Defining The Employee Value Proposition For Employees …gsblibrary.uct.ac.za/researchreports/2010/NaidooN.pdf · DEFINING THE EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR EMPLOYEES IN OLD MUTUAL

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MBA Research Report Page 1

DEFINING THE EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR EMPLOYEES IN

OLD MUTUAL SOUTH AFRICA: A GENERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

A Research Report

Presented to

The Graduate School of Business

University of Cape Town

In fulfilment of the requirements for the

Masters of Business Administration Degree

By

Nerisa Naidoo

December 2010

Supervisor: Dr Linda Ronnie

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CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................... 4

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 5

1.1 RESEARCH AREA AND PROBLEM ................................................................................... 5

1.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND SCOPE .............................................................................. 6

1.3 RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS ........................................................................................... 7

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 7

1.5 RESEARCH ETHICS ..................................................................................................... 8

2 LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 9

2.1 GENERATIONAL DEFINITIONS ....................................................................................... 9

2.2 EXPECTATIONS OF DIFFERENT GENERATIONS ............................................................. 10 2.2.1 GENERATION Y .................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 GENERATION X .................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.3 BABY BOOMERS ................................................................................................................... 11

2.3 CONTRARY VIEWS ..................................................................................................... 14

2.4 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 15

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 16

3.1 RESEARCH APPROACH AND STRATEGY ........................................................................ 16

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN, DATA COLLECTION METHODS AND RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS ............ 17

3.3 SAMPLING ................................................................................................................ 20

3.4 DATA ANALYSIS METHODS .......................................................................................... 21

3.5 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY ......................................................................................... 21

3.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................ 22

4 FINDINGS ....................................................................................... 23

4.1 BABY BOOMERS ........................................................................................................ 23 4.1.1 PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................................. 23 4.1.2 MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN SELECTING A JOB .................................................................. 24 4.1.3 LEAST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN SELECTING A JOB .................................................................. 26 4.1.4 EXPECTATIONS REGARDING FACTORS OF EMPLOYMENT .............................................................. 28 4.1.5 REASONS FOR LEAVING JOBS ..................................................................................................... 30 4.1.6 REASONS FOR REMAINING IN JOBS ............................................................................................. 31

4.2 GENERATION X (GEN X) ............................................................................................ 32 4.2.1 PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................................. 32

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4.2.2 MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN SELECTING A JOB .................................................................. 33 4.2.3 LEAST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN SELECTING A JOB .................................................................. 36 4.2.4 EXPECTATIONS REGARDING FACTORS OF EMPLOYMENT .............................................................. 37 4.2.5 REASONS FOR LEAVING A JOB .................................................................................................... 42 4.2.6 REASONS FOR REMAINING IN JOBS ............................................................................................. 43

4.3 GENERATION Y (GEN Y) ............................................................................................ 44 4.3.1 PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................................. 44 4.3.2 MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN SELECTING A JOB .................................................................. 45 4.3.3 LEAST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN SELECTING A JOB .................................................................. 48 4.3.4 EXPECTATIONS REGARDING FACTORS OF EMPLOYMENT .............................................................. 50 4.3.5 REASONS FOR LEAVING JOBS ..................................................................................................... 54 4.3.6 REASONS FOR REMAINING IN JOBS ............................................................................................. 55

5 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS .............................................................. 57

5.1 COMPARISONS ACROSS THE DIFFERENT GENERATIONS ................................................ 57 5.1.1 PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................................. 59 5.1.2 MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN CHOOSING A JOB ................................................................... 59 5.1.3 LEAST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN CHOOSING A JOB ................................................................... 60

5.2 GENERATIONAL VALUES AND BEHAVIOURS ................................................................... 61

5.3 INTERNATIONAL FINDINGS .......................................................................................... 62

6 THE EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR THE DIFFERENT GENERATIONS IN OLD MUTUAL ................................................................................. 63

6.1.1 HYGIENE FACTORS ................................................................................................................... 63 6.1.2 GENERATION AND JOB TYPE SPECIFIC FACTORS ........................................................................ 63

7 FURTHER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES ............................................. 64

8 CONCLUSION .................................................................................. 65

9 REFERENCES ................................................................................... 66

10 APPENDIX 1 – RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE ..................................... 69

10.1 DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ..................................................................................... 69

10.2 WORKPLACE ATTITUDES ............................................................................................ 70

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 – Generational Definitions

Table 2 – Attributes of the Different Generations

Table 3 – Research Design, Collection Methods and Research Instruments

Table 4 - Comparisons across the different Generations

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Area and problem

While many organisations have acknowledged the change in their employee demographic,

few have understood the nature of the change and the impact it has on their current

policies. As such, few organisations have been able to adapt their people practices fast

enough to cater for the needs of the changing workforce. Organisations need to gain

insight into the expectations of the different generations present in their workforce, in Old

Mutual South Africa particular, to help them better understand the changes which they

need to make to adequately satisfy the needs of their changing employee base. “Are they

better, worse or just different? Opinions vary. Whatever you think, they are entering the

workforce, quickly replacing the Baby Boomers; and are therefore the future of your

company” (Coleman, 2008, P1) aptly describes the changes in the workplace and

highlights the fact that these changes cannot be ignored, irrespective of your view.

In the past, employment in Old Mutual South Africa, like all other companies, used to be

about having a job for life; these were the characteristics that people looked for in their

preferred employer. The workforce of Old Mutual South Africa epitomised these

characteristics with loyal, hard working individuals hired, with the expectation that this was

their job until they retired. “With baby boomers heading for retirement and dramatic global

demographic shifts, the insurance industry can no longer afford to ignore the needs of

younger, more diverse generations- both as customers and as future leaders”

(Liakopoulos, 2010, P1) identifies that the different generational groups may have different

needs and wants from their employer. Liakopoulous (2010) feels that many young

professionals find the insurance industry dull and uninviting, mainly due to the perception

of a limit to growth potential. He further felt that traditional insurance companies are not

equipped to deal with Generation Y, when reflecting on their talent strategies.

In the words of singer, Bob Dylan, “the times, they are a-changin.” In order to maximise

the value that different generations can add to the workplace, much work needs to be

done to understand how the generations differ regarding their expectations of their

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employers and thus what employers need to do in order to maximise the output from these

employees.

Liakopoulous (2010) highlights the importance of leaders of insurance companies taking

notice of the needs of Generation Y. With Generation Y three times more likely to change

jobs than Baby Boomers (Anderson, 2009), and a workforce which is reducing in size due

to lower birth rates, developing a suitable value proposition for Generation Y will become a

competitive advantage for whoever gets it right (Liakopoulous,2010 ). A survey done by

Deloitte in their September 2009 Special report revealed that 50% of the Generation Y

respondents were planning to seek new employment in the 12 months post the survey.

The purpose of this study is to identify the expectations of the different generations in Old

Mutual South Africa, and define what the value proposition for each generation should

look like.

1.2 Research questions and scope

The question that this study aims to explore is:

What does the employee value propositions for Baby Boomer, Generation X and

Generation Y employees, in Old Mutual South Africa, look like? This encompasses

what each generation expects from their employers, from a financial, career and

personal perspective in order to maximise their potential.

The paper will not look explicitly at how to retain these employees, but rather at what they

value or consider important in an employee value proposition. A comprehensive analysis

has been carried out to look at why each generation attach value to certain workplace

practices.

The study will not aim to define the different generations in the South African context.

Rather, it will present a number of conflicting definitions to illustrate the difficulty that

employers face in identifying which value proposition to offer to which employee. For the

purposes of this study, definitions selected are those used to define the population of

Australia. The reason for this is that research on generational differences has primarily

been conducted in developed economies, as can be seen by the literature reviewed later

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in this study. From these developed nations, Australia is the country that most resembles

that of the South African culture. Commenting on the similarities and differences between

South Africa and Australia, Clive Prevost, Managing Director of BMW Finance South

Africa listed numerous similarities between these two countries, including their origins, the

source of their population, positions in business and industry, access to the rest of the

world, and social and cultural dynamics. This view is supported Harcourt (2004) and

several websites dedicated to exploring the similarities between South Africa and

Australia.

The study does not aim to define employee value propositions for the different generations

outside of the sample group in Old Mutual South Africa. All research was conducted

inside Old Mutual South Africa, and hence the findings are applicable only to this sample

group.

1.3 Research Assumptions

This study assumed the following regarding the definition of the various generations

(Cennamo and Gardner, 2008):

Table 1 – Generational Definitions

Generation Defining Time Period

Baby Boomers 1946 – 1961

Generation X 1962 – 1979

Generation Y 1980 – 2000

In making this assumption, I can now compare the attributes, wants and needs of each of

the generations, across countries, without worrying about any distortions, which may arise

as a result national differences or definitional differences.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This study is of value to not only Old Mutual South Africa, but also to the entire financial

services sector in South Africa, all sectors in South Africa and economies around the

world, especially emerging markets. Even though the outcomes of this document may not

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be used to generalise the employee value propositions across different sectors and

economies, the convergence or divergence of the findings from the findings of the

literature provides an indication of whether the different generations in South Africa, can

be stereotyped with the applicable generations from developed countries. The shift in

expectations among generations is a phenomenon affecting economies around the world.

The studies conducted in this area of research have been confined to the developed

world. This study will attempt to investigate the expectations of the different generations in

a developing economy, something that has not been done extensively.

1.5 Research Ethics

In line with the UCT/GSB Ethical guidelines, an ethical clearance form has been

completed, submitted and approved. This is because of the study involving people, and

as such, ethical clearance will be required to ensure the integrity of the study.

In order to ensure that the study was conducted in an ethical manner, participants were

not led to answer questions in a manner that supports the literature. The viewpoint of the

literature was not disclosed to the participants prior to the focus group. In addition,

respondents were allowed to choose whether or not they wanted to participate in the study

and were in no way forced to participate. The information supplied by the participants was

kept confidential and the respondents were kept anonymous, and this was communicated

to them in my request for information.

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2 LITERATURE REVIEW

The aim of this research study is to examine the expectations of the different generations

of employees that make up a sample group of the Old Mutual South Africa employee

population. Two distinct areas of research have emerged from this single question:

What is the definition of the different generations; and

What are their expectations of employers?

2.1 GENERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

The definition of what constitutes different generations seems to differ throughout the

literature. Glass (2007) defines Generation Y as people born between 1977 and 1992,

while Herbison and Boseman (2009) define Generation Y as people born between 1978

and 1999. Hewlett, Sherbin and Sumberg (2009) make use of a definition for Generation

Y of people born between 1979 and 1994. Cennamo and Gardner (2008) and Sujansky

(2009) agree on 1980 being the start date for their definition of Generation Y however,

they do not agree on the end date.

The above are but a few instances in the literature of non-agreement on the actual

definition of Generation Y. In a recent article for Deloitte Review, Hole, Zhong and

Schwartz (2010) propose that the definition of the different generations differs across

countries. They explain that generations are defined by major events in a society; hence,

the definition of a generation will vary. Davis (2007) felt that using the generic definitions

of Generation X, Generation Y and Baby Boomers would lead to significant

inconsistencies especially regarding their values and behaviours, as he believed that the

various generations are not homogenous, but rather a generation made up of different

cohorts, which tended to be similar, within the cohort.

While Hole, Zhong and Schwartz (2010) provide valuable insight into the definition of

generations for different countries, I feel that they have negated a few very important

factors in South Africa. They define the Baby Boomer generation as being those

individuals born between 1943 and 1970, Generation X being those individuals born

between 1970 and 1989 and Generation Y as being those individuals born between 1990

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onwards. If one were to identify the major events in South Africa‟s history, they would

include the implementation of Apartheid in 1964, the 1976 Soweto uprising and the

democratic elections of 1994. Given these major events in South Africa‟s history, it then

raises the question of exactly how were the generational splits arrived at and how

accurate are they. Davis (2007) raised the concern that most studies into the generational

splits across the world tend to focus on those individuals who wield economic power and

those who reside in the urban areas of the country being studied. Given that the majority

of South African population hold very little economic power and reside in rural areas, one

begins to question how representative a study this is.

With all of the noise around the definition of the different generations, for the purposes of

this research study, I will adopt the generational definitions from Cennamo and Gardner

(2008), which is used to define the Australian population. It is my opinion that this is a

close representation of the defining moments for the South African society, and that the

Australia has similar cultural values and way of life to South Africa (Prevost (2010),

Unknown (2008)).

