March's Workforce Wednesday discussion focused on strategies needed to prepare for expected demographic and market changes with the ongoing mass retirements of Baby Boomers and the growing Millennial and Gen Z presence in the workforce. We heard from a panel of employers and subject matter experts who talked about what these demographic changes will be, and how employers can leverage them as a strategic advantage in their organizations.

Nancy Lyons, Founder and CEO - Clockwork Interactive

• There's this idea that we're not thrilled with this younger generation, because they're pushing for all this change that nobody likes, but the truth is, we do like it. It's empowering for all of us. Everybody wants the same things. We want to be seen, we want to be heard and we want to be valued.
• Gen Z and Millennials are asking for things at work that we as Boomers and Gen X didn't have the courage to ask for before.

Shawn Herhusky, Manager, Workforce Strategy and Talent Pipeline Development - Essentia Health

• There's a whole new level of mobility in the workforce. If an organization sells you on their values, but they don't follow through on those promises, you can leave and find a different company that more closely aligns with your value set.
• Companies are realizing that with the changing demographics, you can't grow your way out of this situation and you need to really focus on the retention of your current employees.

Anna Peterson, Head of People and Culture – DEED

• At DEED, we believe great ideas can come from anyone and anywhere. That's why we created an Innovation Lab where people can come in and workshop those great ideas with a human-centered design approach.
• Having the opportunity to speak up and change things is a great way to get employees to stay at an organization.

Chocoletta Simpson, MPA, Director, Office of Institutional Equity and Access/CDO - St. Cloud State University

• Since the pandemic, we've learned we need to be adaptable for our students. Some young people prefer in-person classes while others prefer virtual learning or a hybrid approach.
• Employers have also learned to be more flexible in their hiring practices and that's something that will need to continue in order to attract the Gen Z workforce.

View a recording of the March 2, 2023 session and other past sessions, find related downloadable resources and access a schedule for all Workforce Wednesday sessions in 2023 on the Workforce Wednesday page on CareerForceMN.com