A new generation of work
Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Zers are different from previous generations. Unafraid to speak up or break long-established taboos, a Gen Z team member might leave the office at 17.00 (five o’clock) sharp because they have football practice, even if there is more work to do. They might also question the company’s stance on a controversial social issue.More broadly, headlines such as “Generation Disconnected: Data on Gen Z in the Workplace” [1] and “Gen Z: The Workers Who Want It All” [2] portray these young employees as entitled and uncommitted to their jobs. A problem to be, if not solved, at least managed.But there’s another way to look at it. Every generation is different, their mindsets, habits, and perspectives shaped by a unique set of events. Instead of seeing these differences as a problem, organizations need to leverage each new generation’s unique perspective as a strategic advantage. In the case of Gen Z, it starts with understanding who these employees are and what they value, and then tapping into their native genius.
The “dialoguers”
Opinions come naturally to Gen Z employees, and most are not shy about expressing them. In fact, Gen Zers expect to have a voice. Keeping informed of what’s happening in the company and beyond is important to them. Also, more diverse than prior generations in the workforce, Gen Zers tend to reject labels, whether related to gender, sexuality, race, or culture. They are comfortable representing more than one identity.
- What to do: Create spaces for conversations about lived experiences. This can look like reverse mentoring, empathy workshops, panel discussions featuring Gen Z team members, and shadow boarding.
Prioritize mental health
In 2022, a McKinsey survey [3] of American 18-to-24-year-olds found 55 percent had received a diagnosis or treatment for a mental illness, and research from Deloitte [4] showed 46 percent of Gen Z employees said they were stressed all of most of the time. It may not be surprising, then, that a survey of UK Gen Z employees revealed 62 percent had taken a “mental health sick day.” [5] The same survey found only 24 percent of those who took a mental health day were honest about it, fearing retribution.
- What to do: Show your Gen Z employees that you care about their mental health. Make available company-sponsored counselling services and educational resources. Also, train managers to be empathic and build trust with their team members so that Gen Z employees feel they can ask for help.
Provide opportunities for growth
Many Gen Zers entered the workforce during the Great Resignation triggered by COVID-19. Today, Gen Z still has high rates of turnover, with 58 percent considering changing jobs in the year ahead. [6] While this is alarming for employers, research also shows 30 percent of Gen Z workers are looking for opportunities to advance within their current company. [7] Also, 76 percent of Gen Zers cited the desire to learn, practice new skills, or gain new expertise as motivation for seeking another job. [8]
- What to do: Invest in your people. Create learning and development opportunities for your youngest employees and give them a clear path for advancement. Think of all that Gen Z ambition as fuel to propel your company to the next level. Don’t blame young employees for wanting to leave; give them a reason to stay.
Leverage purpose as a motivator
Progressive and socially active, Gen Z workers expect their employers to be good corporate citizens. Research by New (Network of Executive Women) [9] showed that 77 percent of Gen Z respondents say the values of the organization they work for must match their values. As a diverse group themselves, Gen Zers prioritize diversity and inclusion. They are also deeply concerned about climate change.
- What to do: Put diversity, inclusion, and equity at the core of your company’s culture, not on the periphery as an initiative or one-time workshop. Similarly, embed sustainability throughout your organization’s processes. Finally, provide forums for employees of all generations to talk about their values and how the organization can align with them.
Gen Z has been called “the generation that wants it all”, for them financial security is important but not enough. As they ask for more from the employers, organizations are expected to change or be left behind. This new generation is changing how we work and how we think about work.Navigating generational differences between employees will always be a challenge for organizations. But your organization’s success depends on it – attracting, retaining, and nurturing top talent requires addressing these challenges, not just within the Gen Z population, but among employees of all generations. Doing so requires a mindset shift from “us versus them” to “we all bring something to the table.” This will enable your organization to adapt to every new generation and ultimately win the talent war, ensuring your organization’s longevity.
References
[1] https://www.gallup.com/workplace/404693/generation-disconnected-data-gen-workplace.aspx[2] https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220613-gen-z-the-workers-who-want-it-all[3] https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-inclusive-growth/future-of-america/how-does-gen-z-see-its-place-in-the-working-world-with-trepidation[4] https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-shared/legacy/docs/about/2022/deloitte-2022-genz-millennial-survey.pdf[5] https://www.milkround.com/recruiter-advice/mental-health-sick-days-report-by-milkround[6] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/great-expectations-making-hybrid-work-work[7] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gen-z-boldest-generation-its-job-hunt-priorities-off-charts-anders/?trackingId=pwWrCQQ1SiG9Yds3hH8gUg%3D%3D[8] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gen-z-boldest-generation-its-job-hunt-priorities-off-charts-anders/?trackingId=pwWrCQQ1SiG9Yds3hH8gUg%3D%3D[9] https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/consumer-business/welcome-to-gen-z.pdf
Related content
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From top-down to judgment all around: The AI imperative for organizations
Each business revolution has reshaped not only how businesses operate, but how they organize themselves and empower their people. From the industrial age to the information era, and now into the age of artificial intelligence, technology has always brought with it a reconfiguration of authority, capability, and judgment.
In the 19th century, industrialization centralized work and knowledge. The factory system required hierarchical structures where strategy, information, and decision-making were concentrated at the top. Managers at the apex made tradeoffs for the greater good of the enterprise because they were the only ones with access to the full picture.