2.2 Expectations of Different Generations

Most of the literature agrees that there are distinct differences between veterans, Baby

Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z. Glass (2007) cites the main

differences between the different generations as being work ethic, methods of

communication, perceptions of the organisation and their attitude towards change. She

goes on to define the personal characteristics of the different generations and how this

influences their expectations from their employer and job. Kim, Knight and Crutsinger

(2008) believe that the differences between Generation Y and other generations has to do

with their work ethic, their proactive attitude towards their careers, the emphasis which

they place on training and development and their need for meaningful work.

2.2.1 GENERATION Y

Wong, Gardiner, Lang and Coulon (2008) echo much of what is asserted by Kim, Knight

and Crutsinger (2008) and Glass (2007) by highlighting that Generation Y is an optimistic

generation, who are driven and demanding of their work environment. Yet they do not

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seek out job security; they prize skills development and are always looking for challenges;

they are highly confident and value team interactions as well as the opportunity to take

responsibility and make decisions. They are most motivated by career advancement, are

the most demanding of all generations and are focused on achievement. HR Focus

(2008) noted that salary in support of Generation Y„s lifestyle was very important to them,

including benefits and career satisfaction. However, they are willing to accept lower

salaries if they believe in the long-term future of the company and they are directly

involved in designing that future (Glass, 2007). She also found that Generation Y

favoured fast track leadership programmes, collaborative decision-making and being

rewarded for their efforts. A new trend that she identified is the increased emphasis being

placed on corporate philanthropy and social awareness by Generation Y. She also noted

that while Baby Boomers prefer cash rewards, Generation Y were more willing to bet on

the future of the company as long as they could influence the future of the company.

2.2.2 GENERATION X

Wong et al., (2008) highlight that Generation X seeks out work-life balance and tend to

chase higher salaries and benefits; they are generally independent and are more cynical

and pessimistic. Like Generation Y, Generation X requires feedback that is more

frequent; they too are focussed on career advancement but exhibit a greater external

locus of control than Generation Y. Glass (2007) supports the views of Wong et al.,

(2008) and adds that Generation X seeks out flexibility in addition to work-life balance and

places emphasis on training, learning and self-improvement.

2.2.3 BABY BOOMERS

Wong et al., (2008) felt that Baby Boomers valued job security, were more idealistic, and

were likely to remain loyal to their organisations. They are highly respectful of authority,

favoured consensus and a stable working environment. Like Generation X, Baby

Boomers are seen to be motivated by power. They are seen as the generation that is

least focused on their career and social awareness. Almost all of the literature seems to

agree that job security is a major expectation from Baby Boomers. Glass (2007) found

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that this generation prefers a fixed salary and would prefer cash in their hands as opposed

to stock options.

Table 2: Attributes of the Different Generations

Generation Y Generation X Baby Boomers

1 Values diversity/workplace

culture

Prefer to sit and listen before

they do

Seek long term

employment

2 Regarded as fickle, self

focussed, and disloyal

Easily distracted Planned and

focussed

3 Value work-life balance Focus on group outputs Decisive

4 They like change Strong sense of

empowerment

Independent and

self reliant

5 Value communication and not

authority; thrives on

immediate feedback

Want formal and non-formal

recognition

Makes decisions

based on fact and

data

6 Motivated to stay with the

employer if training is

provided

Want monetary and non-

monetary rewards

See organisations

as a vehicle for

their career

7 Are encouraged to challenge

and think independently

Not interested in following in

the footsteps of their parents

Employment

contract built on

loyalty to the

career

8 Empowered Want work-life balance Loyalty is rewarded

with money

9 Expects to be treated as

equals to others

Demand flexible work

schedules

Most rewards must

be monetary

10 Expect to have a role in

decision making

Want independence and

autonomy

Value

achievement,

status and material

success

11 Poor management is a Desire interesting work Social recognition

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reason they leave an

employer

is important

12 Prefer a coaching and

consultative approach to

management

Desire professional growth Sense of

accomplishment is

important

13 Value honesty, reliability and

loyalty in their leader

Thrive on open

communication

Sacrifice

themselves to

ideals

14 Loyal to their friend, peers

and careers rather than a

company

Do not believe in paying

dues

15 Remuneration is not an

important factor, as long as it

is within average range of

their peers

Seek to acquire skills and

expertise

16 Yearn for recognition Regard personal goals as

important as work goals

17 Want constructive feedback Prefer equitable salary

among other remuneration

options

18 Expect to be promoted within

2 years of starting a job

19 Short tenures due to desire

for variety, challenge and

change

20 Has strong relationship ethic

21 Easily distracted

22 Want to work in teams

23 Has different domestic

responsibilities

24 Want flatter organisations

25 Optimistic and upbeat

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26 Tech savvy

27 Full of contradictions

28 Connected 24/7

29 Strong informal networks

30 Are not confident that they

will achieve as much as their

parents

31 Hard working of they are

engaged with their work

32 Don‟t expect to have a job for

life

33 Highly self reliant

34 Willing to sacrifice money and

titles for work-life balance

35 Focussed on their rights

36 Highly educated

37 Seeks meaningful work

Source: McCrindle (2006, 2008), Holleran, PCM & CPSM (2008), Davis (2007), Loughlin

& Barling (2001), Smith (2009) and Jorgensen (2003).

The above table serves as a summary of the attributes of the different generations, as per

the reviewed literature. It further highlights the vast number of differences as well as some

similarities among the generations.

2.3 CONTRARY VIEWS

Hewlett, at al., (2009) argue that Generation Y and the Baby Boomers want the same

things in the workplace. The authors believe that both want flexible working

arrangements, want to contribute to society, value the social nature of work, are loyal to

their organisations and value other non-monetary rewards over the conventional monetary

rewards. They do however believe that the reasons behind these expectations are

different. HR Focus (2008) asserts that one of the chief factors of concern for Generation

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Y is finding a job and keeping it. Macky, Gardner and Forsyth (2008) found that the top

motivators for Generation X and Generation Y to be the same. These motivators included

steady employment, promotional opportunities, job security and a lower need for social

approval. Hole, Zhong and Schwartz (2010) found that the expectation and behaviours of

the different generations tended to differ based on the country‟s social experiences. They

point out distinct differences in the expectations of different generations in the East and

the West, and between countries exposed to long periods of democracy and those who

experienced communism.

2.4 Conclusion

The most common criticism of the literature that aims to demystify the expectations of

specific generations is that generations are shaped by the times they live through and

hence their expectations will differ based on the location of your sample population. While

the findings across the western world seem to be consistent, there are still several

contradictions that exist in the literature. This highlights some of the limitations to my

research such as my research is based on the urban South African population. In

addition, South African specific events and changes such as the focus on employment

equity, the current skills shortages and high unemployment rates are indicative of an

environment very different to that of the general Western world, where the various studies

were conducted.

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3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research approach and strategy

This study was conducted with the aim of defining the employee value proposition for the

different generations that make up the Old Mutual South Africa workforce. The study was

not based on a preconceived notion of what the proposition might be. Rather, the purpose

of the research was to build theory in this field of study. In observing the attitudes and

beliefs of a sample group of individuals, the study attempted to define this employee value

proposition. The observations from a sample group are used to infer the value

propositions to larger groups of people. Hence, the study takes an inductive approach to

build the theory of this topic (Leedy and Ormrod, 1993).

The strategy selected for this study was a mixture of a quantitative and qualitative

approach. Little information exists on this subject in South Africa; hence, the quantitative

strategy was used to identify those factors that are important to the different generations in

the work place, while the qualitative portion took the form of focus groups and one-on-one

interviews, which sought to explain the reasoning behind the chosen factors. Qualitative

research is used when you have unknown variables and the data needs to be rich in order

for you to be able to explain something which lacks theory, whilst the quantitative

approach is used to focus the qualitative discussion, as these may sometimes be very

broad (Leedy and Ormrod, 1993). Hence, both a quantitative and qualitative study can

assist in defining these expectations (Leedy and Ormrod, 1993).

Using a mixture of the qualitative and quantitative research strategies will also assist in

ensuring the validity and reliability of the data, through the process of triangulation of

findings (Bryman & Bell, 2003).

The drawback of the qualitative approach is that it is fairly time consuming compared to

pure quantitative research. The upside of qualitative research is that the focus groups will

create a richer source of information, which is more apt to inductive research (Leedy and

Ormrod, 1993). The benefit of the quantitative research is that it is easy to administer, and

one can gather a range of data in a shorter space of time. The drawback of this

methodology is that in the data collection phase, one may experience an ontological issue

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that is the respondents perceptions of the question or statement which they are meant to

answer may differ (Bryman & Bell, 2003).

3.2 Research design, data collection methods and research

instruments

Table 3: Research Design, Collection Methods and Research Instruments

Contextualise the

research

Collect Quantitative Data Collect Qualitative Data

1. Conducted a literature

review to identify the key

themes and variable

1. Designed a

questionnaire for

participants of the

focus group

1. Facilitated focus

group discussion,

with 39 people,

across generations

2. Tested the

questionnaire

2. Record the views of

the respondents for

each focus group

and interview

3. Sought approval of

questionnaire from

supervisor

3. Collated the data from

all focus groups and

interviews, as well as

the online survey

4. Identify focus group

and interview

participants

4. Identified common

themes and reasons

for these themes

5. Administered the

survey via e-mail

There were two methods of data collection that were employed. The first method was

data collection from the participants, prior to the focus groups and interviews, collected via

an e-mail questionnaire, which is included in Appendix 1. This questionnaire aimed to

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capture demographic details of the participant, and a listing of their expectations from their

employer. This information was used to inform the questions which were used to

stimulate the discussion of the focus groups and interviews. Permission was sought from

the various department heads to send out the questionnaire to their staff, and the study

was positioned to both the department heads and the staff as an MBA study as opposed

to an Old Mutual South Africa study. The questionnaire was sent out to a larger number of

individuals, as it was anticipated that some individuals might not be comfortable in

participating in the study.

The next method of data collection was focus groups and interviews. Cross-generational

participants from Old Mutual South Africa, who completed the questionnaire, were invited

to participate in either focus groups or one-on-one interviews. This was done to ensure

that the environment was conducive to the participant to facilitate optimal sharing of

information. The focal areas of the data collection was to find out what kind of work the

participants were engaged in; a discussion ensued around the factors that they listed as

most and least important expectations from an employer. Throughout the data collection

process, participants were ensured that the information that was shared with me would not

be, in any form, conveyed to their line manager or anyone from Old Mutual South Africa,

and would be used solely for the purpose of the study.

Once the focus groups were completed, the insights were consolidated to give a view of

the expectations of the different generation, in the sample group, in Old Mutual South

Africa, focusing on the similarities and differences between these groups. These results

were compared to the insights gained from the literature, to ascertain if there was any

difference in expectations between the difference in the generations in Old Mutual South

Africa and generations of people, internationally.

The major constraints to this research approach was the time required to conduct the

focus groups and interviews, the objectivity of the interviewer, and the fact that if people

know they are being studied, they behave differently, known as the Hawthorne Effect

(Bryman & Bell, 2003). In addition, in focus groups, one runs the risk of getting the views

of a few people and not others in the group; one must be careful not to allow the group to

form a group opinion on this topic as the richness of the data then becomes compromised.

Leading the group into a particular direction is also a drawback of this method of data

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gathering. Focus groups can also become difficult to control, the data is also difficult to

analyse, and organisation of these can be problematic (Bryman & Bell, 2003)

The upside to qualitative interviewing (focus groups and one-on-one interviews) is the

flexibility it gives to the interviewer to probe the interviewees on certain points, which may

have otherwise been missed, the ability to do retrospective interviewing, greater breadth of

information, and focus the discussion.

A quantitative approach on the other hand will just identify the factors without the

corresponding explanation for the importance of the choice. This method, while may leave

you with many respondents, is not as rich as the qualitative data.

Questionnaire Design

The questionnaire utilised, which is included as Appendix 1, was based on the work by

Brown, Carter, Collins, Gallerson, Giffin, Greer, Griffith, Johnson and Richardson (2009),

which will sought to identify the expectations of the different generations, from their

employers. The questionnaire consisted of both open and closed questions, with the

questions around demographics making up the closed questions, included in Appendix 1,

section 10.1, whilst the open-ended questions would be the exploratory questions,

included in Appendix 1, section 10.2. To maintain the anonymity of the respondents, they

were not asked to provide their names anywhere in the questionnaire.

