Key insights:

• • • Continuous AI upskilling is critical for a competitive advantage 鈥� Organizations must mandate and incentivize diverse learning approaches. Indeed, professionals with good AI knowledge are 2.8-times as likely to see organizational benefits.
    • Culture of experimentation drives AI success 鈥� Organizations that foster experimentation and adaptability see significantly better results. Professionals who feel encouraged to try new ways of working are nearly twice as likely to see tangible benefits from adoption of AI.
    • Generational differences require tailored approaches 鈥� The research uncovers important generational nuances with Gen Z-aged professionals twice as likely to identify digital literacy gaps among their colleagues while Baby Boomers report lower AI proficiency.

It is not just the rise of AI that is reshaping the future direction of business. Instead, it is how professionals within organizations adapt and thrive alongside this transformative technology. As Steve Hasker, President & CEO of 成人VR视频, recently stated in the 2025 Future of Professionals report: 鈥淎I will not replace professionals, but AI-powered professionals will.鈥�

Indeed, while AI offers immense potential, it is the human element 鈥� including the willingness to learn, adapt, and collaborate 鈥� that will determine whether organizations and their professionals realize AI鈥檚 full value.

The survey research underpinning this year鈥檚 Future of Professionals report reveals insights on the people-related barriers and skill gaps that must be addressed to allow professional services organizations to unlock sustainable innovation and competitive advantage. The report also contains several recommended actions for companies that wish to future-proof their AI-enabled operations.

Here are two of those actions:

Action 1: Mandate and incentivize continuous AI upskilling

Widespread skill gaps in technology and data proficiency have emerged as a critical barrier to realizing the full benefits of AI across professional services, the report showed. In fact, 46% of professionals surveyed report skills gaps within their teams, which include power skills, such as responsiveness and interpersonal communications. In addition, 31% specifically cite deficits in technology and data skills.

These gaps pose significant risks for professionals. As organizations race to adopt AI, those professionals who do not prioritize upskilling risk not only losing their competitive edge but also diminishing the value that they can deliver to clients and stakeholders. Further, while an impressive 96% of professionals say they now have at least a basic awareness of AI capabilities, the majority (71%) still feel unprepared for practical implementation.

In addition, generational differences add further complexity to the upskilling challenge. Gen Z professionals are twice as likely as Baby Boomers to identify insufficient digital literacy among their colleagues, sometimes expressing frustration at their teams鈥� ability to leverage technology for greater efficiency, the research shows. Interestingly, Gen X-aged individuals, who now comprise nearly half the workforce, demonstrates stronger technological engagement than commonly assumed and participate in AI training at rates that often exceed those of their younger colleagues.

In contrast, Baby Boomers self-report lower AI proficiency and engage less in AI-focused learning, which may be understandable given their advanced career stage, However, that still leaves a gap that organizations cannot afford to ignore. Addressing these generational nuances through tailored upskilling initiatives will be essential for organizations seeking to build truly AI-ready teams and ensure sustainable, long-term growth.

The report underscores that the biggest predictor of AI proficiency is engaging in a variety of learning methods, both on an organizational and individual level. This is why companies need to adopt a variety of learning modalities 鈥� including formal training, hands-on experimentation, peer collaboration, and active involvement in AI development 鈥� to enable their professionals to learn and adapt in order for the organization to obtain the full return on its investments.

All of these efforts contribute to greater skill acquisition. Indeed, professionals with good or expert AI knowledge are 2.8-times as likely to see organizational benefits from AI than their less proficient peers.

Action 2: Foster a culture of experimentation and permanent mindset shift

Fostering a culture of experimentation and adaptability, along with an accompanying mindset shift is essential for organizations if they seek to unlock the full potential of AI. Despite rapid technological advancements, resistance to change and outdated professional mindsets remain persistent barriers to progress.

The report research reveals that even though a small percentage of respondents specifically cite mindset gaps 鈥� such as reluctance to adapt and resistance to change 鈥� as major obstacles on their teams, such a disconnect can become a problem. Moreover, there is a growing concern about overreliance on technology with 24% of professionals saying they worry that excessive dependence on AI could limit the development of core professional skills.

The good news is that most professionals are open to new approaches. In fact, 80% report feeling encouraged to try new ways of working; however, this encouragement is not evenly felt across all generations. Gen Z, for example, is less likely than their older counterparts to feel empowered or supported in experimenting with AI and innovative workflows. This highlights the importance of leadership and organizational culture in bridging these generational divides.

Our research also illustrates that fostering a culture that values experimentation and adaptability is proven to deliver results. According to the report, professionals who feel encouraged to explore new ways of working are nearly twice as likely (1.9-times) to see tangible benefits from adoption of AI. This finding underscores the need for organizations to actively promote a growth mindset and provide safe environments for testing new ideas, learning from mistakes, and sharing insights.

In the view of 成人VR视频: 鈥淭his new mindset also requires professionals be willing to experiment, learn from their (and others鈥�) mistakes, and continuously adapt to the rapidly evolving AI landscape.鈥� By prioritizing adaptability and an experimental approach, organizations can ensure their workforce not only keeps pace with technological change but also thrives in an AI-enabled future.

The future of work belongs to those organizations that prioritize people as much as technology and to those professionals who aim to improve their tech prowess. By actively closing skill gaps, nurturing a culture of experimentation, and addressing generational needs, businesses can unlock AI鈥檚 full potential.

As the 2025 Future of Professionals report emphasizes, AI-enabled professionals will gain a competitive edge by boosting both their personal impact and their organization鈥檚 long-term value.