Then came the information economy. With it came the distribution of information and a need for more agile, team-based structures. Cross-functional collaboration and customer proximity became competitive necessities. Organizations flattened, experimented with matrix models, and pushed decision-making closer to where problems were being solved. What had once been the purview of a select few, judgment, strategic tradeoffs, and insight became expected competencies for managers and team leads across the enterprise.
Now, AI is changing the game again. But this time, it’s not just about access to data. It’s about access to intelligence.
Generative AI democratizes access not only to information, but to intelligent output. That shifts the burden for humans from producing insights to evaluating them. Judgment, which was long the domain of a few executives, must now become a baseline competency for the many across the organization.
But here’s the paradox: while AI extends our capacity for intelligence, discernment, the human ability to weigh context, values, and consequence, is still best left in the hands of human leaders. As organizations begin to automate early-career work, they may inadvertently erase the very pathways and opportunities by which judgment was built.
Why judgment matters more than ever
Deloitte’s 2023 Human Capital Trends survey found that 85% of leaders believe independent decision-making is more important than ever, but only 26% say they’re ready to support it. That shortfall threatens to neutralize the very productivity gains AI promises.
If employees can’t question, challenge, or contextualize AI’s output, then intelligent tools become dangerous shortcuts. The organization stalls, not from a lack of answers, but from a lack of sense-making.
What organizations must do
To stay competitive, organizations must shift from simply adopting AI to designing AI-aware ways of working:
- Build new learning paths for judgment development. As AI replaces easily systematized tasks, companies must replace lost learning experiences with mentorship, simulations, and intentional development planning.
- Design workflows that require human input. Treat AI as a co-pilot, not an autopilot. Embed review checkpoints and tradeoff discussions. Just as innovation processes have stage gates, so should AI analyses.
- Make judgment measurable. Assess and develop decision-making under ambiguity from entry-level roles onward. Research shows the best learning strategy for this is high-fidelity simulations.
- Start earlier. Leadership development must begin far earlier in career paths, because judgment, not just knowledge, is the new differentiator.
What’s emerging is not just a flatter hierarchy, but a more distributed sense of judgment responsibility. To thrive, organizations must prepare their people not to outthink AI, but to out-judge it.
BTS acquires Nexo to strengthen its position in Brazil and Latin America
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Stockholm, May 5, 2025
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – BTS Group AB (publ), a leading global consultancy specializing in strategy execution, change, and people development, has agreed to acquire Nexo Pesquisa e Consultoria Ltda., Nexo, a boutique consulting firm headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.
Nexo has been growing continuously since it was founded in 2017. With revenues of approximately 12 million Brazilian Reales (approx. 2.1 million USD) in 2024, and a highly capable team of 21 members, Nexo has built a strong reputation for delivering transformative projects in strategy, innovation, leadership, and culture.
Nexo collaborates with a great portfolio of clients across sectors such as financial services, consumer goods, and technology, assisting both local and global companies in navigating uncertainty, unlocking creativity, and activating strategy through people. Their work encompasses culture transformation, leadership development, employer value proposition, innovation culture, and vision alignment – supported by proprietary methodologies and frameworks.
BTS currently operates in Brazil servicing both local and multinational clients with a team of 13 employees. By acquiring Nexo, BTS not only increases the Group’s footprint in Brazil but also adds significant capabilities in culture and transformation services. Nexo’s client base has limited overlap with BTS, creating strong growth potential and synergy opportunities.
“Nexo is known for helping leaders and organizations tackle some of the most complex, human-centered challenges with creativity, empathy, and strategic clarity and the Nexo team is loved by their clients,” says Philios Andreou, Deputy CEO of BTS Group and President of the Other Markets Unit. “Their products and services complement and elevate our existing offerings, especially in culture transformation, and we are thrilled to welcome the Nexo team to BTS.”
“We’re excited to join BTS. We’ve long admired BTS’s approach and unique portfolio to support large organizations and leaders in connecting strategy with culture across the organization,” says Andreas Auerbach, co founder of Nexo. “Becoming part of BTS, allows us to scale our impact and bring more value to our clients while staying true to our values and culture,” adds Mariana Lage Andrade, co-founder of Nexo.
Upon completion of the transaction, Nexo’s business and organization will merge with BTS Brazil. Nexo’s founders will assume senior management roles in the joint operation.
The acquisition includes a limited initial cash consideration. Additional purchase price considerations will be paid between 2026 and 2028, provided Nexo meets specific performance targets. A limited portion of any such additional purchase price considerations will be paid in newly issued BTS shares. The transaction is effective immediately.
BTS’s acquisition strategy continues to focus on broadening our service portfolio, expanding our geographic reach, and enhancing our capabilities to support future organic growth in a fragmented market.
For more information, please contact:
Philios Andreou
Deputy CEO
BTS Group AB
philios.andreou@bts.com
Michael Wallin
Head of investor relations
BTS Group AB
michael.wallin@bts.com
+46-8-587 070 02
+46-708-78 80 19
High-performing teaming
Work today is too complex for individuals to succeed in isolation. Almost every critical decision, innovation, or transformation depends on teams working effectively together. Leaders rely on their teams to deliver results. Teams, in turn, rely on their leaders to create the conditions where performance is possible. This exchange, what leaders need from their teams, and what teams need from their leaders, sits at the heart of what we call teaming.
When teaming is strong, leaders get what they need from their teams [creativity, resilience, execution] and teams get what they need from leaders [direction, support, and the conditions to thrive]. It’s how strategy becomes action, how uncertainty becomes opportunity, and how businesses stay competitive in a fast-changing world.