Focus Groups and Interviews

The focus groups and interviews concentrated on exploring the themes, which emerged

from the questionnaire. The themes emergent from each group‟s feedback on the

questionnaire were explored with that group as well as any major findings from other

groups. Focus groups and interviews were not conducted within the Old Mutual South

Africa premises, and this was done to further assure people that the study was not for Old

Mutual South Africa.

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3.3 Sampling

A sample of 39 participants, from Old Mutual South Africa, was invited to participate in the

study. The sample included participants across the different generations to establish if

there were differences across the generations regarding their expectations from

employers. The sample consisted of people at different levels in the organisation and

from different business units to ensure the sample is representative, hence ensuring the

validity of the data.

Currently, Baby Boomers make up 10.3% of Old Mutual‟s workforce, Generation X make

up 62.9% of the workforce, and Generation Y make up 26.7% of the workforce. The

sample group chosen was representative of the current generational split in the Old

Mutual South Africa workforce.

The sample group consisted of four Baby Boomers, seventeen Generation X individuals

and eighteen Generation Y individuals. Baby Boomers seemed to lack interest in

participating in this study. In general, Baby Boomers were reluctant to participate in the

research, as they did not want their expectations of their employer to be exposed as they

saw no benefits in this, but only fear of possible repercussions. Comments made

included:”I don‟t want my manager to know that all my needs are not being met because

he may find someone younger to replace me.” Other reasons for the low participation

include their fear of a mismatch between their expectations of their employer, and the

change in employment contracts (both psychological contracts and legal contracts); many

Old Mutual white Baby Boomers are facing early retirement due to the company wanting

to fill these positions with younger employment equity candidates. This has left these

Baby Boomers bitter and unhappy, and they no longer feel as though they are part of the

company. One of the prospective respondents said:”Why do you want to know what I

want from my employer. They are not interested in me anymore. They are only interested

in giving young people like you what you want.” However, Generation X and Y

respondents were keen to participate in the study as they saw it as an opportunity to voice

their opinions. One respondent commented:”The questions you are asking should be

asked of people when they join the company so that they know how to structure your

packages.”

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3.4 Data analysis methods

Once the pre-session surveys had been completed, the responses were examined for

common themes regarding the expectations of employees in Old Mutual South Africa, by

generation. These were examined through content analysis (Bryman & Bell, 2003),

making use of coding (for discrete variables) and general content analysis for all other

variables. The reason for the mixed data analysis methodology is there were some

variables that had discrete answers, such as gender, age and many others. Other

questions such as “the reason for leaving your last job” fell into the realm of general

content analysis.

The data was compared to the literature, again using content analysis, to establish

differences or similarities to the international research done in other countries.

3.5 Validity and Reliability

The research utilised both a quantitative and qualitative strategy. This meant that the data

collected was triangulated, and hence addressed the question of the reliability of the data

and by extension, the internal validity of the data (Leedy and Ormrod, 1993).

Participants in the focus group were chosen to be representative of Baby Boomers,

Generation X and Generation Y. In addition, the sample was not drawn from just one

business unit or just one job type in Old Mutual South Africa, but rather from different job

types in different business units across Old Mutual South Africa, to prevent any bias to the

view of particular employees. These two factors ensured that the sample I chose was

representative of the population I intended to make inferences about, hence ensuring the

external validity of the data (Leedy & Ormrod, 1993).

The research findings also used the findings from the literature review to triangulate

(Bryman & Bell, 2003) the findings from both the quantitative and qualitative sources of

data collection.

The data collected was also shared with the participants of the focus groups and

interviews once the conclusions of the study had been reached in order for them to

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validate the outcomes of the research, thus further ensuring the validity of the data (Leedy

and Ormrod, 1993).

3.6 Limitations of the study

The study was limited to Old Mutual South Africa, one of the largest financial services

companies in South Africa. The study was not intended to deliver generational value

propositions across all sectors in the South African market. It was also not intended to

define the generational groupings, but has rather selected a definition to work with and

has focused on the expectations of these predetermined groups. The study only aims to

define the value proposition for the sample group, and in no way is an indication of the

general Old Mutual South Africa workforce.

The timeframe within which the study was required to be completed did not allow for the

sampling of hundreds people. Ideally, given the size of Old Mutual South Africa (employer

of approximately 15 000 people in South Africa), I would have liked to extend the study to

a larger group of people. A small group of participants (relative to the size of the

company) was used and this may have limited the extent of the feedback received. To

mitigate this, the participating sample was selected to include all relevant generational

groups.

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4 FINDINGS

This section looks at the responses received from respondents. Their responses have

been clustered in the different generations, that is Baby Boomers, Generation X and

Generation Y, focussing on key expectations they have of an employer such as

promotional opportunities, the most important and least factors considered when choosing

a job, expectations regarding various factors of employment, and the most common

reason cited for leaving or remaining in a job.

4.1 Baby Boomers

Four Baby Boomers participated in the study. Respondents in this group fall between the

ages of 49 and 64 years. The respondents were all white, and married. The respondents

consisted of three males and one female. Of the four respondents, three were in

management and one respondent was in sales.

Generally, the Baby Boomers interviewed were not positive about their work environment

and displayed disillusionment with their careers. In addition, the Baby Boomers

interviewed were not comfortable with focus groups and requested individual interviews

instead as they did not feel comfortable talking about their expectations in a group. One

respondent commented:”I don‟t want the whole world to know what I want. Some people

may use that against me to get me out of my job.” Another respondent felt: “These young

people will not understand my expectations, and I don‟t want people to make snide

comments about my expectations.”

4.1.1 Promotional Opportunities

The Baby Boomers in management felt that on average, they were willing to wait

approximately three years before receiving a promotion. All of them felt that this was a

reasonable amount of time to assimilate enough experience in the job in order to

command respect from their peers and subordinates, and to become fully competent at

their job. Their expectations are that they would progress to roles deemed to be similar to

their current roles, but with more seniority. One respondent remarked, “I need to prove

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myself to management, my peers and my subordinates before I can be promoted. If I

don‟t prove myself, they will have no respect for me.” One Baby Boomer respondent in a

sales related job expected a promotion in a year of assuming a job. She felt that a year is

enough time for one to prove whether they can make it in the industry or not. She

commented:”In a normal year, it should be easy to see if someone can make it in sale; you

just see if they are making their targets. One year is enough time for you to prove

yourself.” She also felt that she does not see promotions as necessarily a change in job,

but it can also be a salary increase.

Out of the Baby Boomers interviewed, none of them expected to receive any more

promotions in their career at Old Mutual and was quite disappointed with this.

Furthermore, none of them anticipated moving to another company as they felt that they

would find themselves in a similar position as they are in at Old Mutual. One respondent

felt: “I can‟t move to another company; no one wants to hire a 54 year old white male. You

have to be really lucky to get another job offer at my age. Plus, I am comfortable at Old

Mutual; little stress and I know my job. I don‟t want stress or change at this stage in my

life.” All of the respondents echoed these sentiments.

4.1.2 Most important factors when selecting a job

There was consensus among the respondents regarding what was important to them

when selecting a job. Most felt that challenging work is imperative, and career satisfaction

played a huge role when selecting a job. These respondents felt that having a job that is

challenging is what makes them want to come to work; once the work ceases to be a

challenge; they lose the motivation to come to work. One respondent noted, “When I have

a challenging piece of work to do, I want come to work; when the work is boring and

monotonous, I really don‟t feel like being here.” After years of service (generally to Old

Mutual), many felt that it was only respectful of Old Mutual to recognise not only the

contributions that they have made in the past, but also the contributions they can continue

to make. They bring with them rich institutional memory, which is an enabler for them to

deal with the challenges of today. One respondent said: “I may be old, but my brain is still

young. I have been here since before you (referring to me) were born. I have seen things

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change repeatedly. I can provide insight into problems, which you have never

experienced.”

Monetary rewards, both short and long term, were also cited as very important to Baby

Boomers. Most felt that not only should they be paid in line with their current jobs, but also

receive recognition for their service and loyalty to the company. It was noted that there

was some resentment of newly appointed, younger people in the business who earned

salaries and were paid bonuses equivalent to that of the Baby Boomers. A comment that

was made was:”I have worked here for 27 years and I earn as much as some of the 27

year olds in this business. I don‟t feel valued because of that; my service here means

nothing to the company.” Some felt that this was not an issue as these younger

individuals were performing functions similar to the one the Baby Boomers were

performing, whilst others were not happy with this.

Being part of a high performance team was also seen as quite important, as the Baby

Boomers enjoyed soliciting the views of others before making decisions. Comments

included‟ “I want to be part of an ambitious team; they tend to have the high performers. I

feel I can share my views more openly and like hearing the views of others,” and “I like

teamwork, but only when it is with a team geared towards delivery.” It was acknowledged

that the workforce of today is far more diverse than it ever has been in South Africa, and

the Baby Boomers believed that this is something that needs to be exploited. On the other

hand, they loathed team members who they viewed as “token individuals”. They believed

that every individual needed to contribute to the success of the team, and felt that this did

not always happen in the organisation. They stated, “I would have no problem with

diversity, as long as people are in positions because of their aptitude and not their colour.

It is stimulating chatting to people with different views, but I loathe people being hired just

to fix the EE (employment equity) scores.”

Training and development, and job security were only mentioned as important attributes

by the respondent in the sales environment. She believed there was still a substantial

amount of training that she could undergo to improve her performance, whereas the other

respondents did not see the need for them to be undergoing further training and

development if they have reached a ceiling. The respondent in the sales environment

said:”There are many more courses I could attend to improve my performance in my job.

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If I was given the opportunity, I would definitely attend these. I wish people would stop

considering me too old to learn.” She also said, “Given my current situation (she is

undergoing performance management), job security is a big concern for me. I‟m not sure

if I will have a job in a few months, but I‟m not ready to retire.” Job security was not a

concern of the Baby Boomer managers as they felt that the company would either offer

them lucrative packages for a graceful exit or just let them keep working until retirement.

Vacation time was cited as being quite important to this group. It was noted that although

they enjoyed their work, they deeply value time to relax with their family and to do the

things they want to. They believe that if they give one hundred percent at work, then they

should be allowed sufficient vacation time and would not trade this for anything, including

money. Comments made included, “I have worked hard my whole life. Now that my

children are grown and independent, I now have the time and money for my wife and I to

enjoy ourselves” and “I need time to enjoy my family and my life. Through my career, I

have not had much time to spend with them. Now is the time I get to enjoy family life.”

This group also showed a preference for working in teams as opposed to working by

themselves and tended to prefer longer-term roles. They disliked the idea of rotations

every eighteen months as they believed that it would take people anywhere between three

to five years to develop sufficiently in a job. Regarding their preference for working in

teams, one respondent said, “Working in teams is great; you get people with different

expertise to work on a common problem. Not only is it much easier to get work done in a

group, but it is also more interesting.” On the issue of longer-term role, respondents said,

“It is impossible for someone to master a job in eighteen months. You need a few years of

experience before you are ready to progress.”

4.1.3 Least important factors when selecting a job

There was agreement from all respondents that childcare facilities and corporate

philanthropy was least important to them. Reasons cited for this is that they all have

grown children and no longer need to worry about childcare facilities. Respondents

remarked, “My children are old enough to take care of themselves; even if I had young

children or even grandchildren, I would opt for a private nanny, or a place closer to my

wife.” Even if they had little children, most believed felt that they would hire private

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childcare facilities and not make use of facilities offered by OM as they felt they would be

more comfortable with this approach. They felt that corporate philanthropy did not have

an impact on their jobs, and hence made no difference to them. One respondent

commented: “The charitable organisations which Old Mutual supports are good, but I do

not feel a connection to them. I would rather give to a charity of my own accord.”

Reduced working hours, sick leave and study leave were also seen as unimportant to the

respondents. Most reflected that their job at Old Mutual is their only job, and they had no

interests in other businesses or any other external interests. Some also commented that

they enjoyed their jobs and hence would like to spend as much time as they can at work.