You can download your copy of the听2025 Future of Professionals Report here

One of these companies is Big Four accounting and consulting giant PwC, which implemented a broad rollout of Microsoft’s Copilot from its most junior to senior levels after just 90 minutes of training. This democratization aims to empower all employees to experiment with AI and find ways to improve their daily workflows.

Training & development for a tech-agile workforce

This approach balances individual experimentation with more structured, team-level implementation for client-facing work. And while individuals are encouraged to use AI for personal productivity, teams are tasked with identifying consistent processes in which AI can be applied to capture enterprise-wide productivity gains, says , Markets Leader of Managed Accounts at PwC Canada. More specifically, she adds, enterprise-wide initiatives 鈥� including developing prescriptive prompts for high-impact, cross-functional activities, such as proposal writing 鈥� were also in the mix.

Still, decisions at the top were needed to determine what 鈥渨orkflows were no-fly zones鈥� 鈥� those areas of client services that PwC鈥檚 global network had to designate for effective risk management by ascertaining the legal risk, and 鈥渉ow the firm is protecting itself against IP infringement,” Gilberg adds.

Targeting the skills of the future for junior specialists 鈥� PwC also is taking an interesting approach to increasing AI literacy among junior staff. 鈥淲e’re trying to create change-agility and technology comfort in the juniors,鈥� Gilberg explains. 鈥淚t’s forcing us to stop making it about giving junior staff tasks.鈥� The goal is to create a workforce that is not just proficient in using AI tools, but also capable of applying judgment, understanding risk factors, and providing meaningful oversight of AI-augmented work.

Because AI tools can now handle many routine tasks, junior staff are being trained to supervise and review AI outputs to help staffers grasp the broader principles and logic behind the work. “If they are going to supervise the AI, that’s not a task, they need to understand the backdrop against which they’re doing that,鈥� Gilberg says, adding that this approach emphasizes developing critical thinking skills and the ability to spot errors or inconsistencies in AI-generated content.

“We’re trying to create change-agility and technology comfort in the juniors, and it’s forcing us to stop making it about giving junior staff tasks.鈥�

Employing multiple approaches to achieve this 鈥� PwC Canada鈥檚 Generation Wave initiative provides AI-competency education at escalating levels, from use-case demonstrations to hands-on building exercises. The firm also hosts prompt-engineering parties, which are group learning sessions at which cross-functional teams collaborate to develop effective prompts for AI tools and apply them to common workflows. These interactive, experimental approaches allow employees to gain practical experience with AI in a supportive environment.

Developing an AI mindset for experienced professionals 鈥� For employees who have advanced beyond the junior stage, PwC prioritizes learning that fosters an AI mindset and teaches professionals how to use AI to master the firm鈥檚 go-to-market strategy for more effective client results. Additionally, the firm offers voluntary training modules and has integrated AI adoption into performance evaluations as a clear indication of the importance of embracing this technology across the organization, notes Gilberg.

Navigating client concerns and regulatory compliance

Of course, there have been challenges along the way. One complexity with which the firm is dealing in real time, for example, is addressing the wide variety of client preferences around using AI. 鈥淲e’ve had clients say, 鈥榃e’re not prepared to pay for junior staff鈥� can’t you do this with GenAI?鈥�,鈥� Gilberg says, adding that while this can be done, there is still a requirement for human oversight to ensure the output is high quality. 鈥淎nd then, there have been others that are saying, 鈥楴o, there will be no use of AI.鈥欌��

One fundamental and consistent principle in addressing client concerns about AI usage is stating how the firm itself is using advanced technology, through engagement letters to ensure transparency of how GenAI is utilized in projects. In addition, PwC finds itself doing a lot of proactive education with clients about AI technologies to help them better understand the benefits and limitations, she says, noting that this education-based approach both alleviates client concerns and fosters trust by demonstrating the firm鈥檚 commitment to transparency and ethical AI use.

Yet even before going out to clients and rolling out AI technologies across the enterprise, Gilberg explains the firm gathered its global risk and compliance teams to oversee AI implementations to ensure that all these applications adhere to the necessary legal and security frameworks. This ongoing process involves selecting appropriate AI models that meet the firm’s security requirements and ensuring consistent application across different regions and services.

By embracing a two-pronged approach of empowering individual experimentation while establishing structured implementation guidelines, companies should follow the example of PwC Canada to unlock the full potential of AI while mitigating risks. Indeed, this strategy paves the way for a future in which AI is seamlessly integrated into a workforce while enhancing its productivity and innovation.

You can read more about advanced AI employee training here.

More specifically, questioning established conventions around gender is a key part of increasing belonging and creating equitable outcomes for all genders. In fact, this is a priority for tax & accounting firm Baker Tilly, according to , the firm鈥檚 chief diversity officer.

Part of embedding belonging at work is changing perspectives on what work is appropriate across genders and breaking down the binary approach to gender. Through a traditional lens, this involves evaluating what tasks are appropriate for women and men at home and work.

To accomplish this, Baker Tilly鈥檚 approach includes leveraging the findings from , a cross-geography research project from advisory firm . The project is designed to challenge societal norms around gender and caregiving in order to break down existing paradigms on what candidates need to do and commit to on the path to partnership.

