Connecting generations through reciprocal feedback: A Q&A with Jenny von Podewils

Having five different generations in the workforce can be difficult and recent workplace buzz has accused Gen Z of being difficult to work for and work with due to their laid-back work approach, a lack of management skills and high expectations of their employers. But while they may be vastly different from past generations, there are also benefits to this very different approach.

Boomers, Gen Z and millennials all “came of age” in the workforce in very different environments, and each set of experiences gives these groups wisdom and perspectives that could benefit other groups. Jenny von Podewils, HR expert and co-CEO of Leapsome, discusses where and how reciprocal feedback can come in – giving all employees and managers the authority and ability to give and receive advice and criticism.

Why do you think Gen Z is accused of being difficult to work for and collaborate with?

The latest generation to enter the workforce, Gen Z has higher expectations from their employers than prior generations, which is likely part of why they are being accused of being difficult to work with and for. This generation expects opportunities for career progression, that companies are enabling workplace wellness, and that a strong and positive company culture will be a priority.

These higher expectations – and challenge to the status quo – can be difficult for other generations to accept, but can result in change. And this is something all businesses and people leaders should be open to and welcome. The rash stereotyping that Gen Z is difficult to work with is an unproductive overreaction to a new generation who is boldly (and justly) choosing to challenge the status quo and do things differently – now in a way that is healthier and more about working to live rather than living to work.

Personally, my experiences in managing Gen Z employees have proven that they are very different from these stereotypes, which can be misleading. As a result of being the digital native generation, Gen Z employees are often most on top of the latest tools, technologies and optimizations available to do things more efficiently. The result is that they are often able to accomplish tasks more quickly with less manual effort. This savvy efficiency is something all businesses can benefit from – both in saving employees’ time and in supporting their bottom lines.

How can managers effectively manage people from different generations with different working styles?

Over-indexing on an employee’s age or demographic is unproductive. A manager should instead focus on their team members’ individual needs, skills, and strengths and then base management decisions on that. Ideally, a manager adapts their management style, areas of focus, and development priorities to those individual characteristics so that each direct report is set up to succeed. This people-first approach helps make managers better leaders and sets employees up for success in terms of their own growth and workplace satisfaction.

What can leaders and HR teams do to best empower managers?

To best empower managers, leaders, and HR teams must first meet today’s managers where they are. They face the challenge of adhering to tighter budgets and focusing on profitability while striving to engage and motivate their increasingly overstretched teams. At the same time, many are managing workers from very different generations, which means they have learned in different workplace environments and may have differing experiences or points of view that need to be navigated.

Second, leaders must recognize that managers will make or break your company. In this turbulent economy, organizations cannot afford to have ineffective managers — they are the single most significant point of failure for business and the execution of people strategy. Employees with ineffective managers are 15x more likely to be low performers, 13% less engaged, and 3x more likely to quit. And the theory that people quit managers rather than companies certainly rings true.

Third, People teams should view managers as strategic partners – or, in some cases, even extensions of the People team spread out throughout the organization. Without effective managers, people teams can’t solve business problems. HR teams must team up with people managers to deliver and execute all business goals. Manager empowerment is critical.

On a practical level, ensure your organization has an effective meetings culture. Well-planned, well-run, productive meetings are critical to manager effectiveness – especially the 1:1 meetings between managers and their direct reports. And now, there are tools available to help managers do this, which they should take advantage of in their daily work lives.

Can you explain what bidirectional or reciprocal feedback is? What is the value?

Effective, productive, and impactful feedback should always be a two-way street and can be called reciprocal or bidirectional feedback.

Everyone benefits from both giving and receiving feedback. Particularly in the manager-employee relationship, two-way feedback is necessary for a long-term, healthy, productive working relationship. It’s important not only for managers to give feedback to employees about performance and specific tasks but also for leaders to understand if they are effectively managing their direct reports. Is the way they are giving feedback helpful? Do they communicate directions on projects clearly? By opening the door to bidirectional feedback, these can be answered and will empower managers to be the best they can be. Even as the co-CEO of Leapsome, I generally ask for feedback after many interactions to help me grow. We can learn from everyone we interact with in the workplace.

Related: How to address and implement employee feedback

In a more traditional sense, positive and constructive feedback is meant to encourage the growth of your team, not to “correct” poor performance. When done right, constructive feedback fosters trust, ownership, and a sense of collaboration within teams, and increased performance and collaboration can often be the result, especially given it can accelerate learning and growth.

While receiving regular, actionable feedback is crucial for employees’ growth and development, it doesn’t just benefit the employee. The most important driver of a feedback culture is for managers to regularly ask about their own performance as managers. Encouraging bidirectional feedback makes feedback much less scary, and a role model is much stronger than lip service on the importance of feedback.