One respondent stated, “I love my job; I have been doing this for nearly thirty years. All I

have is my work and my family. I want to leave a legacy here at Old Mutual so that I am

remembered when I am gone. That is why I work as much as I do.” They also believed

that they could complete any non-work related task, during normal working hours, as this

generally did not require massive amounts of their time. One respondent stated, “My

working hours are flexible, and people in my department understand that there are some

personal things that have to be completed in work hours; I can go to the bank, the doctor,

etc, during work hours. That saves me massive amounts of time over the weekends and

afternoons.” It was also mentioned that they were used to working these hours, and some

even longer hours. Having done this for so many years, most felt that it would be difficult

for them to change; they felt that staying at home would only result in boredom for them.

The respondents shared that in their careers, they had never made excessive use of their

sick leave, and anticipated this trend to continue. One respondent mentioned that: “I am

healthy and very rarely am overcome by the common cold; I have to be half dying to stay

in bed”; another stated “I am strong and rarely get sick. Besides, my manager never asks

me to claim sick leave, so it never gets used.” This is the reason that sick leave is not a

major consideration for them when choosing a job.

Study leave was seen as unimportant in choosing a job, as most of the respondents do

not anticipate studying any further, and hence this benefit is useless to them. This is

further substantiated by the lack of interest expressed by the majority of the sample group

for training and development. Some views expressed included: “I am too old to be

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attending courses; it doesn‟t add any value to my job,” and “I am at a stage in my life

where I am not interested in studying; hence, study leave is useless to me.”

4.1.4 Expectations regarding factors of employment

a. Expected Working Hours

Baby Boomers are willing to work between five to twenty hours extra per week, provided

they are compensated for this, in either monetary terms or some other form of recognition.

Respondents commented that: “If I work more hours than required, I expect some sort of

acknowledgement from my manager. Paying me overtime would be great, but if that is not

possible, a simple thank you would do.” The female respondent in the group was however

not willing to work extra hours as she felt that it was important for her to be with her family,

and hence would not be willing to work extra hours. She said, “My family comes first; I

need to be home to take care of them and be with them.”

b. Taking work home

Respondents indicated that they were willing to work from home, but all indicated that they

preferred not to. They felt that their work and home life should remain separate, and

working from home would compromise that. Some respondents responded by saying:”I

will take work home if it is absolutely necessary; in most instances, my work can wait till

the next day,” and “I would take work home if I haven‟t finished something by the due date;

but I would rather work late than take work home. It‟s just easier to work at work. When

I‟m at home, that‟s either my time or family time.”

c. Vacation time

Most respondent were not likely to accept a job that offered minimal vacation time.

Respondents were adamant that, “I need my time away from work,” and “I need to

recharge my batteries; minimal leave is for workaholics and I am not one of them.”

d. High stress environments

All of the respondents were comfortable with working in high stress environments, with the

exception of the respondent involved in sales. Most noted that they already worked in

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high stress environments, hence this was not a problem for them. Respondents in favour

of high stress environments stated, “I have worked in a high stress environment all my life;

I am quite comfortable with this kind of environment.” The respondent who was not in

favour of a high stress environment stated, “I don‟t like stress; I am an easy going person

and a stressful environment is not an environment here I can perform well in.”

e. Excessive travel and an excessive commute

This group did not favour excessive travel as they felt that this was a waste of valuable

time. Most respondents echoed the sentiment of a statement made by one respondent,

“Travel two to three times a week is a waste of time; in my day, you never had to do that.

You could get everything you needed from around you. Plus, when we flew somewhere, it

was an occasion, so we got to fly business class, so you were comfortable”. They

preferred not to travel, and would only be willing to do so occasionally. They would also

only be willing to travel on their own terms, that is, they felt that the travel policy of the

company made travelling very uncomfortable for them, as they were not afforded any

luxuries while travelling. One respondent commented, “I drive a Mercedes Benz, but

when I travel, I get one of those small cars, like a Hyundai Atos, in which I can barely fit.

It‟s ridiculous!” Another issue is that this group was not used to travelling excessively, and

found it to be tiring, especially at their age.

The group was split on whether an excessive commute was acceptable or not. Some did

not mind the excessive commute, in favour of living in an area that they were comfortable.

One respondent commented: “I live in Constantia. It is a great area. It‟s quiet and private.

It is a bit of a trek to work, but I don‟t mind that.” Another respondent commented: “I hate

sitting in traffic, hence I need to be as close to work as possible.” However, all

respondents were against working in one city and living in another.

f. Stability but little progression

All of the respondents felt that they would not accept a job that offered stability but little

progression. They all felt that the prospect of progression is what made a job worthwhile.

One respondent commented that: “Having a job without the prospect of progression is like

constantly being on the bench in any competitive sport. Would you be happy just being on

the bench constantly, knowing that that is as far as you are going to get?”

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g. Separation from family

Separation from their family was something that they are unlikely to entertain. They did

not see any benefit in them doing such a thing at this stage in their lives. One respondent

stated, “I have been married for thirty years, and have never been away from my wife. I

don‟t intend to be away from her now.” The female respondent in the group remarked:

“My family is what gives me strength; I would not be able to cope with the stress of work

without them.”

h. Constant studying

Constant studying was seen as something that the respondents, with the exception of the

respondent in sales, would prefer not to do. As with training and development, some felt

that they were too old to be studying, whilst others felt that there was still room for them to

improve their skill set.

i. Type of work

The respondents seemed to have an affinity to working in team rather than working on

their own. One respondent commented that: “Working in teams is great; you get so much

more done than if you were working alone. Plus, you don‟t have to know everything or

even keep up to date with every single thing. You can get people on your team who can

help with that.” The group was averse to job rotations every six to eighteen months; they

felt that one needed more time to become fully competent at their job. One respondent

noted, “You cannot rotate someone out of a job which they have not mastered into another

job; it just does not make sense. That‟s what happens with these job rotations.”

4.1.5 Reasons for leaving jobs

Several themes emerged as to why BB‟s leave jobs, with the sales respondent adding a

few different reasons. In general, most cited the following reasons for leaving a job,

together with the actual comments made:

Better opportunities

o “I was offered a job which was a step up from what I was doing.”

o “I found a job which seemed so much better than my job at the time.”

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Lack of career progression

o “I was stuck in the same job for ten years; I could not take it anymore.”

o “Only younger people were being promoted; I needed to find something

where I was valued and offered the same opportunities as younger people.”

Remuneration

o “I found a job that paid me more for doing the same thing I was currently

doing”

o “Someone offered me more money for doing less than I was doing at my

current job.”

Poor leadership

o “I felt that my manager was directionless, which meant I could not do my job

properly.”

o “My leadership team was dishonest and unfair.”

The respondent in sales also felt that lack of support and complacency from the company

and staff were reasons for leaving a company. She remarked, “I want to work for a

company that supports me and makes my job easier. When I don‟t get this support, or

when the company feels it does not need to improve, I cannot sell them.”

4.1.6 Reasons for remaining in jobs

Themes emerged from discussions with the Baby Boomer respondents regarding why

they would choose or have chosen to remain in jobs. These were consistent across the

different employment levels and are ranked in descending order of the popularity of that

particular theme. The main themes, which emerged, were:

Brand of the company

Remuneration including benefits

Challenging work environment

High performance teams

Growth and development opportunities

Pride in the company and their job

Doing something that was worth their while, and value adding

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4.2 Generation X (Gen X)

Seventeen Generation X employees participated in this study, of which there were six

females and eleven males. These respondents are between the ages of 31 and 48 years

old. This sample group consisted of a spread of people from sales, administration and

management. The group consisted of four people in sales, seven people in administration

and six people in senior management. Eleven of the respondents were white, four were

coloured and two were African. This group of respondents were far more optimistic of the

company and their careers.


Generation X respondents believe they should receive a promotion between one to five

years of starting a new job. The reason for the wide range is that the expectation of

receiving a promotion varied between different job types.

People in administrative roles believed that it takes people anywhere between one to five

years to master a particular job, and that people should only receive promotions once they

have proven themselves fully competent in their current role. Most of the respondents in

this category fell into the older half of Generation X. One respondent felt that: “It has

taken me four years to become fully competent at my job, and I am a fast learner. I have

not expected a promotion until I proved myself as fully competent.”

Sales staff felt that they should receive a promotion after two to four years of being in a

job. Here again, the argument was around how long it takes someone to become fully

competent in their role. The younger the Generation X respondent was, the sooner they

expected a promotion, as they felt they were ready for a new challenge sooner. Some

respondents even felt that in the sales environment, promotion was not important at all.

They believe that if you are a good performer in the sales environment, it is more lucrative,

from a financial standpoint, to continue with your job as is. In these instances, the

respondents expected more recognition for their excellent sales rather than a promotion.

One respondent noted, “I have been on several offshore and onshore trips because of my

good sales. I do not need to be promoted, as long as long as I am recognised for my

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work. In sales, we do not get promoted, but your status among other sales people rise as

your sales performance improves.”

Respondents in management positions expected to wait between two to three years

before receiving a promotion, with more senior positions falling in the lower end of this

range and the more junior management roles expecting to wait about three years for a

promotion. Respondents in senior roles felt that the exposure and growth, which they

receive in their roles, develops them faster than in the junior roles. In addition, the nature

of the work becomes more strategic as one moves from the junior roles to the more senior

roles, which the senior management respondents felt to be more stressful and demanding,

and hence needed a change sooner. It was also felt, by both junior and senior

management that as one climbs up the corporate ladder, the number skills that they need

to develop reduces, hence why senior management expected promotions faster. One

respondent in senior management stated, “I have been at Old Mutual for many years, and

have moved from administration, to where I am today. As I moved up in the organisation,

I notices that the complexity of the work increased. This was due to senior management

being responsible for making decisions and acting on uncertain information, where at the

lower levels, you have defined processes and procedures. The more complex the work,

and the more decision making capability you have, the quicker you learn.” In addition, the

sheer quantity of people at these various levels means that at senior management level, it

is easier to recognise when someone is ready for a change than at lower management

levels. A respondent in senior management reported that, “When you are at the junior

levels of the organisation, you are competing with many more people for promotions; as

you move up the organisation, the skill set becomes more precise, and the levels of

experience required increases, and hence the pool of people you have for these jobs

decrease. So, good performance stands out, and people are able to command

promotions easier.”


Challenging work, career satisfaction, opportunity for progression and remuneration were

rated as the most important factors to Generation X when choosing a job. These factors

were true of the respondent group as a whole, with their job type not being a critical factor.

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One respondent asserted, “What makes me satisfied at work is if I have work that

challenges me, and takes me out of my comfort zone. I feel if I work on projects which are

challenging, then I can prove my worth to my manager, and make it easier to get a

promotion.” Other respondents felt, “The most important factor for me is remuneration,

mainly salary. I have a family to take care of and I need to earn a decent salary to do

that,” and “I am engaged with other activities outside work, which I need to fund; that‟s

why my salary is important to me.”

People felt that if their jobs were not challenging and if they did not enjoy what they did,

then they would become frustrated in their jobs. One respondent felt, “I enjoy challenges

in life; my job is no different. If I am not challenged in my job will leave and look for a job

that offers me that challenge.” However, some people were willing to give up job

satisfaction and challenging work in favour of remuneration. The thinking here was if the

person was paid a reasonable remuneration package, which could support his or her

lifestyle, then, they would do just about any job. This was the main trade-off that some of

the respondents were willing to make. One respondent remarked, “Job satisfaction and

challenging work will not feed my kids. I need money, and I need it now.”

Job security was also seen as an important factor by most respondents as they were

conscious of the fact that they had families to take care of. This factor was consistent

across the different job types, irrespective of their level in the organisation. Respondents

felt, “Now that I have a family and commitments, I need to make sure that I can support

my family and meet my commitments. I would like to be adventurous, but that is

something for the youngsters,” and “Call me old fashioned, but I like knowing that I have a

job and an income.”

Other non-financial benefits such as medical aid and retirement funding are also seen as

important; however, medical aid is seen as more important than retirement funding, as its

benefits are more immediate and directly benefits the employee‟s entire family. People

felt, “It‟s important to have medical aid, especially since doctors are so expensive. It‟s nice

when the company subsidises you fully or partially,” and “Medical aid and retirement

savings are important, but if I had to chose between the two, I would say medical aid,

because my family can benefit from it now.” Those respondents who were dissatisfied

with the current benefits they were receiving from the medical scheme cited medical aid as

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an unimportant. Respondents stated, “Medical aid is important, but I wish we had a better

medical aid. It is difficult to have a family of five on our medical aid. I end up paying for

going to the doctor in any case, so I don‟t see the use of our medical aid.”

