A closer look into the shifting dynamics of the workplace

Several years after the pandemic reset how we look at work, the dust is beginning to settle. A close look at shifting dynamics in the workplace reveals fascinating trends along generational lines, the rise and decline of remote work, and much more.

The American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2024 Work in America survey examined the repercussions of having four to five generations share the workplace at once, the impacts of AI on workplace morale and future outlooks, and the ways Americans feel they can best perform their jobs.

These insights provide valuable guidance on how communicators and HR pros can approach their own workplaces, and with so much change happening in such a short amount of time, the sooner you know your workplace inside and out, the better.

Younger employees prefer to work with someone closer in age

With such an intergenerational workforce, it’s key to be able to at least work with, if not relate to coworkers from different age demographics. Those demos are:

• The Silent Generation, born between 1928 and 1945
• Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964,
• Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980,
• Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996
• Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2010

The survey showed that 62% of workers under the age of 25 said they felt most comfortable working with people their own age, and those numbers remained over half of survey respondents for workers up to age 43.

Additionally, the survey revealed that 30% of American workers see coworkers who are far apart in age from them as not sharing their values or ideas. Additionally, 29% reported feeling self-conscious about their age at work, and a further 25% were concerned about their job security for age-related reasons.

One silver lining within the data centered on the willingness of generations to collaborate — 92% of respondents said they appreciated the chance to work with other generations, and a further 87% said having multiple generations in the workplace was a business advantage.

An effective and welcoming workplace can seamlessly bring intergenerational comms approaches to the forefront of any strategy. Diversity in age groups can also bring a valuable diversity of perspectives, which you can harness to connect generations under one roof.

One-third of workers feel their flexibility at work is lacking

The APA survey also showed that today’s American workers place a high priority on where and how they do their jobs. Flexibility is still at the top of the priority list for employees, with one in three reporting that they don’t work in their preferred location or cadence like a hybrid schedule.

Whether your workforce is remote, hybrid or in office, clear communication about expectations is a must. Root your communication about where your employees work in your organization’s values, and be willing to listen to them to inform your messaging. If flexibility is something you keep hearing about, work to provide avenues for it and promote messaging that addresses it.

One unifying factor found in the data centered on the proposition of a four-day workweek. Regardless of where they did their work, employees agreed that they’d be just as effective (81%) and happier (79%) with a four-day workweek. With a four-day workweek providing extra work-life balance, and 33% of survey respondents reporting they don’t get enough work-life balance, it’s worth keeping an eye on this trend to see if it grows more common.

Most struggle with and worry about AI adoption

AI’s role in the workplace is a factor of modern work that many companies are confronting, but the data shows that a good bit of that approach is employee-centric. The APA survey found that 35% of workers used AI at least once a month to assist in work tasks, but only 18% of reported knowing whether or not their company had an official AI-use policy. In addition, 41% of employees feared that new AI technology would someday make some or all of their job roles obsolete.

AI has lots of potential, but it’s only as powerful as the people who input information into and harness it. If you don’t have guidelines for AI usage yet, y draft them now and talk about them as soon as possible. Talk openly about what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of AI use at work, and be sure to reassure your people that they’re the ones that make up the company’s identity, not an AI program.

The world of work is constantly changing and shifting. But with smart and well-considered comms efforts, you can stay one step ahead and do right by your people.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.