Addressing nuances of women鈥檚 challenges

On a global scale, Coqual鈥檚 research found that there are still inequities and variabilities in the distribution of labor around office housework, especially as to who gets high-profile assignments that are measurable and support people’s ability to be promoted. The gender and equity dynamics around labor and workforce representation also connect to household chores and how many women, as they’ve even entered the workforce, have not had a reduction in the household chores that they have to take on as well. Caregiving expectations at the societal level also create unique burdens because the labor around caregiving is not equitable across all parties.

Key insights from the research emerged by country on how to increase gender representation at senior levels, including:

• • • India 鈥� Caste-system dynamics played out as a major factor in barriers to workforce representation more often than gender. Women, who participated in the study were disproportionately from a higher caste, felt comfortable with their rates of advancement and compensation compared to their male peers. However, analyzing the findings through a caste lens indicated that nearly half of women in lower castes stated their class background often had a negative impact on their professional experience. More than half (55%) said that they often consider leaving their jobs.
    • Germany 鈥� One of the unique findings in Germany is that differences in people鈥檚 advancement opportunities varied based on national origin. It is illegal to collect race data because of the legacy of the Holocaust in how businesses and government used the information. Women not born in Germany faced bias from colleagues significantly more often, including assumptions that they these professionals are less credentialed and more junior than they really are. More than half (56%) of non-German women or women with multiple ethnic backgrounds were significantly more likely than those with two German parents to be passed over for promotions.
    • Japan 鈥� One of the unique features of Japanese culture is that women face cultural expectations to care for their children and elderly family members from their own and their partner鈥檚 family. To deal with this, Japanese women with career ambitions appear to prefer companies that are not headed by Japanese leaders with the hope that they will be able to work in a corporate culture that doesn’t carry the same stigma.

Recommended actions

Actions that workplaces can take to foster an increased a sense of belonging for women in key markets, according to Lloyd, include:

Understanding the scale and needs of your caregiving population 鈥� The burden for those workers who give care to children will differ from those who provide care to a dependent with a disability or an elderly parent. Understanding what type of caregiving in which your employees are involved will enable a more customized approach to a benefits package based on what life-stage an employee is in or entering.

Employing story-telling about work flexibly 鈥� Executives and partners who share the fact that they are taking parental leave is one of the best ways to communicate through actions that it is permissible and acceptable for others to take full parental leave. Also, parents at all levels of the organization should communicate when they are leaving the office or logging off early to attend extracurricular activities for their children, which then provides informal ways to relate to junior employees that it is acceptable to work flexibly.

To increase the interest of those in the firm鈥檚 partnership, educate prospective partners about the path to partnership and how existing partners organize their caregiving and home lives to balance their obligations with operating their business.

Reframing the time horizon for life and career goals 鈥� Gen Z and younger millennials often have socially prescriptive ideas of when it is time to get married, buy a home, or have children. Most people expect that they should achieve all these things within a 10- to 15-year period. In reality, young professionals typically graduate from college at the age of 22 and then retire around the age of 65 鈥� that means there are 43 years to consider in which to make major life decisions and achieve career goals. Expanding the paradigm of when it is acceptable to make these life decisions over a career-long time horizon rather than a more truncated timeframe one is another way to challenge societal norms.

Likewise, assumptions by managers and employers that an employee is less ambitious once they have kids need to be eliminated if the aperture for achieving life goals is going to be expanded. Indeed, one can have it all, but rarely is it all at the same time.

Lloyd says he lives by the philosophy that 鈥渂elonging matters to everyone, everywhere鈥� and challenging norms to achieve belonging within the workplace will increasingly emerge as important in achieving equitable outcomes for all genders.

These preferences can be attributed to generational or gender differences, personal style or cultural preferences, individual reluctance to stray from their comfort zone, or feeling for better work/life balance.

If it was not clear before, the conditions and restriction placed upon workplaces during the global pandemic exposed the truth that the mindset of only one way 鈥� no options 鈥� is neither fair nor ultimately workable. Leaders need the ability to manage people with unique identities and from different generations and holding different performance capabilities. Then, leaders need to customize their interactions to each person鈥檚 uniqueness.

In the past, workplace norms were changed most quickly when clients demanded it, such as having women in firms on client teams and in leadership roles, or more recently, for flexible work arrangements. In general, with notable exceptions, clients have tended to be more open to flexibility on how and where professionals work and to diversity and inclusion factors, including generational preferences, than have their outside firms.

Carefully thought out approaches by practice leaders, managers, and the direct supervisors of matter and engagement teams within law and tax & accounting firms can help fuel the feeling that each individual belongs in the organization.

Working through the hybrid challenges

Not surprisingly, hybrid work adds complexity to internal relationships, especially those meant to serve and build connections with clients. Physical limitations 鈥� such as not being seen in the room and less opportunity for casual and spontaneous conversations 鈥� will decrease some professionals鈥� opportunities if not proactively dealt with by management. In particular, limits on physical proximity can lead to 鈥渇amiliarity bias鈥� and 鈥減roximity bias,鈥� which can lead to an out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude from firm leadership when assigning work.

Those professionals working virtually also can have fewer opportunities to share their perspectives. That means that intentional effort must be made by managers to ask for their feedback during team and group meetings.

Norms around professional standards can also get murky over time, especially if there is no intentional scheduling of coaching, training, mentoring, and apprenticeship for business development. Without these career advancing practices, employee expectations and any desired upskilling can suffer because employees have fewer informal opportunities to develop relationships internally at the firm and with clients.

