SHEILA FLAVELL CBE IS THE COO FOR FDM GROUP AND IS PASSIONATE ABOUT DIGITAL SKILLS AND DIVERSITY.
Sheila has over 31 years experience in the global tech sector. She played an integral role in FDM’s flotation on AIM in 2005 and was a key instigator of the management buy-out of the Group in 2010 and the subsequent listing onto the main FTSE Market in 2014. Sheila’s knowledge of the sector has been crucial in driving FDM’s global expansion programme, taking them into the FTSE250.
She spearheads the ‘Global Women in Tech’ campaign and created FDM’s hugely successful Returners Programme. Sheila is President of TechUK and member of the Government’s Digital Skills Council.
In today’s evolving work environment, where Gen Z professionals are pushing back against the norms set by remote working during the pandemic, it’s becoming evident that skills training alone isn’t enough.
Our research has found that 80 percent of Gen Z demand more time in the office for mentorship and learning opportunities to accelerate their progress making the role of a career coach more crucial than ever. Increasingly, people are following non-linear career paths so need greater career guidance to navigate the working world.
The shift in graduate expectations
Gen Z workers value flexibility in their professional life, whether that’s meaningful work or authentic communication. These Gen Z graduates are increasingly seeking face-to-face interactions for faster career progression and are dissatisfied with purely remote or digital learning resources.
In the face of ever-changing graduate needs, businesses need to prepare themselves for what’s ahead. Prioritising in-person learning and collaboration, through shadowing colleagues and face-to-face interactions, is a step in the right direction to achieve a happy and productive Gen Z workforce.
Bridging the perception gap between Gen Z and non-Gen Z employees on digital nativeness is critical to development in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. Although senior staff have historically overseen key areas such as New Product Development (NPD) and customer-centric operations, Gen Z can bring fresh ideas and perspectives.
95 percent of respondents agree that ‘challenging traditional thinking’ is the main characteristic that teams can benefit from, unlocking innovation and business development, something all companies should be striving for.
Why training alone isn’t enough
It may not be obvious, but there’s a huge difference between a trainer and a career coach and what they bring to the table when shaping an employee’s development.
A trainer provides specific skills needed for a job role, and while this is essential for candidates, career coaching is what will elevate the learning experience in the longer term.
Through experiential learning, a career coach offers key guidance on how to navigate the complexities of a career path, including decision-making, networking, and personal growth. For example, if a female software developer wants to become a CIO, a career coach will go beyond the training to advise and support them in that journey.
The FDM Skills Labs simulate a real workplace environment, using the same technologies and techniques used in industry but without the consequences of being in the job itself, offering a uniquely valuable opportunity for candidates to experience the true complexities of a job role and accelerate their learning.
Career coaching as a solution to Gen Z job hopping
Job hopping can be a scary concept for organisations, and navigating how to support employees through this should be a top priority- not just to retain talent, but to meet talent needs.
66 percent of Gen Z think changing companies is the key to career growth, as they strategically develop their digital skills in current roles to prepare them for other development opportunities, jumping from one company to another.
Traditional thinking would see this as a barrier to climbing the ‘career ladder’, however times are changing, and this is where a career coach is vital.
Sectors like tech should see this as a sign to improve opportunities, workplace support and diversity, rather than unreliability. If the Great Resignation taught us anything, it’s that employees, especially Gen Z, never know their next move, so being focused on turning employees into advocates by providing an engaging experience with diverse work opportunities may result in helping with longer-term loyalty and value whether the person remains in the company or not.
If career development is the driving force for Gen Z, then businesses need to equip themselves with the right tools to provide progression opportunities through strategies like Skills Labs and training.
