Why these execs are struggling at home?

In 2020 the way we work change dramatically, with working remotely and from home becoming the new normal. But with any drastic change such as this, challenges will follow.

Many organisations had to make changes to their business models overnight when the coronavirus pandemic struck, which forced them to embrace remote work following the Prime Minister’s orders to work from home where possible.

But for some, remote work was still an alien concept. For example, data from the Annual Population Survey (APS) revealed that before the pandemic around 1.7 million people in the UK mainly worked from home. While this figure seems high, this accounted for around five per cent of the UK’s 32.6 million workforces, reported Business Comparison.

Therefore, it may come as no surprise to hear that some business leaders are facing more challenges than ever before as a result of this quick shift. But new research has found that one generation of leaders is struggling more than others.

According to ABBYY’s COVID-19 Technology and Business Process Report, senior executives aged 55+ have fared better than Millennial (aged under 35) leaders throughout the crisis.

While the report revealed that leaders of all ages have experienced challenges – in the UK 81% of senior decision-makers struggled, with many citing collaboration with colleagues remotely (37%), motivation to work (29%) and productivity (26%) as top challenges – the findings found a clear generational divide.

Exposing the divide
The research discovered that 61% of execs aged 18-34 globally said that processes made their job more difficult compared to 35% of decision-makers aged over 55. Elsewhere, the majority (85%) of young executives stated that their businesses’ processes waste their time, while only 20% of those aged over 55 agree.

It seems that Millennials and Baby Boomers also have different opinions on processes at work, as 60% of younger executives claimed that there is not enough information provided on business processes, however, just 26% of older execs agreed.

Looking at these results, it’s therefore important for businesses to consider investing in new tools to ease some of the pressure of processes for their younger senior team members. This will protect their mental health, while also improving their trust and loyalty to the company, as they will be the ones leading the company for years to come.

Finding motivation
Several studies have indicated that employees have struggled with motivation and productivity while working remotely, and ABBY’s research has found that younger execs have been feeling the same. In fact, 39% of Millennials surveyed said they struggled most with finding motivation during the pandemic, while one in five older leaders agreed.

Feeling isolated was cited as an additional challenge, with 28% of 18-34s and 27% of 35-54s agreeing. Meanwhile, in the UK, 30% of executives agreed with this. These figures indicate that there is a clear problem regards motivation among younger leaders, meaning businesses should be placing a focus on empowering their executives with new tools to enhance collaboration and communication with peers.

This is something that Neil Murphy, Global VP at ABBYY, also supports. He continued: “Empowering your workers with the tools they need to be more efficient, make better decisions and feel supported is key to driving employee engagement and retention. This will help ensure your future boardroom is full of the best people.”

Using automation
Despite these clear challenges Millennials are facing, work is being done to tackle them. In fact, they are 19% more likely to currently use digital workers and smart tech compared to those aged over 55.

For those who do not use them, four in five Millennials stated that they think they would have a huge impact on their productivity, compared to two-thirds of Baby Boomers. Looking at these figures, the older workforce is more sceptical about using digital workers, as in the UK, 60% of leaders believe that it would make a difference in their day-to-day work.

Commenting on this data, Murphy concluded: “Transitioning your organisation into a digitally-savvy workplace should not forgo the importance of human connections. Technology should be an enabler for improving communications and productivity, even in a remote, global workforce.”