Actions for leaders & aspiring leaders

How leaders and managers can resolve the tendency to push employees back to pre-pandemic norms and mindsets that no longer serve personnel and firm goals is a necessary question with complex answers and a variety of related concerns over where and how work gets done. Some differences can raise strong emotions, including: the differing needs and desires among parents and non-parents; and among those workers who enjoy the camaraderie and nurturing relationships of an in-person workplace and those who don鈥檛 care about that as much.

Of course, the question of how those employees who are new to the firm, especially newly minted lawyers, can acquire the needed orienting and mentoring is vital, as is how they can make themselves and their skills known to the more seasoned lawyers. For many, it鈥檚 not a generational issue as much as it鈥檚 being driven by external motivations and the other factors.

To create better outcomes, law firms and tax & accounting firms need to increase their investment in developing managers at all levels. Daily actions of supervisors, such as using team norms for engagement, seeking multiple viewpoints during group settings, and ensuring team members are accountable all should be daily behaviors. Consistently practices, these behaviors can go a long way to establish productive connections and effective micro-cultures of collaboration and respect among their team members.

Tips for leaders and managers

There are several actions and changes in behavior that leaders and managers can undertake now to gauge the work preferences of their employees, including:

• • • ask questions to establish a more accurate view of preferences and needs without assuming that one size fits all;
    • conduct internal research on the expectations and wants of each generational cohort and level of hierarchy through one-on-one conversations or short surveys if possible;
    • encourage cross-generational discussion because the time spent will pay off in many essential ways;
    • assemble a multigenerational group of leaders and high potential professionals to have candid discussions in an environment of psychological safety; and
    • agree on a short list of desired leader attributes.

Importantly, law firms and tax & accounting firms need to realize that their leadership is situational and revisiting the needed leadership attributes and policies every few years (if not more frequently) is a good idea.

While the impacts of the still on-going pandemic are still being felt, adjusting to living with these changes long-term requires a mindset from all generations. Simply demanding that everyone returns to the office full time is not a workable strategy that will allow firms to retain their most desirable talent. Instead, showing an openness to changing needs is most likely to produce the kind of work environment that sustains and retains valued talent and is productive and profitable long-term.

Why role shifts are more necessary today

There are multiple reasons why the legal and tax & accounting industries are seeing shifts in the long-established roles within their firms.

For example, many firms have abandoned a required retirement age. Chronological age doesn’t correlate with competence, and the definition of 鈥渃ompetence” has expanded to include a wider range of skills. Plus, fewer senior lawyers (Baby-Boomers) have wanted to retire, although that has changed among some owing to pandemic-related circumstances.

Younger lawyers (Gen X and older Millennials) are eager to move into key roles serving clients as well as within firm management and practice leadership. Indeed, more Millennials are interested in lattice careers, not just partnership. More lawyers of various generations are unhappy or disappointed with lawyering roles, and they may want to stay in the field but in different functions.

Also, there are new needs in today’s firms that beg for the creation of new roles to be filled, in areas of strategy, wellness, knowledge management, training, information technology, artificial intelligence use, and innovation.

Dealing with resistance to structural change

Resistance is a natural part of any period of change, and it persists for firms’ long-term sustainability. Necessary steps to make role shifts more acceptable (and maybe even appealing) to individuals, especially senior partners, require at least three components:

Positive Recognition 鈥� Role shifts are an organizational issue, in which the desired result is a benefit for the firm in terms of filling a needed skill or function, as well as a benefit to the individual in maintaining a career, continuation of paid employment, and elevated self-worth.

Especially in the self-esteem and self-worth aspects, the role shift must not feel like or be regarded by colleagues as a demotion. In the days when lockstep business models were prevalent, shifts to of counsel or other roles were expected and more readily accepted. Today, changes in culture and mindset may be necessary to overcome resistance. The firm must still feel like a partnership to get ready acceptance.

The firms that do this best have set an expectation among partners that there will be a conversation at a particular career level or age with senior management about how senior partners see their day-to-day responsibilities unfolding and about what matters to them.

Emphasize career legacy-making, especially for Boomers and Gen Xers 鈥� Fulfillment and purpose are important to high-achieving professionals. If a lawyer is asked to move to an unfamiliar role, especially when letting go of a leadership position, remind the lawyer of their career legacy. Use a consultant to lead chosen lawyers through exercises to identify what they want to be remembered for at work, reflect on their achievements and proud moments, outline what else they want to accomplish at the firm, and identify any outside activities they desire to make for a fulfilling life.

Provide appropriate compensation 鈥� For role shifters, financial compensation (as well as non-financial recognition) is an important indication of their value at any level. Fulfilling such roles as mentor, trainer, coach, recruiter, senior client link, or ombudsperson, as well as other contributions, should be paid commensurate with the value the firm receives from these tasks.

8 ways individuals can achieve more challenging roles

The economic and health pandemics have forced firms and individuals to re-think their careers, examine their roles within their firms, and get creative with new roles. These eight steps are useful for professionals of any generation at any level or phase of career.

