Irrespective of industry and generation, securing a healthy work-life balance remains a top priority for workers, which is reflected in the push for more flexibility across industries in response to The Great Resignation.

However, according to an in-depth study published by Mavenlink, nothing dampens this aspiration quite like a “lazy co-worker”.

This was found to be especially true among Generation Z – a cohort who have developed a no-nonsense reputation in the workforce over the last few years. After lazy-workers, negative attitudes (42 per cent) and poor communication skills (34 per cent) were occasioned the most frequently as daily productivity killers.

The top three factors that stifled output all fall under the umbrella term: office culture. Younger workers are more inclined to resign from positions they deem to negatively contribute to stress. This shift in priorities sees cutting edge firms make a point to advertise an ecosystem that’s consistent with those values.

“While all age groups generally agree on the elements of a work culture that breeds success, there are some nuances in their responses,” the researchers wrote in the paper.

“Organisational leadership should take care to address these differences with a multifaceted approach. Luckily for organisational leadership, respondents highlighted their preferences for how to create a more inclusive, productive work culture.”

A multifaceted approach to upholding corporate ethics

Back in the pre-pandemic days of 2019, Mavenlink teamed up with Atomik Research to identify the most important correlation of successful work culture.

Of the 1092 participants surveyed, the majority (62 per cent) agreed that it came down to work-life balance. In other words, superiors and colleagues that were mindful of the personal limitations of one another more reliably achieved shared objectives.

In this way, the term “lazy” was employed in several different ways. For some (43 per cent), it was determined that working with an employee that talked more than they completed daily tasks adversely impacted overall output. While nearly half lamented this scenario, mid-level workers said that it was the number one productivity killer.

For others, laziness was characterized by a deliberate lack of action on behalf of management (e.g. activities that absorbed time with no obvious benefit).

Forty-one per cent of all the workers surveyed said that they were subjected to an excess of unnecessary meetings. For respondents over the age of 50, the price was evident by poor performance and waning engagement.

Many of the participants either felt that their organisational leaders burdened their staff with busy work or that they didn’t do enough to limit office distractions. Corporate politics, a lack of transparency, and an obvious and biased hierarchy system were often cited as executive failures. Each seemed to blunt a true meritocracy in unique ways.

“The research reveals that different age groups have nuanced preferences about how they’d like their work environment to feel,” the authors said.

“The survey also uncovers key elements for a productive workplace culture that ring true across all demographics: work-life balance, team-building, and continuous learning.”

Age determined what employees deemed to be the best approach to rebuilding a fractured office culture.

For 18 to 24-year-olds, flexibility was the most effective productivity measure. For 25 to 34-year-olds training was the best way to increase employee retention and engagement. For 35 to 44-year-olds a competent leader mattered the most. In their eyes, a supervisor should instruct their staff on proper conduct as well as supply them with a daily itinerary of relevant tasks.

It’s all very revealing given that the pre-pandemic “job-hopping” issue became The Great Resignation during and post-pandemic.

 

This article was originally published on The Ladders.