Having good managers and mentors is viewed as important to the vast majority of the

respondents involved in sales and management. Good managers were seen as key to the

success of the respondents and mentorship was seen as an important value add to their

careers. One respondent noted, “My ideal job would be to work from my laptop wherever I

might be. I like to be left alone to work, but with a manager available with an open door

when you need to consult or get guidance. They still need to be hands-on enough to

know what you are working on and what kind of job you have done.” While having good

managers seemed important to most of the respondents, having mentors is especially

important to those respondents in middle to senior management positions. They felt that

having mentors would help them progress quicker through the business than they would

be able to on their own. A respondent stated, “Having a mentor has helped me to

understand parts of business which I have not yet experienced for myself. They help you

to think beyond today, about your career and your life. They can also be instrumental in

getting you noticed by the people in power.” Respondents involved in administration felt

that good managers and mentors were not as important, as their jobs are routine and

“boring”. One respondent felt, “My job is the same today as it was yesterday; having a

good manager or mentor won‟t change that.”

Training and development are seen as very important to respondents in administrative,

sales and junior management positions, but regarded as less important for those in middle

to senior management. Respondents in middle to senior management felt that their

growth would come from interactions with people senior to them, and mentors, and not

from studying and entry level training programmes. They were more vocal about on the

job experience as opposed to classroom based training and development programmes,

however, they did acknowledge that they would be willing to attend training and

development which was relevant to their job and which was practical. Respondents in

senior management stated, “I would not waste my time with theoretical programmes; if it‟s

a programme which is practical, then I do not see value in me attending these training

interventions,” and “On-the-job training is the best kind of training as it is always relevant.”

Respondents in junior to middle management felt, “I need training to improve my business

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knowledge; for instance, I would like to do an MBA because it prepares you for general

management,” and “The more training courses I attend and develop my skills, the greater

my chance of being considered for a promotion.”

Long-term incentives are viewed as important across the range of respondents, even for

those who have never received these. They felt that a good balance between short term

and long-term incentives is important to provide for the later stages of their lives. They

also felt that long-term incentives would also keep them loyal to the company and a lack

thereof meant that they were free to move whenever they pleased and were under no

obligation to the company. Respondents stated, “If I received share options, I would be

less likely to leave the company. I also would also have an interest in the success of the

company,” and “Long-term incentives make you want to stay with a company. If you

wanted to leave, you need to get your new employer to compensate you for your lost

shares and share options. That can be difficult, especially if it is the equivalent of a large

sum of money.”


Most people, with the exception of two, felt that corporate philanthropy was not important

to their choice of job or company. Many felt that they would rather engage in philanthropic

activities by themselves, as some felt that the philanthropic activities of the organisation

might not align to their interests. They also felt that corporate philanthropy had no material

impact on their job and hence was not very important to them. Respondents commented,

“The philanthropic activities of the company are not important to me. I want an employer I

can rely on to take care of me,” and “The community activities of Old Mutual are good, but

I prefer to be actively involved in these activities, so I choose to do them myself.”

Leave (annual, study and sick leave) did not seem to be very important to the

respondents, across all the job types. All the respondents felt that leave has never been a

deciding factor in the acceptance of a job, and they do not anticipate it being a swing

factor in their choice of a job in the future. The respondents said, “Everyone gets leave.

Why should that be a big deal,” and “The only leave I use is my annual leave. As long as I

get my twenty-two days a year, I am happy. If a job paid me enough, the number of

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leaves days I was allocated would not stop me from accepting it. I don‟t care about sick

leave and study leave.”

Flexible working hours and working from home was also not a swing factor in choosing a

job for most respondents. The respondents felt that a job, which offered proper office

space, was far more favourable than one that did not. They felt that working from home

would only work for people who are disciplined enough to separate their work life and

home life. The respondents also felt more comfortable with defined working hours so that

they can separate their work life and personal life. The respondents stated, “I need a

proper working space; I can‟t work from home. My children would drive me crazy and I

would get nothing done,” and “I like to leave my work at the office when I leave in the

afternoon. It helps me balance my life better.” There were a few respondents who did

value flexible working hours. One respondent stated, “I‟ve selected to take the reduced

working hours option because I enjoy doing things with my life outside of work, such as

sport. I‟m a squash player and wanted to be able to focus more on the sport, among other

things.”



The expected working hours for Generation X respondents differed across the different job

types. Respondents involved in administrative work were willing to work, on average, 50

hours a week. Although the respondents in administrative jobs were willing to work on

average 50 hours, if required, most did not think they should be working those hours.

Respondents commented that, “I will work more hours if my manager asked me to, but I

don‟t think he should be asking me to do that; after all, I don‟t want him to think I‟m lazy

and I don‟t want to lose my job. I do understand that sometime we have to finish certain

tasks before a particular time, but I think we should have more staff for those periods.”

There were however a few outliers, and the main reason given for the willingness to work

between fifty to sixty hours a week was the perception that if the respondent worked more

hours, they would be deemed fit for promotion or other new opportunities. The respondent

said, “If I work longer hours, my manager would recognise me as a hard worker, and I will

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be recommended for some sort of reward. Managers like people who do more than they

are supposed to.”

Respondents in management were willing to work between 40 and 60 hours a week.

They felt that there was an expectation from the company that managers should be willing

to work longer hours, if required. They felt that with more authority come more

responsibility, and this sometimes meant doing more than was stated in their formal

employment contracts. Again, the more senior the manager, the more hours he or she

expected to work per week. The respondent commented, “My job does not have set

working times. There are times when I have to work eighteen-hour days; there are times

when I work three-hour days. You have to learn to take the good with the bad.”

Sales respondents overall felt that they would not be willing to work more than the

expected number of hours per week. Respondents felt that if they worked more than the

expected forty hours, it was a reflection of poor time management on their part. In

addition, sales personal are remunerated mainly via variable structures; hence, they felt

that they would work for as much time as it took them to make the amount of money they

wanted. They felt that the required 40 hours a week was more than sufficient to get to the

remuneration levels they desired. One respondent commented, “If I can achieve my sales

target in ten hours as opposed to the recommended 40, why should I work 40. After all,

work today is about output and not input,” and “I think there‟s a lot one can do before one

should have to work long hours.”

Overall, the respondents preferred not to work more hours than was expected of them, but

many felt that they have to in order to do their job well.

b. Taking work home

Sales and administration respondents did not mind taking work home, as long as it was

not all the time. They preferred to take home with them, rather than having to work late in

the office. This way, they could be with their family, and still complete any required work.

One respondent noted, “I do take work home with me from time to time, but I do not make

it a habit. I have a four year old, and he is full of energy. I need time to be with him, so I

try not to take work home.” Management respondents on the other hand were not willing

to take work home. They felt that they spent insufficient time with their families, by virtue

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of the amount of time they spent travelling. As a result, they prized the time they spent at

home with their families, and felt they needed to be one hundred percent present with their

families when they are at home. One respondent noted, “I spend four days out of five

away from home. I hardly see my family. I am not willing to work during the little time I

have with them.”

c. Vacation time

Vacation time is important to this group of respondents. Although it was rated as

unimportant in choosing a job, most expected to get at least twenty days of leave per year.

As long as they were awarded this, leave was not an issue. A respondent commented, “I

need my time to relax with my family and be away from work. I value my time off. I give

one hundred percent when I am at work, and need time to relax one hundred percent.”


All of the respondents were willing to work in high stress environments. However,

managers and sales respondents were more accepting of a continuous high stress

environment, whereas administration respondents were willing to work in high stress

environments, as long as it was not sustained for long periods. A respondent in the

administrative environment felt, “Stress should not be ongoing; it‟s bad for your health.‟

Respondents in sales and management said, “Stress is part of the job. It‟s why we get

paid the salaries we do, “and “No stress means you are not pushing your boundaries and

out of your comfort zone.”


All of the respondent groups were willing to accept excessive travel, but for different

reasons. The group of respondents in the management category felt that this was part of

their job, and hence did not mind the excessive travel. They displayed a preference to live

close to work; however, their needs for a comfortable family home and access to good

schools for their children superseded their need to live close to work. One respondent

remarked, “Travelling is part of my job. I need to travel around the country every other

day, and out of the country quite often. I knew this when I accepted this job, so it is taken

as part of the job. I would prefer to be as close to work as possible; but more important is

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to have a comfortable house for my family, near a school for my children.” Others felt that

the excessive travel often took them to places they never knew existed and allowed them

to meet people they ordinarily would not have met. One respondent felt, “I have been able

to travel around the world with my job, and I have met weird and wonderful people. If I

had not been willing to travel, I would not have been able to do that. I would prefer to live

close to work as long as it is affordable.” Hence, travel was seen as an opportunity to

broaden their horizons, though many did feel that the travel does take its toll on you. One

respondent noted, “Travel is good for the first few months. Then, it becomes a chore.”

Sales respondents felt that travel was necessary for them to either conduct their business

or increase their business; hence they did not mind the excessive travel. One respondent

felt, “Excessive travel or commute is necessary for me to either get to my clients or attend

training. I have to be willing to do both to maximise my earning potential.” Respondents

involved in administration, who do not travel as much as the other two groups felt that

travel would be exciting, hence their favourable attitude towards this. One respondent

noted, “I would love to travel; I have never been on a plane, and wish my job involved

some sort of travel so I could see different places.”


None of the respondent groups was willing to accept stability as a substitute for

progression. Although stability was highly valued among the Generation X respondents,

progression was still very important to them. All the respondents felt that they expected

stability in terms of them having a job and in terms of their remuneration. However, the

prospect of progression is what propels them to work hard in the hope that they will be

able to achieve more. Many felt that there should be a balance between stability and

progression, and those who have found this felt that they would not change employers,

even if they were offered more money. Responses included, “I want to know that my job

is secure, but that I will have an opportunity to further my career. I also need to know that

my salary is secure. I can‟t have it changing every month as I have commitments.”

Another respondent noted, “Some employers are able to offer you a stable job, but with

the prospect of moving up in the company. I would find it hard to leave an employer like

this.”

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g. Separation from your family

All of the respondents who have spouses, partners and children were vehemently against

being separated from their family, for long periods. They felt that wherever they went, they

would prefer to take their family with and that long periods of separation from their family

would be quite stressful for both themselves and their family. However, most did not mind

being separated from their extended family, including their parents, brothers and sisters.

Some felt that if they were separated, they would expect the company to foot the bill for

frequent travel for either them, or their family. Respondents stated, “I do not think that I

would be comfortable being separated from my immediate family. I would worry too much

about their health and safety. I would not be able to concentrate on work if were

separated from them for long periods of time,” and “I don‟t mind being separated from my

extended family, but I need the support of my immediate family.” Overall, Generation X

respondents will tend not to accept jobs, which require them to be separated from their

immediate family for long periods.


Respondents in management positions are far more likely to accept jobs, which require

constant studying, provided whatever they are studying can be readily applied to their

jobs. One respondent noted, “If I am expected to study something which I can apply to my

job, I will do it. But if it‟s not practical, then I am not interested.” However, the willingness

to study seemed to depend on experiences with regard to studying, and this is a thread,

which was common among all respondents. The main reason for people not wanting to

study is they felt either that studying was not for them or that they did not want the stress

of studying again. Respondents felt, “I hated school and studying; I never want to study

again,” “Studying is a waste of my time; I‟m not good at it, and I am not going to put myself

through that hell,” and “I don‟t mind studying. I loved it at school; I just wish I had the

money to continue with my tertiary education.” This was mainly the sentiment expressed

by those in sales and administrative roles, while those in management positions

understood that work experience and education played a role in their progression.

