SPONSORED BY ADVANCED
CAN REVERSE MENTORING
LEAD TO DIGITAL CHANGE?
There are currently five generations of employees working alongside
each other, and forward-thinking employers can harness the technical
knowledge of their younger workers to boost their digital prowess
CONTRIBUTOR ADVANCED
Running a successful manufacturing operation is
challenging. In today’s fast-paced world, financial
pressures, political uncertainties and customer
expectations seem to increase daily. Manufacturers
need to adopt a digital mind-set if they are to survive.
This digital transformation will enable businesses
to become more mobile and agile. Innovative technologies,
such as the cloud, can deliver access to real-time data anytime,
anywhere. Manufacturers will be able to see a unified view of
their business, with integrated front and back-office processes.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence
(AI) can make production lines more efficient, reduce
costs and free up time for employees to do more
strategic work. The government’s ambitious Made
Smarter review into industrial digitalisation sets
out the significant opportunities to be gained by
adopting such technologies.
So, how can manufacturers implement a
successful digital strategy – and ensure their
employees embrace it? This can be challenging
with today’s ageing workforce. By 2030, it is estimated
that half of all adults in the UK will be over 50. With
employment at its highest level since 1971, people putting
off retirement and birth rates falling, the average age of the
workforce will continue to rise. Five generations of employees
are working alongside one another, from Traditionalists
(born before 1945) right through to Generation Z (born
after 1995).
Forward-thinking employers are introducing new initiatives,
and taking steps to support these inter-generational workforces,
who have varying levels of technological skill, knowledge and
enthusiasm. One effective way of kick-starting inter-generational
working is Reverse Mentoring. It is a concept where the
traditional image of the mentor is turned on its head, and senior,
or older members of the workforce are coached by Millennials
and Generation Z.
This is a great initiative for several reasons. The number of
Millennials within the workplace continues to grow, and it is
predicted they will form 75% of the workforce by 2025. This
generation expects the same level of digital ease, innovation
and flexibility in the workplace that they have always seen in
their personal lives. Along with Generation Z, these younger
employees are more digitally-savvy and bring
a ‘natural software mind-set’ to the workplace.
They can challenge existing beliefs and values
in a positive way, and shake things up in order to
deliver better results. Employers are seeing this
as a direct opportunity to position the younger
generation as mentors within their organisation.
Findings from our latest annual Trends
Survey Report make a strong case for
Reverse Mentoring. The majority (59%) of
Generation Z workers think that less
than half of their organisation is
ready to adopt new technology
to change the way they work.
Meanwhile, 52% feel that
having a strong digital skillset
is the most important
attribute for a business leader
in the digital era.
Reverse Mentoring can
help manufacturers to retain and
develop older members of staff
who have invaluable experience and
knowledge, arming them with new tools for
greater efficiency and smarter working. Diane
Herbert, director of MindShift, comments: “The
great thing about Reverse Mentoring is that it
sends a really clear message that learning and
developing is a lifelong process.”
According to Mark Staniland, regional
managing director at Hays: “Learning has
become critical in today’s digital era. With
multiple generations now in the workplace,
all with different values, perspectives and
experiences, business leaders are under
pressure to ensure that these diverse groups
work together cohesively. Traditional mentoring
is no longer enough. We also need to adopt
a culture of Reverse Mentoring to encourage
every generation to learn and share their own
unique experiences.”
Jon Wrennall, CTO at Advanced, agrees:
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