1. 1. 1. Provide support and implement a needed project 鈥� For example, role shifters could pursue their interests around wellness, diversity, equity & inclusion, knowledge management, cross-generational conversation, or new recruit orientation 鈥� all of which are challenging and useful roles.
      2. Look for problems that need solving 鈥� Interested professionals could volunteer or accept a role shift to work on solutions they or someone else has identified within the firm, including those around establishing better processes and procedures, improving client or employer experience, or creating more external visibility, among others. Millennials and Gen Zers can become go-to problem-solvers early in their careers, leading to more diversity and inclusion.
      3. Look for career growth 鈥� Interested professionals could scout for conferences, webinars, podcasts, and teaching to promote growth of firm personnel.
      4. Advocate for yourself 鈥� Professionals should make sure they get appropriate recognition, whether financial or non-financial, and learn when to say “no” to a work overload that will affect your ability to produce high-quality results.
      5. Suggest and follow through on project implementation 鈥� If professionals get the go-ahead to work on projects that they suggested, they should be ready to act on implementation, including lining up needed help and resources. They also need to track costs carefully so there won’t be later surprises for the firm leaders.
      6. Ask good questions 鈥� Professionals interested in other roles within their firms need to learn how to use questions to make suggestions without appearing to criticize others or appear clueless.
      7. Be generous 鈥� They should also speak up when they have comments to help others. They should be generous with advice and feedback without appearing arrogant or condescending.
      8. Don’t be thin-skinned 鈥� If their idea is rejected or the commitment to improvement isn’t recognized, professionals might want to rethink it or go on to another suggestion. They should not take it as a failure, especially as a younger professional or a senior attorney or accountant seeking a role to maintain a position. Persistence pays off, so they should keep trying with additional arguments and by seeking wider support.

Professionals interested in shifting their roles within their law or accounting firms should remember to take advantage of the opportunities to make a change for the better that is now presented by a turbulent business environment.

Historically, professionals assumed they were expected to know everything; yet today, demands for more empathetic and fair treatment have been changing mindsets about what actually is required. Leaders in accounting firms and law firms are having to rely on the collective knowledge of peers such as allied professionals in project management and technology who may have expertise different from theirs. A focus on human performance (sometimes called soft or power) skills is now more valued and desired in order for workers to be effective as well as for firms to be more competitive for talent attraction and retention. Indeed, these empathy, emotional intelligence, and communication skills are critical because of the talent retention challenges of the legal and accounting labor markets as well as other industries.

Evolving requirements around what keeps people at their current employers and the accelerating shift in expectations around diversity, equity, inclusion, and well-being since the start of the pandemic generally have put organizations, executives, and leaders in catch-up mode, especially when managing the differing expectations of a four- or five-generation workforce.

Organizations are demanding, recognizing, and rewarding those managers who prioritize the concerns and challenges of their teams and approach team members with empathy and listening 鈥� and this is long overdue. Thanks largely to the Millennials and Gen-Zers, these new skills for managers have become mainstream requirements.

Defining competence

Expanding and varying definitions of competence have also shown up across generations in unique ways:

• • • Boomers and Gen-Xers are struggling to let go of the expectations that they have to know everything themselves, and instead have had to learn to adapt, ask for input, and listen.
    • Millennials growing up with the internet early got used to the idea of looking for answers or resources to help guide them to the solution quickly. In addition, they were naturally well positioned to collaborate because texting, mobile phone use, and social networks made it easier to stay connected with college peers, childhood friends, and acquaintances.
    • Millennials also were educated in teams and popularized the concept of group-based problem-solving via crowd-sourcing, and now continue to use this approach for idea formation and innovation.

Another evolution in competence differing across generations is learning through observation. Boomers and Gen-Xers came into a professional world where they were challenged to figure things out on their own around implicit cultural norms, such as determining what a good work product looks like on their own. They were not specifically compensated or recognized for how they treated, trained, or coached firm colleagues. Toxic individuals and cultures were often tolerated, especially as time pressures and workloads increased.

Today, empathy and compassion is a competency area that is required because of differing generational experiences:

• • • Gen-Zers have grown up with the perception of an unsafe world with the threat of school shootings and terrorism lurking in the background, ever since they were in elementary school. Visual images of these incidents on TV and social media combined with the experiences of regular lock-down drills at their schools created a mental health toll that is often under-recognized by other generations, except by parents and teachers.
    • Millennials entered the workforce during the 2000s in which two major financial crises and recessions occurring 12 years apart, with the one starting in 2007 being the worst in about 70 years followed by the COVID-19 pandemic-generated crisis in 2020. It was the height of the everyone-should-go-to-college mentality, combined with steeply rising education costs that forced a greater percentage of Millennial workers to take on higher amounts of student loans. This financial burden combined with fewer job opportunities had a significant impact on mental health and economic outcomes for this generation. All of these experiences require empathy.

To meet the needs of a four- or five-generation workforce, adaption for all and employer-led training and learning opportunities are key. Boomers and Gen-Xers need to demonstrate emotional intelligence and humanity more often than they experienced earlier in their careers. Likewise, Gen-Zers and Millennials need to step up to take initiative in owning their careers and professional development.

Employers are stepping up

Fortunately, employers are increasingly responding to meet these evolving expectations and learning gaps in a multi-generational workforce. It is becoming somewhat common for organizations to offer training to individual employees on leading with empathy, how to run a meeting effectively, and how to develop excellent time-management skills.

Areas of improvement for organizations and firms, or course, especially around recruiting and retaining employees as well as increasing the quality of the overall employee experience. For example, the area of organizational listening is particularly critical for firms, especially as it relates to gathering new policy ideas from all generations and learning how to change existing ones.

Demonstrating individual empathy and at the organizational level is another way to increase collective performance, a behavior modification needed especially for lawyers and accountants because of the logical, fact-based, and left-brained orientations of those professions. Accounting and law firms should make investments in better employee experiences with increased career and leadership development opportunities for next-generation leaders and mid-career employees.

These are proven ways to meet the competency desires of the next generation employees and leaders and must be made priorities.