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i. Type of work

Across the range of respondents, there was agreement that they would prefer to be in

jobs, which offered them a balance of thinking and doing. They felt that they had a lot to

contribute to any business and would be offended if they were thought of as mere worker

bees. One respondent remarked, “I expect to be given direction by my manager; but I

also expect to be given the freedom to act on my own.” They are happy in jobs where

they get to work in teams, and alone as they believed that, they could fare well in both

instances. However, this seemed to vary across different personality types and not across

different job types. Respondents felt, “One of the challenges of working with colleagues

from different generations is that overtime and long hours often seem to be viewed as part

of the job. At times like this, I prefer to work alone,” and “I love working in a team. The

diversity of talents and ideas is refreshing. I don‟t think I could achieve half of what I have

achieved to date, if I had to work on my own.” Respondents involved in administration and

management were open to job rotations, every two to three years, and felt that this added

excitement and opportunities in a company. Sales respondents however felt that job

rotations were not necessary. They felt that if you are a good sales person, you should

stick to sales; if not, you should find another career. Hence, they felt job rotations would

not be suitable to their particular job type. A respondent in the administration job type felt,

“Rotations every two to three years would be a good thing; people like me would have the

opportunity to try different jobs to see what jobs we are best suited to.”

4.2.5 Reasons for leaving a job

The main reasons cited by the respondents for leaving jobs, in descending order of the

number of mentions received, together with actual quotes from them, were:

Remuneration (mainly short term) and benefits

o “I found a job that would pay me more.”

o “Even though I was getting a good package, my take home salary was low,

so I found a job where my take home salary was higher and my benefits

were lower.”

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Finding better prospects

o “I found a position better suited to my talents.”

o “I was offered a more senior position, coupled with a higher salary,”

Lack of inspirational leadership

o “The leadership team did not motivate me, nor could I associate with them.”

Job satisfaction and lack of progression opportunities

o “I had reached a ceiling in my job and I was frustrated.”

Family reasons

o “I spent too much time on the road, and was not able to spend enough time

with my family.”

o “My husband got another job, and the whole family needed to relocate.”


Irrespective of the type of job, the respondent was involved in, the reasons for remaining

in a job was consistent. The main reasons cited for remaining in a job, in descending

order, are:

Remuneration

Job satisfaction and progression opportunities

Stability


Growth and development opportunities

Inspirational leadership

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4.3 Generation Y (Gen Y)

This group of respondents consisted of individual between the ages of twenty-three and

thirty, and is substantially more representative, demographically, of the South African

population. There was good diversity of the respondents in terms of race and gender.

There were thirteen female respondents and five male respondents. This sample

consisted of six African respondents, five Asian respondents, three coloured respondents

and four white respondents. The breakdown of respondents into job type revealed that

approximately sixty percent of the respondents fell into the technical/professional

category, with the remaining respondents split between sales (24%) and the remaining

twelve percent in administrative roles.


Generation Y respondents felt that they were willing to wait between one and three years

before they expected a change in their role. While the range is an indication of the overall

expectation of the group, it was noted that on average, Generation Y respondents

believed that they should expect a change in their role in approximately two years. It is

important to note that they did not necessarily expect a promotion after two years, but they

expected at least a substantial salary increase, if they were doing their jobs well. An

interesting nuance is that respondents in administrative roles expected promotions or

salary increases within a year of starting their jobs, while respondents in the sales

environments expected to receive a promotion or salary increase in approximately three

years of starting a job. Respondents‟ views included, “I think that I can reach an

acceptable level of competence within two years of starting a job. I immerse myself in my

job, which is how I am able to build my competence levels quickly. Even if I do not receive

a promotion within two years of accepting a job, I do expect at least a substantial salary

increase in recognition of the amount of my time I devote to the business,” and

“Administration jobs are easy to learn. I only took this kind of job to get into Old Mutual. I

expect to move out of this role in the next six months; I have been here for about nine

months already, and feel like I am almost ready to move to something bigger and better.”

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Out of the eighteen respondents, only three did not include financial rewards (salary,

bonus and other incentives) in their choice of the top eight most important factors when

choosing a job. Incidentally, all of those who did not consider remuneration as highly

important to their choice of job instead rated the willingness of the company to pay for their

studies as being important. Respondents commented that, “I joined Old Mutual straight

out of university; they paid for my studies. I am grateful that they assisted me with my

studies. I may not have been able to study had I not received a bursary from them,” and

“Old Mutual is currently paying for my CFA. It is important to my career that I am able to

complete this qualification and I am glad Old Mutual has offered to pay for this.”

Many of the respondents felt that they need to be adequately compensated for the fact

that they have a tertiary qualification (and other professional qualifications), and for the

contributions they make in their jobs. They noted that they did not expect that their

salaries would be the best in the industry but they needed them to be, at the very least,

comparable to their peers in the industry. While many did not expect to earn millions in

their early working careers, they felt that their salaries should be a reflection of the amount

of work they do, and the quality of their outputs, as opposed to their length of service.

Respondents felt, “My salary should reflect my contribution to the company. I studied for

four years, which is not cheap, and I need to be compensated for the investment I made in

my education, for which the company now derives benefit,” and “Being highly paid is not

all that matters; as long as my salary is comparable in the industry, I am happy. I hate

knowing that I have been getting a raw deal from a company.”

Training and development is viewed as a particularly important factor, especially for the

professional Generation Y respondents. Not only did they feel that this is an important

factor, but they also felt that it was a sign of good faith from the company to pay for any

additional training, which the respondent may want, as long as it pertains to his or her job.

They felt that if a company spends money on training and developing them, then the

company sees potential in them, and that is a factor, which contributes to them wanting to

accept a job or remain in a certain job or company. Respondents commented that, “If a

company is willing to invest in me, then I know that that company recognises the value I

can add to their business. I would stay with a company like this, as I would be able to

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expand my knowledge base, and would enjoy a level of satisfaction in my job,” and

“Training and development is important for me. I need to be constantly stimulating my

mind to maximise the value I add at work.” Training and development was seen to matter

more to Generation Y professionals, and not as much to respondents administrative and

sales jobs. Tuition reimbursement seemed to be important only to those respondents who

are currently studying or intend to study in the next two years. Respondents noted, “If I

am not planning on studying, why would I worry about tuition reimbursements?” and “I am

currently studying my MBA. I would not have been able to fund this on my own. One of

the reasons I moved to Old Mutual is they offered to sponsor my MBA.” Another

respondent commented, “I‟ve enrolled for the Project Management Course at Old Mutual‟s

business school and it‟s very exciting that I can learn and grow within the organisation.”

Career progression was viewed as very important to all the respondents. The

respondents expressed a sense of ambition and achievement, hence career progression

is so important to them. When asked what kind of jobs they foresee themselves fulfilling,

responses ranged from “CEO of OMIGSA”, “MD of the business”, “a general manager in

the next few years” and “head of the call centre.” Respondents felt that if they did not

foresee progressing in a company, they would leave without hesitation. They commented,

“If I do not think that I am going anywhere in a company, I will look for another job.” Most

of the respondents felt that they were overlooked for senior positions because of their age.

It is for this reason that many insist on having a clear map of where they are going in their

company. Some respondents on managed programmes, which tend to map out your

career in the organisation, shared how knowing that your career is being actively managed

by someone, allowed them to focus on excelling at their job. Respondents felt, “My age

sometimes gets in the way of me advancing. I have been told that I need five years

experience in this area, and five years in another area, before I can get to a senior

position” and “Being on a managed programme or having a manager who is concerned

with your career helps you map out your career. This takes my mind off things like making

myself known in order to get a promotion; hence, I can focus on doing a good job and

know that everything else will fall into place.”

Work-life balance came across as an important attribute for those respondents who were

married and those who had children. For those respondents who were single, work-life

balance was seen as unimportant. Many of the respondents who were married were

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actually newlyweds, and those with children had young children. As such, they felt that

they needed to spend time with their families. Respondents felt, “I have only been married

for six months; I don‟t want to be divorced for neglecting my wife”, and “My son is three

years old. He does not get to see much of me because I travel so much. I want to be able

to spend as much time with him as I possibly can.” Those respondents who are single

and found work-life balance to be unimportant felt that they should work as much as they

can, while they can; they felt that once they had a family or a partner, their ability to work

long hours would diminish. A respondent remarked, “I can work all night if I have to. I am

single and have no one to answer to or worry about. Right now, my life is about my career

and I.” Another important point raised is that many respondents interact with other

Generation Y people from their work environment, in a social setting as well. This means

they are working with their friends, and hence work-life balance is also achieved to an

extent. One respondent felt, “I work with my friends; we work hard and party hard,

together.” Some respondents also felt that by sacrificing their social lives, they would be

able to climb the corporate ladder quicker than those people who are unable to do this.

One respondent noted, “If I display commitment and dedication, I will be recognised and

rewarded with progression in the company.”

A good manager was viewed by half the respondents as important, whereas the other half

the group felt that it was unimportant. The respondents who felt a good manager was

unimportant were also the respondents who felt remuneration was the most important

factor in a job. They felt that as long as you enjoyed what you did and you were

remunerated fairly, then a good manager or mentors were inconsequential. They also felt

that they did not have enough interactions with their manager for them to have any

material impact on their jobs. Responses included, “If you pay me enough, I will make

sure the work gets done, irrespective of the kind of manager I have” and “I hardly see my

manager. What kind of impact can he have on my work?” Those respondents who felt a

good manager and mentor were important in choosing a job was made up mainly of

respondents involved in technical work. They felt that a good manager and mentor does

enable them or will enable them to not only perform better in their current job, but also

plan their future career. They also felt that a bad manager was de-motivating for them,

and was reason enough for them to leave a job. On respondent even shared an article,

which he once read which stated that people do not leave companies, but rather they

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leave managers. Another respondent commented, “I need support and motivation,

especially when things get tough. If you have a good manager, he can coach you and

guide you. I would feel very guilty about leaving a good manager and would not leave

unless I had a really good reason to do so.”

Some people felt that the workplace environment was very important, whilst others felt that

it is unimportant. Those who felt that the environment was important shared previous

experiences of being in unpleasant environments and its negative impact on their

productivity and their overall happiness at work. A comment made was “I have been in

environments where you could cut the tension with a knife. I cannot work like that. It‟s not

the kind of place you want to be in for a long time. It is energy sapping.” Those who felt it

was unimportant felt that you could create your own environment, irrespective of the

general environment. They also felt that one should ignore the environment they are in

and just get the work done, because at the end of the day, that is all that mattered. They

also felt that if you enjoyed what you are doing, then the environment is not important. A

comment made was, “If you create your own Zen space, nothing and no one else will be

able to intrude on your space.”

Flexible working schedules were seen as important, but for different reasons. Some

respondents, who are parents felt they required flexible working schedules to allow them

to tend to their families better, whilst others, especially the respondents in Johannesburg,

felt that flexible working hours helped them to avoid peak hour traffic. Comments

included, “I need to take my son to crèche in the morning. This means I need time to get

him ready. If I didn‟t have flexible working hours, I would have to get up at around 4am

just to get to work in time” and “With the traffic in Johannesburg, I am glad I am able to

start work between 9am and 10am. That way, I avoid the morning traffic and get to work

ready to work.” Others felt that flexible working schedules helped them to deal with their

activities outside work.


Generally, the number of leave days (annual and sick leave) which the respondents were

entitled to was not perceived as important. However, those respondents who were

studying, especially the actuarial respondents felt study leave is very important. They felt

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it unfair for them not to be allowed time off to study for examinations; they also felt that

they are unproductive at work just before an examination due to the stress they are under.

Comments included, “I don‟t use my sick leave and I often find I have too much annual

leave” and “My studying does not only benefit me, but also the company. Hence, I believe

they need to allow me sufficient study leave for me to perform at my best.”

Childcare facilities were generally unimportant to this group. The reason for this is that

those people with children generally received assistance from their extended families or

hired full time help. This group of parents and prospective parents were also very fussy

about the schools their children attended and hence looked for schools, which possessed

particular characteristics and reputation. A respondent in the group who is a parent

remarked, “I have a nanny to take care of my son. I prefer that; if he was close to me, I

would be tempted to go check on him all day, which would be distracting for me.” Another

parent felt, “I need to get my child into a good school early in her life; if I don‟t they won‟t

accept her later. This means I need to send her to that particular school from nursery

school.”

