The Bridging Conversation
August 02, 2024
Guidelines to Inspire Dialogue with Young Professionals
Before you start: Find a comfortable spot, away from the office, with an environment for open, honest conversation. Avoid defensiveness as you seek to learn from your staff and be vulnerable in sharing your thoughts with them. Create a dialogue where you start by asking the young professionals and follow by sharing your answers.
Prepare to dive deeper with follow-up questions. For example, if they comment on a lack of work-life balance, you could ask “What does work-life balance mean to you? What does it look like when you have it?” Use this time to coach them to their career path in your firm and open the opportunity for them to contribute in new ways.
Sample Questions
- What motivated you to pursue a career in accounting? How often do you get to fulfill that motivation in your work here?
- What parts of your job do you enjoy most? What parts are most frustrating?
- Have you ever considered leaving the accounting profession? If you left, what would be your reason for leaving?
- What could we change to improve your work experience, even if those changes take a while to implement?
- What opportunities for growth and development would excite you?
- What ideas do you have for helping our firm thrive and grow in the future?
Add questions and change the mix as appropriate for the young professionals you are meeting with. Listen for patterns within your staff that indicate a need for additional follow-up, whether through one-on-one meetings or in small groups.
Remember, Gen Z may hold the answers to many of the challenges they are highlighting, i.e., long hours for the pay, work-life tensions and the desire for flexibility. They might also be one of your best resources for leveraging technology, implementing automation and exploring artificial intelligence (AI) tools. Consider establishing a NextGen Team that invites them to help your firm thrive and grow.
Jon Lokhorst, CSP, CPA, PCC
jon@yourbestleadership.com
612-381-6275
linkedin.com/in/jonlokhorst
PO Box 634, Princeton, MN 55371