Future work priorities of 'Gen Y' in India
Steelcase WorkSpace Futures synthesized the data and developed the insights based on employee responses, across a number of multi-nationals and Indian corporations.
STEELCASE, a global office environment’s manufacturer, presents a human-centered research project to explore work behaviors and attitudes of young professionals in India. The research focuses on paradigm shifts in the nature of the workplace, which gives valuable insights into the revolution of the office. This in turn identifies opportunities in work environments and maps the future of the Indian corporate sector. Steelcase identified this change and hence initiated the study of Generation Y. The purpose of the ‘Gen Y’ study is to aid in engaging and motivating workers and retaining the right talents; keeping in mind the transformation of the workspace. This research aims to provide a good foundation for office space design and developing new best practices to successfully attract, engage and retain talent. “With the increasing influence of the Gen Y knowledge workers at work, we are assured the importance of understanding the major trends happening in the workplace. The key implications of our research provide good insights to the Indian company management enabling them to better plan and design the future workplace for this next generation workforce,” said Uli Gwinner, president, Steelcase Asia Pacific. “We believe when the workplace better supports workers, business results improve, and so do worker attraction, engagement, satisfaction and retention.”
Some Key Understandings of Gen Y · Optimistic about new possibilities and the future· Desire and drive for entrepreneurship and making a difference· Keen sense of competition both regional and global· Work is essential, but the focus is on shortening the process· Deep interest and pride in owning state-of-the-art technology· Want lots of money, faster and quicker· Shifting focus from Family First to Me First,: My Work, My Friends, My Things, and My World Some Key Observations of Gen Y · Peer to peer interaction, quick collaboration and learning from others is the way to get the work done and achieve growth· Inter- and intra-departmental competitions inspire employees to be competitive…winners are recognized and rewarded· Traditions, religious beliefs and cultural values are deeply embedded in the minds and hearts of people, and are present in modern work life · MNC interiors are safe havens, offering a new identity to employees and providing refuge from the chaotic and polluted outside environment· Type of work can not be isolated from its impact, company’s reputation, and salary paid · Desire for impactful work, higher level of contribution and entrepreneurship· Focus on RAPID growth· Its about differentiation: How different am I compared to others…Better, smarter and more influential· Social relationships are of prime importance· Work Environment is a prime attractor as it enhances employee image and offers prestige Steelcase WorkSpace Futures synthesized the data and developed the insights based on employee responses, across a number of multi-nationals and Indian corporations. From the research, most of the workers emphasized a strong desire for creating a workplace that is fun and that supports cross-team and generation sharing and collaboration. They also perceive the workplace as a platform not only to perform work, but also for continuous learning, personal growth and social networking. “This multi-functional work environment will transform the workplace design to provide a more user-centered office environment that enhances work flexibility and also facilitates easy and constant communications among teammates,” added Gwinner. The Key learning’s - Seven Major Workplace Shifts As an effect of the pervasive influence of ‘Gen Y’, seven major workplace shifts were identified in the Indian workplace: 1. “Local” to “Global” – though the focus is deeply rooted in their own community, there is increasing awareness of global opportunities2. “Service” to “Core Competencies” – focus is on honing ones skills and expertise 3. Workplace - “an expense” to “an investment” – the workspace is made more attractive and reflects the identity of the company4. “Inherited Identity” to “Created Identity” - developing an independent identity based on merit of education, job profile, etc.5. “Job Security” to “Growth” – growth is more important than security 6. “WORK- Life” to “WORK - LIFE” – focus is more on quality than quantity; irrespective of geographical space7. “Connections” to “Collaborations” – teams based on individual skills collaborate keeping in mind a larger goal About Steelcase WorkSpace FuturesSteelcase WorkSpace Futures, is based in the company’s headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with researchers covering various regions. They conduct human-centered research into targeted markets, such as healthcare, education, bioscience, and professional services. Using proven methodologies, they seek to gain an ongoing understanding of where these industries are heading, what challenges they may be facing, and what current trends might be. The research process borrows heavily from practices in ethnographic research as well as other methods such as those practiced at the Institute of Design in Chicago. The process consists of six phases: · Understand, during which a secondary research is conducted examined by best practices;· Observe, during which they spend time at various sites, shadowing users and conducting interviews; · Synthesis, when they analyze collected data and use it to create design principles which in turn allow them to generate concepts for new spaces, products or processes; · Realize, when they sketch and build in small scale those concepts which we deem most viable;· Prototype, when the best of the small scale models are built in full-size, using foam core or real product; and· Measure, during which they run various types of experiments to test on prototypes with real users in real environments