Yet, these skills are lacking in many traditional work environments and are more difficult to execute in a hybrid or remote environment. The ability to manage people with unique identities, from different generations and performance capabilities, is a real challenge for practice leaders, managers, and supervisors of matter and engagement teams within law firms and tax & accounting firms.

Developing feedback skills across generations

Expectations around the quality and frequency of feedback shifted in the first decade of 2000s with the entry of Millennials into the workforce and have grown even more with the advent of Gen Z workers. Much of this need for increased feedback over the last 15 years has challenged leadership and more seasoned colleagues, who have spent the early part of their careers in work environments defined by a traditionalist culture that was accepted and largely continued by Baby Boomers.

Historically, no news was good news as far as feedback was concerned. When feedback was given, which was relatively rare and scheduled annually, those with a traditionalist mindset 鈥� mostly from the Boomer generation and older Gen Xers 鈥� assumed that the experience of a current junior person was the same as their own.

Giving and receiving feedback is a skill to be honed, and the responsibility of both the giver and receiver. Thus, feedback needs to be a two-way process, and it is therefore important that it is approached by both parties with respect and with a sense of trust and psychological safety. And these factors need even more attention in virtual and hybrid work environments.

Establishing trust and psychological safety is mostly the responsibility of the individuals who are the feedback-giver, usually partners and senior associates within law firms, and partners, directors, and senior managers in tax & accounting firms.

Best practices for the feedback givers and receivers 鈥� Preparation on the part of both parties is critical.

For the feedback-giver, part of an effective preparation process will include analyzing what language will be used for constructive feedback, what language to avoid, and specific tactics that should be employed when the giver or the receiver becomes defensive. Feedback-givers, for their part, also should aim to motivate receivers and set out milestones for follow up actions.

The feedback-receiver should take time for reflection ahead of a feedback session by thinking about how the receiver has been performing, what has gone well, and where improvements are necessary. Receivers should be honest with themselves, even if that is sometimes painful. Also, receivers should come into a scheduled feedback meeting with their own agenda, along with good questions they want to cover.

It is also important for both parties to assess their mindset and think about what could derail the feedback. For example, receivers should anticipate their responses when receiving feedback that they do not like.

Dealing with micro-aggressions 鈥� Handling micro-aggressions, especially with younger generations, is also an important consideration in feedback. This is a challenge because what is considered a micro-aggression is evolving; and to Boomers and older Gen Xers, this can seem like navigating a minefield.

This is where establishing a sense of psychological safety beforehand between the feedback-giver and receiver is critical and should be an integral part of firm culture. Feedback-givers should be open and ask for feedback if they use language that is perceived as negative. Too often, however, receivers will not speak up if they feel that there is any threat that could hurt their careers. Therefore, it is key for organizations to train feedback-givers on what particular types of verbal and body language can be perceived as a micro-aggression 鈥� or something even more blatant. It鈥檚 a good idea to solicit what personnel consider micro-aggressions periodically in order to keep current.

Post-session, helping feedback-receivers stay accountable to suggested follow-ups and reiterating that updates on how feedback is being applied are key. Indeed, effective feedback needs a plan of actions with check-ins as often as necessary.

Integrating feedback into the culture of the firm

Intentional action and investing in creating a culture of feedback is essential to improve the performance of any individual and the firm as a whole. Prioritizing development of lawyers and accountants at all levels is essential in establishing a culture of delivering both scheduled and spontaneous feedback and doing it well.

For example, feedback training for both receivers and givers is important. Modeling the best feedback behavior at all levels and generations brings a big payoff in job satisfactions and retention. One idea is to use partners who are effective feedback-givers to lead the training 鈥� this often produces better results than using training & development staff.

And in today鈥檚 work environment, firms have to realized that delivering feedback virtually is going to be a part of the feedback process going forward. Virtual feedback started during the pandemic and still can add a layer of complexity that both givers and receivers need to acknowledge, especially since body language comes across differently on video.

Overall, firms should look for ways to elevate the feedback experience, both in-person and online, and continually provide informal feedback and intentionally give receivers a sense of warmth and belonging are good actions to take to retain and develop the best talent.

Why is communication so central to establishing, enhancing, and cultivating a vibrant purpose and culture? Because communication is a significant way that an organization signals why it exists and what it values. Indeed, the pandemic placed a spotlight on the critical role communication plays in keeping purpose and culture alive.

The who 鈥� Communicating purpose and culture starts at the top but should not stop with the CEO, the C-suite, or other traditional leadership roles. Organizations should also enlist their HR, communications, and design teams to collaborate to fashion engaging ways of bringing organizational purpose and culture to life.

For more on the importance of bringing purpose & culture into your workplace, see our In Practice interview with Dev Stahlkopf of Cisco.

Similarly, these teams should roll out programs to train front-line managers, team leaders, and other group leaders to be purpose and cultural champions and ambassadors.

