Steffi Burkhart – On the pulse of the Millenials

What makes the new generations Y, Z and Alpha tick? What do companies need to be prepared for with the next generation of workers? Dr Steffi Burkhart researches about and speaks for the Millenials and the change in social values.

Steffi Burkhart knows both the challenges and pain points of business and those of employees, but also the needs and demands of her own generation. She sees herself as a human capital evangelist. Because: “Not oil, not money, but talent – in other words, human capital – will be the scarce resource of the future.” In order to actively shape the change in the world of work, she inspires through exciting and stimulating impulses. She shows new perspectives and provides concrete “quick wins” solutions for future-proof and successful companies, employees and products.

Steffi Burkhart knows what she is talking about: she worked unhappily for two years in a large corporation. After that, she switched to a start-up, helped to set up and run a management academy there for three years, and is herself a member of Generation Y. For more than two years, she has been intensively involved with the change in culture and values in society and the world of work and why young people are an important driver of this.

Steffi Burkhart has been on her own two feet since 2016. She teaches business psychology at the University of Media, Communication and Business (Cologne), is an ambassador for the Arbeit50plus initiative, cooperates with the consulting institute nextpractice and enriches the business world with her wealth of experience. She is a welcome guest on TV (WDR, MDR, DW, ZDF), in panel discussions (with personalities such as Julia Klöckner or Götz Werner), at associations (INQA, BVMW, VDU) on big stages (MMM, Handelsblatt, Monster, Wissenschaftspreisverleih, GEDANKENtanken) and in medium-sized businesses (Witzig Company, Livit AG, E.D.E) – in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Lecture topics by Steffi Burkhart

• Attracting and retaining young talent: What kind of rethinking, what kind of measures are important in order to position oneself attractively for young talent?
• Millennials: New mindset as an important driver of the future
• Demographic change: Human capital as a resource of the future
• Digital transformation: Culture change and digital experts
• Changing skillset: How to counteract the skills mismatch
• The modern consumer: The shift towards an experience economy
• Support The Girls: Why we need 100% of the talent pool

Steffi Burkhart is an expert on many current issues concerning generational diversity and the future of work, e.g.:

• What makes Generation Y, Z and Alpha so special?
• What characteristics/skills do the different generations have?
• How do they communicate? Where are the differences and similarities?
• What conflicts arise? How can these be resolved?
• How do Generation Y, Z and Alpha want to be treated?
• What needs to be considered in recruiting?

Gender equality, female shift and health are further focal points of her work.

As Germany’s best-known expert on Millennials Generation Y (1980-1995) and Generation Z (1995-2010), Steffi Burkhart is invited to over 120 events a year to provide important impulses in 25 to 60-minute individual keynotes or 45 to 90-minute expert lectures. Whether at management conferences, congress events, anniversary celebrations, gala evenings, customer events or panel discussions – Steffi Burkhart knows why business can no longer afford to ignore Generation Y & Z. Because the topic is too existential for that. The discussion is too far-reaching. In the transformation of the working world, Gen Y is taking on the role of the pioneer. They question existing patterns of success in work and leadership, think more in terms of the “we” than the “I”, live more diverse lives and learn early on how to cope with growing complexity.

Are they crazy, the young?! – Modern demands on work and leadership. Young people as drivers of cultural change in society and the world of work.

In her lectures, Steffi Burkhart dispels prejudices. She delivers a scientifically backed, lively plea not to wipe Gen Y off the table with a flippant wave of the hand. With a mix of authentic vitality and in-depth knowledge, Steffi tickles the mind and provides indispensable insights. She shows companies how to increase employer attractiveness for young people. As well as how to create an atmosphere to make maximum use of the high motivation of young people.

Demographic change: Human capital as a resource of the future

By 2030, there will be a gap of 8-10 million workers in Germany. Or to put it another way: We are heading for a time of full employment. Whereas in the past the availability of capital, technology and resources such as oil and gas determined economic success, in the future the lack of labour will be the greatest obstacle to growth. Manpower is becoming the lacking raw material of the future. A lack of young talent is holding our companies back in terms of performance,

Although the baby boomer generation is the largest and has the most purchasing power, the millennials are the most influential age cohorts in the digital age. They are the key generations to solve the world and economic problems at hand. Not only because they have to somehow fill a gap of millions after the retirement of the baby boomers. But because their mindsets and skillsets will be the ones that change the economy internationally for good.

We all live in a V.U.C.A. reality (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) that is shaping our times. Digitalisation and artificial intelligence are added as fire accelerators. They form a new world that cannot be explained with old textbook theories and the mode of experience from which many operate. As the rules of the game in our world change, we need a new way of thinking and acting. Millennials represent a new way of thinking. They have a digitally influenced, networked and collaborative mindset. They live new zigzag lifestyles and have the interpretative authority over the most important mass technology of our time, the internet.

The changes in the world of work require new skills. According to the World Economic Forum, more than 60 percent of the jobs in which Generation Z will work in the future do not exist today. 1/3 of the skills we need today will be completely different in five years. Particularly future-proof skills are moving away from the elbow mentality towards teamwork, creativity, social intelligence, self-competence and digital skills. Schools in their current form, based on the reward and punishment system, performance comparison among each other and the subject-object relationship pattern, suppress the urgent development of people’s potential.

What is the success of tomorrow?

Steffi Burkhart knows: We need to empower young people to work with and alongside machines that will be ever smarter, ever more connected, instead of thinking we have to compete with them. Because we will lose this competition – definitely. Tomorrow’s success is the combination of Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence. It is our task to question our thought patterns, advice and the role of schools, colleges and universities in order to give (young) people the right skillset for their future.

Steffi Burkhart: Why managers often confuse leading people with technical management

We are in a transition from a service economy to an experience economy. Providing the best customer experience and putting the customer at the centre of everything we do is the new challenge in dealing and interacting with them. Which is currently also driving big brands to change branding and sales staffing. On-demand, instant gratification, co-creation and wow moments in a frictionless customer journey are the expectations of the modern consumer.

Those who do not live up to this expectation, but dream of an old time, will disappear. Google man Sascha Krause says it in one sentence: “Needs are bigger than brands.” By the way, this applies to all areas – even in the healthcare industry. In addition, 80 percent of purchasing decisions in the premium sector are made by women. The more important it is to perceive the target group of women as a strongly growing and relevant subgroup in the consumer sector and take them seriously.