Again, the objections come quickly: that won’t work, we will have to redesign half the office and rebuild the toilets, and what if something happens; her child will always be ill and she will not be able to focus fully on her work.

Talent is like a plant that needs the right environment in order to grow. When it has the right conditions, it can thrive for a long time. Without them, it struggles and may eventually wither away. If someone fails in a particular environment, it does not mean they lack talent. A cactus needs different conditions from an orchid, and each will flourish in the right environment.

Corporate culture and working conditions have a major influence on this. Respect, trust, psychological safety, at least some degree of autonomy, transparent communication and an individual approach are things employees across generations value.

These trends are not new – we simply failed to notice them

Many of the things that surprise us so much about younger generations are not actually new. Similar trends have emerged before. According to Deloitte’s 2018 Millennial Survey, young employees have long wanted corporate leaders – CEOs, leaders and senior managers – to actively pursue a positive social impact, promote key values beyond the company itself and respond responsibly to the needs of their employees. The study also partly reflects the views of Gen Z as they enter the labour market. In other words, there is nothing particularly new about this.

Young people want companies to make a clearer commitment to having a tangible positive impact on the world, while also preparing themselves and their employees for the changes brought about by Industry 4.0. According to the study, significantly more millennials also believe that business leaders have a more positive impact on the world than political or religious leaders. This makes it even more important for corporate leaders to step up their efforts and pursue initiatives that benefit all stakeholders.

Generational labels may attract readers, but they do not benefit businesses. If companies want to retain talent and grow, they need to start recognising talent wherever it genuinely exists, regardless of a person’s age or background.

This means stopping asking “how old are they?” and starting to ask “what stage of life are they in, and what do they need right now to perform at their best?” It means designing internal policies and benefits that work for parents of young children as well as people caring for loved ones, for recent graduates as well as experienced professionals who want to make a fresh start. It means teaching line managers to look for potential in every individual before automatically putting them into a box based on their age.

Talent – especially young talent – does not wait for a company to give it permission to flourish. It goes where it finds the conditions it needs to grow. It is up to companies whether they create those conditions or continue looking for reasons why it cannot be done.