The how 鈥� There is a myriad of ways to bring an organization鈥檚 purpose and culture to life. Of course, how an organization produces the goods and services it offers tell volumes about a company鈥檚 purpose and culture; as does an organization鈥檚 policies, benefits, and programs. But to keep the heartbeat of purpose and culture vibrant requires more, including:

• • • Townhalls, forums & roundtables 鈥� These gatherings (in-person or virtual) can be large or small, and can be led by a range of leaders from the CEO to other members of the C-suite (such as the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer), unit heads (for example, the head of Product Development), and the leads of special projects (such as the head of Community Outreach).
    • Celebrations 鈥� These gatherings (again, in-person or virtual) bring together the whole organization or groups within the organization to celebrate milestones, anniversaries, and other achievements. They celebrate outcomes that support purpose and culture in tangible ways.
    • Retreats 鈥� Holding retreats or similar gatherings provides a space for employee groups to strengthen personal bonds, engage in creative and playful activities, and discuss crucial work challenges and opportunities in a relaxed and energizing environment.
    • Coffee meet-ups, Happy Hours, book clubs, meditation & gratitude sessions 鈥� These informal gatherings help enhance the workforce experience in ways that energize organizational culture through a sense of community and connectedness.
    • Blogs, podcasts & videos 鈥� These communication channels, in addition to sharing company news, offer an opportunity to spotlight the contributions and success stories of teams and individuals creatively and poignantly.
    • Feedback loops 鈥� Employee surveys, polls, and other feedback tools give employees a direct way to share how they experience their organization鈥檚 purpose and culture.
    • Employee confidential hotline 鈥� An organization鈥檚 purpose and culture are protected by providing employees a safe way to call out behaviors that are inconsistent with what the organization values. A confidential hotline or similar reporting vehicle sends a strong signal that everyone in the organization is a guardian of those values.

Communication is oxygen for organizations 鈥� and organizations that utilize communication as a key enabler of purpose and culture will reap the benefits of an engaged workforce, one that demonstrates the purpose and culture of the organization through everyday actions and interactions.

Rose Ors: How is Cisco’s purpose reflected in what the company does?

Dev Stahlkopf:听As someone who is new to the company, I am still learning about all the ways Cisco brings that to life, but I will tell you it is palpable in the company’s culture. Looking outward, it means the company is profoundly aware of and is actively committed to doing good for the benefit of all its stakeholders. It means we share our technology and expertise to better the lives of those in our community. It means we partner with other organizations to address problems, such as global hunger. Looking inward, we want to unleash the full power of our employees to help ensure the company realizes its purpose.

Rose Ors: How does the law department serve the community?

Dev Stahlkopf:听The law department serves the immediate community by providing pro bono legal services. Locally, our pro bono program includes a long-standing partnership with the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, helping low-income clients address legal matters, such as landlord-tenant disputes. I am working with our pro bono steering committee to determine how we can expand our program and better align it with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility goals.

The Cisco legal team also serves the broader community via involvement in outside organizations, such as the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), where I am a board member. LCLD is comprised of 350 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who work together to achieve a common purpose: to increase the pipeline of diverse leaders in the legal industry. One of the many reasons I’m proud of being part of LCLD is that each member has committed to being held accountable for an outcome they have pledged to achieve. My personal pledge includes adopting practices like diverse slating requirements to increase diversity in hiring, increasing transparency for career development opportunities, ensuring that diverse succession plans are in place for all senior roles, and driving accountability by making diversity and inclusion a factor in leader performance expectations.

Rose Ors:听You said that unleashing the full power of its employees will help Cisco power an inclusive future for all. What’s the connection?

Dev Stahlkopf:听The more fully employees utilize their potential, the more productive they become. The more productive our employees, the more Cisco can achieve. Thus, we need to help employees reach their potential.

When I refer to productivity, I think of it in broader terms than merely the number of sales made, contracts executed, or lines of code written. I think of it as a sustainable employee experience that helps increase the quality and innovation of the work performed, not merely the quantity. Developing such a sustainable experience requires us to think broadly about employee well-being.

Rose Ors: Is this where conscious culture comes in?

Dev Stahlkopf:听Exactly. Our culture involves creating an inclusive, diverse environment that positively impacts people. It emphasizes the everyday interactions people have with their leaders and colleagues. The culture is “conscious” because it requires us to be aware of and accountable for what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve. It goes beyond the mere concept of inclusion and diversity and forces you to decide what actions to take.

Rose Ors: What are examples of company programs designed to enhance employee well-being and help employees reach their full potential?

Dev Stahlkopf: We participate in a Cisco sponsorship initiative called The Multiplier Effect (TME). The company asks every one of our leaders to sponsor one or more individuals who differ from them in some aspect, whether it be gender, race, culture, generation, orientation, or ethnicity. TME requires those who participate in the program to be advocates and actively seek ways to increase the sponsees’ exposure and access to other leaders.

For more on how your legal team can promote your company鈥檚 purpose and culture, see听our听In Practice Sidebar听here.

Our data shows that since the initiative launched in 2017, TME has exceeded expectations on two fronts: the number of leaders who have become sponsors and the positive impact on the career trajectory of sponsees.

Rose Ors: What has been the impact on sponsees?

Dev Stahlkopf: Our data shows that employees who gain sponsors through the initiative are, on average, 1陆-times more likely to be promoted than those who do not. Certain employees experience an even higher promotion rate, including Black and Asian employees (2.7-times more likely) and Hispanic employees (3.2-times more likely).

Rose Ors: Can you describe a program aimed at employee well-being?

Dev Stahlkopf: In response to the ongoing stress of the pandemic, Cisco has rolled out the “A Day for Me” program to foster and support our collective mental health. The company encourages everyone a few weeks in advance to take a designated company-paid day off 鈥� essentially a pop-up wellness day.听

Rose Ors: Moving now to the legal department, what do you do in everyday interactions with your legal department team to foster a positive, inclusive environment?

Dev Stahlkopf:听I think we all need to feel like our voice matters where we work. We need to be seen, valued, and respected. Deep listening is one way I communicate that I see and care for each member of our team. Deep listening means concentrating on what someone is saying without interrupting them and not thinking about my response until they are finished. Whatever form the conversation takes, I assume good intent on everyone’s part. And finally, if someone is sharing a problem or opportunity, I ask: How can I help?

