In Brief: Kicking Off a Culture-First Decade; Leading a Multigenerational Team

Glassdoor Says 2020 Will Kick Off a ‘Culture-First Decade’

According to a Glassdoor survey about office life, the new decade will be shaped by an emphasis on cultivating “culture-first” workplaces. 

“Although studies still point to money as the greatest motivator among workers and job seekers, more than half of Glassdoor’s respondents in a previous survey said they value culture over compensation,” writes HR Dive’s Valerie Bolden-Barrett, in an evaluation of the survey. “Employers have responded by making employee engagement a priority.”

For Bolden-Barrett, this commitment to culture is due to a few factors. On one hand, employers are concerned about acquiring and maintaining talent, and are seeking to make their offices an enticing place for top workers to stick around. 

But leaders also feel a “culture-first” office inspires a level of comfort and openness in employees that can help them fully tap into their individual skills and talents. “Allowing workers space to bring their whole selves to work has shown to be an important part of working for an employer, especially among young employees,” writes Bolden-Barrett.

Study: Consumers Are Concerned About TV Streaming Service Glut

In a recent survey by viewer-tracking platform TV Time and entertainment company UTA IQ, 70 percent of consumers say there are too many streaming services to choose from, with more than half of respondents saying they don’t intend to add a new service in the coming months.

Consumer trepidation about adding another platform to a media card file isn’t about favoring cable over streaming; a February report from Nielsen suggested that as many as 16 million American homes have cut the cord entirely for household viewing. 

Rather, viewers are frustrated by the prospect of having to balance multiple platforms just to see the few shows they want to binge watch, as 67 percent of those polled said they found the need to toggle between services to be a deal-killer.

What will it take for one service to rise above the rest? According to tech and media writer Larry Downes, it may be a matter of which platform best studies and targets its viewers. In a Harvard Business Review essay, he writes, “Incumbent producers and distributors, along with new entrants large and small, need to understand who their real audience is.”

How to Lead a Multigenerational Team

As businesses continue to build toward an inclusive office staff of all races, genders and sexual orientations, there’s another key form of diversity that requires attention: generational. With Gen Zers entering the job market and older employees choosing to work into their 70s and 80s, it’s now possible for a workforce to span five different generations.

Though the discrepancies in perspective between a 20-year-old and an 80-year-old may be stark, both individuals can play a necessary role on a successful team — if leaders harness what makes each person special without alienating either of them. This means playing to each generation’s strengths, while also encouraging them to learn from each other. 

For instance, writes Chief Executive, leaders can assign younger employees managing digital communication while leaving face-to-face networking or client meetups to older workers. 

“One way to facilitate perspectives from different generations is to emphasize that each voice in the company...is equally important,” says Chief Executive. 

Why Startups Are Embracing Retro Logo Designs

When it comes to the crucial task of choosing a logo, many of today’s most prominent startups are looking to the past. Companies such as makeup producer Glossier, women-focused co-working space The Wing and cookware brand Great Jones are eschewing the popular style of minimalist typefaces and designs for marketing campaigns that showcase color and emotion.

“The early 2010s were absolutely dominated by sans serifs and minimalist design, a trend that was itself a reaction to the chaotic typography of the 1990s,” writes Vox’s Eliza Brooke. “Now that the simple, utilitarian look has run its course, companies and branding agencies are turning to fonts with a more expressive, human feel.”

To achieve that “expressive, human feel,” direct to consumer clothing company Love Billy! designed their logo to look like it was written in old-fashioned iron-on letters, while Great Jones took inspiration from vintage cookbooks and the typefaces on plastic shopping bags. 

“It’s about embracing joy,” said designer Emily Oberman, who worked on the Great Jones campaign. “It’s about wearing it on your sleeve, and not being afraid to be weird.”