Share options and other benefits were seen as unimportant to this group. This group felt

that share options are a mechanism to ensure your medium to long term allegiance to the

company. Many felt that they were not sure as to how long they would stay with a

company and share options was not viewed as an incentive to them, but rather as a lock-

in. They believed that they should be rewarded for their efforts, in the short term, and not

have to wait to be rewarded in the long term. In terms of benefits, most felt that added

benefits were not important to them. They felt that retirement benefits were the least

important as many felt that that part of their life is too far away for them to even think

about. However, medical aid benefits were seen in a more favourable light, with many

people feeling that this is something where the benefit is visible in the short term. Most

commented that what was most important to them is how much of money they get in their

bank accounts at the end of every month. Everything else is immaterial. Comment on this

included, “I need to build my life now, so I need as much cash as I can get now. I should

be able to decide if I want to allocate money to a pension fund or retirement fund, and not

have it as mandatory contributions”, and “Share options are inconsequential to me. You

only get to exercise them after a few years, and if you decide to leave, you forfeit them. I

should be incentivised with rewards that I can access now.”

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Most respondents felt that a fifty-hour week is easily achievable, and most were more than

willing to work up to sixty hours a week, and more if required. However, sales and

administration staff felt that they should not be exceeding their forty-hour workweek. Most

of the respondents either in management or in a professional field felt that when there was

work to be done, one should be able to work until the desired result is achieved. They

would be willing to work long hours, as long as it was not sustained over long periods.

They also felt that they would be willing to work long hours for a period, but they then

expected to be compensated for their time. They expected compensation to take the form

of a few days off, or maybe even just a lunch or dinner by their manager to acknowledge

the work that they had put in. They also believed that working longer hours tends to grab

the attention of management, and is a way for them to display their dedication to their

work. Respondents felt, “I am willing to work long hours if required, but I will not do this

every day. When I do work long hours, I expect to be either given some time off work to

be compensated, or receive some kind of recognition.”

b. Taking work home

Most people did not mind taking work home, as they believed in some instances, one has

to go beyond the call of duty to get their work done. Those respondents who were single

felt that taking work home was not an issue for them at all. Those respondents who are in

relationships however, felt that they would only take work home under exceptional

circumstances. All of these respondents felt that taking work home should not be

something that is done on a regular basis, but rather a once in a while occurrence. Some

comments made were, “I don‟t mind taking work home once in a while. But I do value my

free time, and will not spend all my free time working” and “If I took work home every day, I

am sure my wife will divorce me.” Some respondents were not willing to take home and

these were the individuals who placed a great deal of value on work-life balance. They felt

that they needed a break from their jobs and that their social lives did not allow for this.

They also felt that taking work home once signals that you are willing to do it on a

continuous basis. By doing this, one creates an expectation that this is part of the job, and

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you even stop being credited for the extra work you put in. One respondent commented,

“I do not get any extra credit for taking work home, so why would I do it. Once you show

your manager that you are willing to work in your free time, they will exploit you. You have

to be firm.”

c. Vacation time

Vacation time is important to all respondents. Most felt that they needed a break from

their job from time to time. Most of the respondents who had moved away from their

families for their jobs felt that they needed vacation time to be with their families. Other

felt that they needed their vacation time to enjoy the money they are earning, by taking

holidays. Overall, all the respondents agreed that even though leave days was not seen

as a determining factor when choosing a job, they expect vacation time, which is similar to

the rest of the industry, just to recharge their batteries, if nothing else. Respondents felt,

“My family is in Durban. I enjoy going down every few months to see my family and

friends” and “I have always wanted to see the world. Now that I am earning a good salary,

I can do that. I need time off to be able to do that.”


Most respondents were likely to accept jobs in high stress environments. Some

respondents commented on the fact that they work best in high stress environments;

others felt the excitement of high stress environments is character building, especially for

younger people. Some people felt that there was a greater sense of achievement in high

stress environments than there are in low stress environments. Respondents felt, “High

stress environments get my adrenalin pumping; it gets me on such a high, and I produce

my best work during these times. Although, I definitely need a cooling off period after a

stressful period” and “Stress is like a drug; I can‟t live without it. Achieving goals and

objectives under pressure is more rewarding than under normal circumstances.” A few

respondents felt that high stress environments are not suitable to them. They commented

that they have worked in these environments, and had a general dislike for the

environment, because everyone is excessively tense and can affect both your work and

personal relationships. They further felt that these types of environments are

counterproductive as people are so stressed; they tend to worry more about getting their

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own work done than ensuring the team achieves its goal. A respondent noted, “In high

stress environments, I make more mistakes and cannot think straight.”


Most respondents in this group did not mind excessive travel as they felt mobility should

be an expectation of every employee. However, many respondents that do engage in

excessive travel currently felt that excessive travel tires one out quicker, and have an

impact on productivity. They also felt that excessive travel tends to result in people having

to take work home and work flexible hours. One respondent commented, “I travel several

times a week. My travel cuts either into my work time or into my free time. I get really

tired from all the travel; some days I wish I did not have to travel.” Respondents who do

not travel much in their current jobs felt that excessive travel would be exciting and a

chance to see places, at the company‟s expense. One respondent commented, “If I could

travel, I get to see places at the company‟s expense, and stay in fancy hotels. That would

be fun.” Though people are willing to travel excessively for their jobs, very few are willing

to have an excessive commute, which is travel long distances to get to work. People living

in Johannesburg felt that they would never live too far from work due to the traffic

problems there. These respondents measured their willingness to commute in the time

they are willing to sit in traffic. The other respondents were willing to travel distances to

get to work, but tended to want to at least be in the same city as their job. Most people felt

that an excessive commute was a waste of their time, and hence would not accept a job if

they needed to travel excessive distances to get to their job. Comments included, “In

Johannesburg, you have to be willing to commute to work; I cannot afford a house in

Sandton; the area I live in is not far from Sandton, but it takes me two hours to get to work.

It‟s the reality of life in Johannesburg” and “I would definitely want to live and work in the

same city. Otherwise the commute becomes insane.”


This group of respondents displayed overwhelming support for progression as opposed to

stability. The respondents felt that they are young enough to take risk and make changes,

and many did not have dependant to worry about either. Many compared this situation to

that that of risk versus return in financial markets. This group is also more positive

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towards change due to their generally optimistic outlook. Many also felt that they had

strong enough support structures in the form of their parents, which allows them to be

more risk taking when it comes to their career. Response included, “I would rather take a

chance with a career change now, while I am young and have no commitments” and “I

don‟t want a job for life; my job is to experience life!”

g. Separation from your family

A substantial proportion of the respondents were willing to be separated from their family

(they considered their family to consist of their parents and siblings), because they were,

single or had no dependants. They felt having no dependants or commitments made it

easier for them to transfer across geographic regions, without much concern, hence

eligible for more opportunities than those with families. A respondent commented, “I

moved to Johannesburg from Durban. It was the first time I was away from home, but I

took the chance, and it paid off” and “I can go anywhere in the world, but my parents will

still be my support structure.” The respondents who either were married or did not have

any dependants were not as willing to be separated from them. Since many of these

respondents are newlyweds or have little children, they felt separation would be difficult for

them to handle. Other respondents simply felt safer and more at ease to stay closer to the

support structures of their parents and siblings, but some did feel that this inhibited their

ability to progress in the organisation. One respondent felt, “My life is in Cape Town; I

don‟t want to leave that behind for my career, even though I know it‟s holding me back.”


The respondents were divided on this issue. Some respondents felt that they would not

accept jobs, which required constant studying. Their reasons stem more from their

experiences with studying at either school or university. These respondents felt that they

were not made for studying and that they were people that are more practical and

preferred on the job training and learning, as opposed to studying and writing

examinations. This group consisted mainly of those individuals involved in administration,

sales and a few people from the professional jobs. Comments from this group included, “I

have studied enough; I never want to see another examination in my life” and “I hate

studying; I refuse to do that anymore.” The other half of the respondents were more than

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happy to accept a job that required constant studying, provided they were given adequate

time and support to study. One respondent felt, “I understand that I need to study to

further my career, and I have no problem with that.”

i. Type of work

The majority of the respondents believed that job rotations are a good idea in business

today. They fully support the concept of moving people between departments to share

knowledge and learning, but also so that people get a better understanding of the overall

business. However, a point for debate which came up numerous times was whether

eighteen months was too long or too short a period for someone to learn anything, to

teach others anything or to make a meaningful difference in that role. Most people agreed

that six months was too short, but agreed that eighteen months to two years was a

reasonable amount of time to make a difference. Comments included, “Six months allows

you to barely scratch the surface of a business, especially if it is a large business. You

would need more time to fully understand the business and leave your mark on the

business” and “Eighteen months to two years is the maximum amount of time I would like

to spend in a business. I find that I get bored after a year to eighteen months in one role.”

4.3.5 Reasons for leaving jobs

The main reasons cited by the Gen Y respondents regarding why they would or have left

jobs, in descending order of the number of mentions received, is as follows:

The work was not challenging enough

o “I was doing stuff that was not stimulating.”

o “I didn‟t need a degree for the kind of work I was doing.”

Little career progression

o “I could not see any room for progression.”

o “The role was a dead end role. I needed more.”

Remuneration

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o “My salary was not competitive.”

Poor relationships with their direct manager

o “My manager was only concerned with my work outputs, and not my career.”

No opportunities for training and development

o “I was not given the opportunity to attend training, and I felt that my

development was far from optimal.”

Need for a change

o “It was time for me to change. I had been in the same role for too long. I

was getting bored with my job.”

Low level of learning

o “I was not learning anything new in my job. I was being held back from

progressing because I did my job well.”


The main reasons cited by the Generation Y respondents for remaining in a job are almost

the opposite of that stated in the previous section. These reasons were consistent across

all the respondents, and are stated in descending order of the number of mentions:

Clear career progression

Being values and appreciated

Remuneration


Location

Culture

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5 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

5.1 Comparisons across the different Generations

Table 4 : Generational preferences across selected factors

Factor Baby Boomer Generation X Generation Y

1. Promotional

Opportunities

3 years 1 to 5 years 1 to 3 years

2. Most

Important

Factors when

choosing a job

Challenging work, job

satisfaction, monetary

rewards, being part of a

high performance team,

vacation time

Challenging work, career

satisfaction, opportunity for

progression, remuneration, job

security, non-financial benefits,

good mangers and mentors,

training and development, long

term incentives

Remuneration, training and

development, tuition

reimbursement, career

progression, work-life balance, a

good manager, workplace

environment, flexible working

schedules

3. Least

important

factors when

choosing a job

Childcare facilities,

corporate philanthropy,

reduced working hours,

sick leave and study leave

Corporate philanthropy, leave

and flexible working hours.

Corporate philanthropy, annual

leave, study leave, childcare

facilities, share options

4. Expected

working hours

Will work extra hours if

compensated

Range from 40 to 60 but differ

by job type

Range for 40 to 60; differs by job

type

5. Taking work

home

Preferred not to Willing to do this, but not often Willing to do this, but not often

6. Vacation Time Important Important Important

7. High Stress

Environment

Expressed comfort with

this, except in the sales

environment

Management and sales

accepting of this; admin staff

will accept this occasionally

Some willing to do this; some

unwilling to do this

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8. Excessive

travel and

commute

No appetite for this Yes for travel; preference for

commute differed by job type

Yes to travel; commute

dependent on geographic

location

9. Stability but

little

progression

Not acceptable Not acceptable Not acceptable

10. Separation

from family

Not acceptable Not acceptable Acceptable for single people; not

for married people and those with

dependants

11. Constant

studying

Preferred not to, except in

the sales environment

Management far more likely to

accept this than other job

types

Yes for some; no for others

12. Type of work Enjoys working in teams,

averse to job rotations

every 6 to 18 months;

preferred it to be after a

longer period

Preference for team work,

open to job rotations every 2 –

3 years (with the exception of

sales)

Enjoyed teamwork and working

alone. Liked the concept of job

rotations every 18 months to 2

years

13. Reasons for

leaving a job

Better opportunities, lack of

career progression,

remuneration, poor

leadership

Remuneration, finding better

prospects, lack of inspirational

leadership, job satisfaction,

lack of progression

opportunities, family reasons

Work not challenging, little career

progression, remuneration, poor

relationship with their manager,

no opportunities for training and

development, need for change,

low level of learning.

14. Reasons for

remaining in a

job

Company brand,

remuneration, challenging

work environment, high

performance teams, growth

and development

opportunities, pride in the

company and their job,

doing something that is

value adding

Remuneration, job satisfaction

and progression opportunities,

stability, company brand,

growth and development

opportunities, inspirational

leadership

Clear career progression, being

valued and appreciated,

remuneration, brand of the

company, location, culture

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While all three groups shared some similarities, there were also several distinctions

between the groups, as summarised in Table 4. Table 4 is a summary of the finding

presented in the previous section, with these findings being compared to one another in

this section.

