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With five generations now working side-by-side, today’s organisations face the challenge of building strategies that deliver personalised experiences and meet diverse expectations for career growth, communication, and flexibility.
At EY, we recognise that generational differences – while sometimes generalised – are real.
But we also believe generations have a lot in common when it comes to workplace expectations and preferences.
These commonalities have consistently surfaced in surveys, focus groups, and employee listening mechanisms over the past 18 months as we’ve launched EY’s latest employee value proposition, Shape your future with confidence.
In the interest of others trying to build an inclusive culture across the generational spectrum, I’m sharing some of the key emerging themes and how we’re bringing them to life for EY employees.
1. Creating an ‘all in’ culture at EY
The foundation of EY’s talent strategy is a culture that distinguishes us in the market and helps attract, develop, and retain top talent. Customising that workplace culture in a multigenerational environment requires a deep understanding of the unique characteristics and needs of each generation.
Listening to employees: Understanding differences is critical to building culture. At EY, we encourage open dialogue across all levels of the organisation, including formal communications such as engagement surveys, town halls, focus groups, one-on-one meetings, and exit interviews. But open dialogue also shows up in the daily flow of work – it can be as simple as asking how a team member prefers to communicate. By listening, we help ensure that every voice is heard and valued, fostering a sense of belonging.
Generational differences – while sometimes generalised – are real. But we also believe generations have a lot in common when it comes to workplace expectations and preferences
Mentoring across generations: Mentorship improves relationships and fosters a culture of learning and growth. EY identifies mentorships that pair employees from different generations, facilitating knowledge sharing and closing gaps between varying perspectives. Reverse mentorships, where senior executives learn from junior colleagues, require openness and curiosity, helping leaders embrace new ideas and experiences. This approach strengthens our culture by promoting mutual respect and continuous learning.
2. Becoming a skills-powered organisation
EY is evolving into a skills-powered organisation that prioritises knowledge to drive better talent decisions across all moments that matter in the employee lifecycle. This pillar is especially critical as the pace of change accelerates.
Continuous learning and development: According to LinkedIn’s 2025 Work Change Report, 70% of job skills are expected to change by 2030, meaning traditional career paths will shift for all demographics. Instead of offering static learning courses, EY meets people wherever they are in their learning journey, encouraging them to cultivate adaptable skill portfolios. This includes offering a variety of delivery modes and mechanisms, ranging from in-person workshops to AI-enabled asynchronous learning. We put humans - and their skills - at the center of our organisation, believing this will give us greater agility, agency, and equity.