Some Key Understandings of Gen Y · Optimistic about new possibilities and the future· Desire and drive for entrepreneurship and making a difference· Keen sense of competition both regional and global· Work is essential, but the focus is on shortening the process· Deep interest and pride in owning state-of-the-art technology· Want lots of money, faster and quicker· Shifting focus from Family First to Me First,: My Work, My Friends, My Things, and My World Some Key Observations of Gen Y · Peer to peer interaction, quick collaboration and learning from others is the way to get the work done and achieve growth· Inter- and intra-departmental competitions inspire employees to be competitive…winners are recognized and rewarded· Traditions, religious beliefs and cultural values are deeply embedded in the minds and hearts of people, and are present in modern work life · MNC interiors are safe havens, offering a new identity to employees and providing refuge from the chaotic and polluted outside environment· Type of work can not be isolated from its impact, company’s reputation, and salary paid · Desire for impactful work, higher level of contribution and entrepreneurship· Focus on RAPID growth· Its about differentiation: How different am I compared to others…Better, smarter and more influential· Social relationships are of prime importance· Work Environment is a prime attractor as it enhances employee image and offers prestige Steelcase WorkSpace Futures synthesized the data and developed the insights based on employee responses, across a number of multi-nationals and Indian corporations. From the research, most of the workers emphasized a strong desire for creating a workplace that is fun and that supports cross-team and generation sharing and collaboration. They also perceive the workplace as a platform not only to perform work, but also for continuous learning, personal growth and social networking. “This multi-functional work environment will transform the workplace design to provide a more user-centered office environment that enhances work flexibility and also facilitates easy and constant communications among teammates,” added Gwinner. The Key learning’s - Seven Major Workplace Shifts As an effect of the pervasive influence of ‘Gen Y’, seven major workplace shifts were identified in the Indian workplace: 1. “Local” to “Global” – though the focus is deeply rooted in their own community, there is increasing awareness of global opportunities2. “Service” to “Core Competencies” – focus is on honing ones skills and expertise 3. Workplace - “an expense” to “an investment” – the workspace is made more attractive and reflects the identity of the company4. “Inherited Identity” to “Created Identity” - developing an independent identity based on merit of education, job profile, etc.5. “Job Security” to “Growth” – growth is more important than security 6. “WORK- Life” to “WORK - LIFE” – focus is more on quality than quantity; irrespective of geographical space7. “Connections” to “Collaborations” – teams based on individual skills collaborate keeping in mind a larger goal About Steelcase WorkSpace FuturesSteelcase WorkSpace Futures, is based in the company’s headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with researchers covering various regions. They conduct human-centered research into targeted markets, such as healthcare, education, bioscience, and professional services. Using proven methodologies, they seek to gain an ongoing understanding of where these industries are heading, what challenges they may be facing, and what current trends might be. The research process borrows heavily from practices in ethnographic research as well as other methods such as those practiced at the Institute of Design in Chicago. The process consists of six phases: · Understand, during which a secondary research is conducted examined by best practices;· Observe, during which they spend time at various sites, shadowing users and conducting interviews; · Synthesis, when they analyze collected data and use it to create design principles which in turn allow them to generate concepts for new spaces, products or processes; · Realize, when they sketch and build in small scale those concepts which we deem most viable;· Prototype, when the best of the small scale models are built in full-size, using foam core or real product; and· Measure, during which they run various types of experiments to test on prototypes with real users in real environments
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