The level of optimism seems to decline as one moves from Generation Y, all the way to

Baby Boomers in the sample. The reason given for this is, in the South African context,

Generation Y is the first generation to participate and contribute to the building of an

inclusive society in South Africa. Given their age, most remarked that they did not

experience the hardships of Apartheid, like generations before them. Their optimism

stems from them being able to shape their own future. The Generation Y sample group

was optimistic as found by Glass (2007). However, the sample group of Generation X

were not cynical and pessimistic, as asserted by Wong et al., (2008). The Baby Boomer

sample group was pessimistic, and this does not tie in with any of the literature reviewed.


Each of the generations in the sample, had a different view on how long they should wait

before receiving a promotion. This is in line with the findings of McCrindle (2006, 2008),

which found that thirty percent of Baby Boomers expected to be promoted within two years

of starting a new job, compared to 86% of Generation Y. Generation X respondents in the

sample seemed to prefer remaining in a job for a longer period, than the other two sample

generational groups, mainly due to their view of how long it takes someone to become

fully competent in their job, and their need for job security, the latter of which is supported

by Macky, Gardner and Forsyth (2008).

5.1.2 Most important factors when choosing a job

Across the three generational groups, having challenging work, job satisfaction and

opportunity for progression were common threads. This is in agreement with Glass

(2007). It seemed that these factors made the respondents feel valued and motivated

them to work. Though vacation time was not a determining factor when choosing a job,

respondents across the generations expected their employer to award them leave, which

was consistent with the rest of the industry. Remuneration was also important to the

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sample group, across the generations, with Baby Boomers and Generation Y preferring

cash rewards than long-term rewards. For sample Generation Y, this is a contrast to the

view of Glass (2007) but her findings are in agreement with the findings of the Baby

Boomer sample group. Remuneration was important across all the generation. However,

each generation valued different parts of the remuneration package. Generation Y valued

short-term rewards; Generation X valued a combination of short and long-term

remuneration, coupled with other benefits, and Baby Boomers valued more cash

remuneration than any other type of remuneration. In the sample group, Generation X

was the only group to display a tendency towards job security, which is inconsistent with

the literature. Training and development was important to both Generation X and Y in the

sample, whist Baby Boomers in the sample did not see it as important. As per McCrindle

(2002), the sample of Generation Y valued work-life balance.

5.1.3 Least important factors when choosing a job

Benefits such as reduced working hours, which are contrary to Wong et al., (2008) for

Generation X, and childcare facilities were rated as inconsequential to most respondents,

across the different generations sampled. However, Old Mutual South Africa has recently

invested millions in providing these benefits to their staff.

The inclination for training and development declined as one moves from Generation Y to

Generation X and the Baby Boomers in the sample. The reason for this is that the older

the employee was, the less likely he or she was to participate in training interventions or

focus on his or her development. For the Generation X sample, this is one again

contradictory to the literature. In the sample group, different job types viewed training and

development differently.

Corporate philanthropy received little mention from the sample group, across generations.

This is contrary to the findings of Glass (2007) who felt Generation Y placed increasing

emphasis on the corporate philanthropy of the company.

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5.2 Generational values and behaviours

The study aimed to gather information from a representative sample of the Old Mutual

workforce. The sample was chosen in accordance with the proportions of the different

generational groupings currently experienced in the Old Mutual South Africa workforce.

The sample increased in diversity, from a race and gender point of view as we moved

from the Baby Boomer generation to Generation Y. This is because of the implementation

of employment equity in the company.

In addition, Baby Boomers, who were approached to participate in the study, were more

reluctant to be a part of the research; Generation X and Y individuals who were

approached to participate in the study were very enthusiastic to share their point of view.

This has led me to conclude that Generation X and Y individuals in my sample are more

open and willing to share their thoughts, ideas and opinions, whilst Baby Boomers, who

were approached for the study, are much more reserved and careful about what they say

and who they say them too. There can be a number of reasons for this, including, the type

of individual the person is, their seniority in the company, issues of confidentiality, etc.

Another interesting observation was that the Baby Boomers in the sample were not happy

to participate in focus groups and preferred to share their views in private. This points to

another characteristic difference between the Baby Boomers in the sample and

Generation X and Y; Generation X & Y in the sample are ostentatious and public with their

thoughts, happy to engage in debates and conversations with others and quite optimistic,

whereas the Baby Boomers in the sample are cautious, private when sharing their views

and quite pessimistic. Generation X, in the sample, like Generation Y, in the sample, were

keen to share their views, though were less optimistic and enthusiastic than Generation Y.

Each generational group consisted of respondents from different job families. However,

what was very apparent is that the Generation Y sample group consisted more of

respondents from the professional job family, but included a small number of sales and

administration staff; Generation X in the sample, consisted largely of respondent in

management, sales and administration, whereas the Baby Boomer sample consisted

largely of individuals in management.

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Davis (2007) concern that the generic definition for the different generations may lead to

inconsistencies in values and behaviour due to the different cohorts present in each

generation does not seem to be a concern for this research. Within each generation,

there was general homogeneity between the respondents, with differences being noted

per job type and not different cohorts.

Glass (2007) findings are supported by the finding of this study in that the main differences

between the different generations, in the sample, manifested in work ethic (how many

hours they expected to work a week, and their willingness to take work home), perceptions

of the organisation and their attitudes towards change (how often do they expect a

promotion), methods of communication, and their general attitude towards the company.

Kim, Knight and Crutsinger (2008) findings that the attitudes towards training and

development, and proactive attitude towards their careers are also supported by the

findings of this report.

5.3 International Findings

The findings of this study conform to that of the findings of research conducted

internationally. For the sample of Generation Y, the findings of this study mirror that of the

findings of Wong, Gardiner, Lang and Coulon (2008), Kim, Knight and Crutsinger (2008)

and Glass (2007). However, the findings of this report differs when it comes to the

willingness of the sample of Generation Y to accept lower salaries in favour of being

directly involved in the long term future of the company. This sample of Generation Y

respondents have a preference for short-term rewards due to the higher sovereign risk

associated with the country. In addition, this sample of Generation Y is not as concerned

with corporate philanthropy or the social awareness of a company. Their main

consideration is that the company is not doing any harm, and not necessarily that the

company is socially responsible. However, all generations in the sample, including

Generation Y are deeply concerned with the overall brand, reputation and values of a

company.

Generation X in the sample value stability in their jobs, which is not consistent with

international findings. They do however tend to chase higher salaries and benefits, which

are consistent with Wong et al., (2008). They are very concerned with career

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advancement, which is also consistent with the findings of Wong et al., (2008). Work-life

balance is quite important to this group, as found by Glass (2007).

The sample of Baby Boomers did not seem to value job security as found by Wong et al.‟

(2008), but were likely to remain loyal to an organisation. As noted in some of the

literature, job security was an expectation, and was seen as a standard offering, and not a

value add. The study supports Glass (2007) view that Baby Boomers prefer a fixed salary

and preferred cash rewards rather than longer term rewards. Most Baby Boomers in the

sample expected to receive a promotion within three years of being in a job, which is

longer than what was found in international studies.

6 THE EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR THE

DIFFERENT GENERATIONS IN OLD MUTUAL

6.1.1 Hygiene Factors

Across all the generations sampled, challenging work needs to be offered to feed their

insatiable appetite for achievement, to service their ambition and make them feel valued.

Opportunities for career progression are also an essential component of the employee

value proposition. While vacation time is not a factor they explicitly look for, there is a

level of expectation that they will receive at least twenty days leave a year. Other types of

leave, especially study leave needs to be tailored to the needs of the individual.

6.1.2 Generation and Job Type Specific Factors

Across the generations in the sample, continuous training and development should be

offered in line with the career goals and ambitions, which the company should be willing to

pay for. Remuneration, especially short-term financial benefits should be commensurate

with the work they are expected to do and should be comparable in the industry. Baby

Boomers and Generation Y should be allowed the opportunity to elect to receive more of

their remuneration in the short term. Generation X should be allowed to allocate more of

their package to long-term structures, like share options.

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Generation X and Y needs to be actively managed and guided to enable them to

understand and map out their career progression, and what is required to achieve this.

To satisfy their need for constant change, Generation Y respondents need to change their

job, at least every two years, which should be accompanied by either a promotion or just a

salary increase. Generation X and Baby Boomers need to be consulted regularly and kept

abreast of their achievement of competence levels, and expectations need to be managed

regarding their progression.

Generation Y employees should be given an option of whether they want to allocate

money to retirement savings, or have the equivalent cash added to their salary.

Generation X and Baby Boomers should be able to allocate money of their salary to

retirement savings. Medical aid should be a standard element of the value proposition.

The company brand should be emphasised as part of the employee value proposition.

The company needs to emphasise what their company brand can do for the individual,

and why it is important.

7 FURTHER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

I believe that further research can be done, using a larger sample group from Old Mutual

to test the views expressed by the small sample group. This will give more people in the

company an opportunity to express their thoughts on their expectation from their

employer. This research can also be replicated in other companies in the financial

services industry, to test the validity of the outcomes across the industry. However, the

research need not be limited to the financial services sector in South Africa; if the findings

of this report are consistent with the findings in other companies in South Africa, it may

change the nature of employee value propositions in South Africa altogether.

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8 CONCLUSION

The aim of this study was to define the employee value propositions for Old Mutual South

Africa, from a generational perspective. The study looked at the three main generations

that make up the Old Mutual workforce, namely Baby Boomers, Generation X and

Generation Y. The main findings of the study were that there are some factors of

employment that are considered important by all three generational groups in the sample.

These factors can be referred to as hygiene factors in the employee value proposition and

include challenging work, opportunities for progression and remuneration that is

comparable to the rest of the industry. Other important factors such as promotional

opportunities, appetite for travel, taking work home and expected working hours need to

be tailored not just to different generations, but also to the different job types within

generations. The bulk of the literature merely differentiates the expectations of employees

based on their generational definition and not by job type. In addition, the majority of the

available literature focuses on the developed world, and hence may not be comparable to

the results from this study. This study does however provide evidence that Old Mutual

South Africa should relook at their employee value propositions, across all generations, to

ensure that their value propositions are meeting the needs of their employees.

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9 REFERENCES

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10 APPENDIX 1 – RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

10.1 Demographic Information

1. Between which years were you born?

1946 – 1961

1962 – 1979

1980 - 2000

2. Indicate your gender

Male

Female

3. Race

African

Asian

Coloured

White

Other

4. Marital status

Single

Married

Divorced

Separated

Widowed

5. Number of dependents :

6. Occupation:

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10.2 Workplace Attitudes

1. How long do you expect to remain in a job before receiving a promotion?

2. Rank the following 26 factors, from 1 to 26, in order of importance to you in choosing a job:

Factor Rating

Training and development opportunities

Comprehensive retirement plan

Medical aid benefits

Salary

Yearly salary increases

Bonuses

Annual leave

Sick leave

Study leave

Tuition reimbursement and study assistance

Flexible working schedules

Working from home

Reduced working hours

Childcare subsidies or facilities

Career progression

Being part of a high performance team

Job security

Challenging work

Career satisfaction

Share options & other long term incentives

Corporate philanthropy

Work-life balance

Non-financial benefits

Mentors in the business

A good manager

Workplace environment

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3. Do you expect to work more than 40hours per week? If so, how many?

4. How likely would you be to accept a job that requires the following factors?

Highly

likely

Somewhat

likely

Somewhat

unlikely

Highly

unlikely

Unsure

Work more than 40 hours a week

Take work home

Minimal vacation time

A high stress work environment

Excessive travel

Availability beyond normal work

hours

An excessive commute

Offers stability but little

progression

Separation from your family

Constant studying

More doing and less thinking

Working on your own

Working in teams

Job rotations every 6 months to 18

months

5. What have been or would be the main reasons for you leaving a job?

6. What are the main reasons for you choosing or remaining in a job?

7. Are there any other factors which contributes significantly to your choice of job or employer?

8. What would your ideal job look like?

Documents

Defining The Employee Value Proposition For Employees …gsblibrary.uct.ac.za/researchreports/2010/NaidooN.pdf · DEFINING THE EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR EMPLOYEES IN OLD MUTUAL