Another way for people to be seen and valued is a gratitude practice. I start every one of my leadership team meetings having each person, myself included, share what they are grateful for that day or week. More often than not, what is shared is personal. And what is shared is not always about work. Indeed, people share personal stories and not just about the easy things.

This practice allows each of us not only to pause and reflect, it also allows us to be vulnerable with each other in a psychologically safe space.

Rose Ors: I imagine your vulnerability during the gratitude practice allows others to be candid and vulnerable as well.

Dev Stahlkopf:听Absolutely. It is a lesson I have learned over the course of my career. The best leaders I have worked with have been the ones who have been comfortable saying, “Hey, this week was hard,” or “I have this thing going on in my life, and I apologize for being a bit disconnected in the meeting.” It is their openness that permits everybody else to be candid.

This development was explored further at a panel discussion featuring Gen X law firm leaders, titled No Country for Old Men: Marketing & Business Development Under Generation X, at last week鈥檚 28th Annual Marketing Partner Forum, hosted by 成人VR视频. These younger leaders discussed how their firms have evolved under a new generation of leaders and offered key takeaways on culture, business development, and succession planning.

Cultural evolution in leadership styles

The law firm grew from a small core of lawyers and still thinks of itself as a small firm, despite having 200 attorneys. Partners are firm-grown, and lawyers at all levels vote on decisions of importance, which results in a flat hierarchy, said panelist Hailyn J. Chen, Litigation Partner & Co-Managing Partner.

Chen and her co-managing partner took on this position 2陆 years ago, and both are practicing lawyers in their 40s with significant books of business. 鈥淲e want to bring in a new generation, and build up the next generation of leaders,鈥� Chen said.

Many of the people who built this firm have retirement on the horizon and relish that it will be the next generation鈥檚 firm moving forward, she added. What do the younger lawyers want the firm to look like? Currently, they are making decisions about what to keep the same.

鈥淚 bring my vulnerability to the leadership position to help me connect to my colleagues and clients about being a woman of color in my position,鈥� Chen explained. 鈥淚ssues of diversity are talked about more. (We) intentionally focus on how to get professional satisfaction in our jobs, and ask, How do you stay interested and motivated?鈥�

Panelist Amy R. Patton, Partner & Co-Chair of the Employment Law Group and Co-Chair of the Marketing and Business Development Committee at , said there are significant changes in the way she is leading and how she is empowering the firm鈥檚 attorneys by ensuring access to the tools they need to become better lawyers and improve their business.

When Patton joined the firm 11 years ago, those tools were not as vibrant and were primarily available only to senior-level partners. There was limited sharing of information in ways that make people better lawyers and enable a higher level of client service. 鈥淚 believe in sharing information, news, tools, and training,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I believe my job is to get those tools out and in the hands of those who need them right now.鈥�

Another panelist, Russell Lewis, Department Chair & Partner in Charge of the Houston office at , shared a similar experience.

Under Gen X leadership, things are flatter, there is more collaboration, more input at all levels, and people are sharing tools as well. 鈥淚t is a very different mindset, and we have all benefited from that,鈥� he said.

This younger generation is trying to run their law firms more like a business than a partnership conglomerate, the panel agreed. 鈥淎s firms have gotten larger, they can鈥檛 really function as partnerships anymore,鈥� said Chase Simmons, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at . 鈥淲e are one of the few professions straddling that.鈥�

Succession planning, recruiting, and BD training

While each of these topics could be a session of their own, 鈥渢hey all go hand-in-hand because we want to train (attorneys) so they become valuable partners in the firm,鈥� Patton said.

From a recruitment perspective, Payne & Fears mainly hires lateral attorneys from much larger firms who are ready for a change in their mid-level years because it offers many attractive values that range from fewer billable hours (translating to more family time) to lean staffing on cases (which offers associates more experiences to grow professionally). Attorneys at all levels have speaking and writing opportunities, associates receive attribution on articles, and internal acknowledgment and accolades for their marketing efforts, she explained, adding that associates enjoy looking at the stats on how many clicks their articles receive and seem motivated by the information.

Clients too have commented on how much they enjoy seeing the associates they work with speak alongside partners at seminars, and all attorneys receive an annual business development budget.

Polsinelli allows associates to self-select if they are eager to receive business development coaching, but the firm has allowed people to express their lack of desire as well, according to Simmons. The firm is trying to figure out who is interested and focus its efforts on those people, possibly tying it to where these lawyers are in their careers and their family, etc.

At Baker Botts, the focus is on 鈥渞elentless and aggressive recruiting,鈥� according to Lewis. In terms of retention, the goal is staying engaged with people, including understanding what their priorities are, such as a desire for increased parental leave. The firm also sends associates through business development programs early on, which helps people feel engaged and part of the team in all respects, he noted.

Munger Tolles provides young associates with tools on how to market and sell, which Chen said has shifted the firm鈥檚 culture and is making marketing more a part of everyday conversations.

Referencing about how company culture shapes employee motivation, Chen noted the article focused on six factors that motivate people at work. Three are positive 鈥� play (enjoying your work), purpose, and potential; and three are negative 鈥� emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia.

Success for many firms and their new generation of leaders will rest on balancing these factors. 鈥淐an you structure a role in your firm for maximizing the positive things and minimizing the other things?鈥� Chen asked. If so, you are likely to 鈥済et better results.鈥