Experts Explore the Evolving Employment Landscape

Generational differences that are reflected in values, needs, and communication styles are changing the landscape for young job-seekers, longtime employees, and employers alike in the science of food universe.

Tuesday's IFT FIRST panel at the Business FIRST Stage, "Seizing Career Opportunities in an Evolving Workplace," was moderated by Food Technology Executive Editor Mary Ellen Kuhn, and featured panelists Julie Yeary, director of talent acquisition, and diversity, equity, and inclusion at OSI Group; Angela Nadeen Price, R&D food scientist, Tribe Mediterranean Foods; Sheri Baker, owner and CEO of HHI Search; and K.P. Sandeep, professor and head of the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University.

"This year we thought it would be interesting to look through a generational lens," said Kuhn, who shared highlights from the 2024 IFT Compensation and Career Path Report, which is based on findings from a survey of nearly 3,500 U.S.-based science of food professionals, nearly half (48%) of whom were millennials. The survey examined attitudinal issues and money matters, finding that respondents ranked compensation/benefits, supportive management, work/life balance, job security, and intellectual stimulation as issues that are most important to their job satisfaction.

Younger job-seekers continue to keep their options open and carefully choose where to pursue their careers, as reflected in survey results that found nearly one-third of respondents have considered a job change in the past 24 months, so talent in transition is an ongoing trend, Kuhn observed.

Job candidates are being selective. "They have the ability to be a little choosier," Yeary said.

"We are starting to see more emphasis (from job candidates) on work/life balance," observed Baker. "We as a society are starting to recognize the importance of mental health, and addressing stress. That’s a big shift in the workplace."

Hybrid work schedules are important to Gen Z employees, many of whom worked remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have folks who started their careers working from home and a lot of them don't want to come in,” Yeary said. “We're trying to get them into the workplace."

In the past, people looking for their first job were more willing to make compromises on the type of job, salary, and relocation requirements they were willing to accept, Sandeep noted. "With Gen Z, they’re choosier,” he said. “They want to work from home, they want to know about the company culture, they are ready and willing to wait for the right kind of job. It's very surprising to me compared to what I saw in previous generations."

"They realize what’s important to them,” Yeary observed. “We've told them—find what you love, find great mentors, and they are."

Nadeen Price, who is a millennial, said that when she graduated from college, with student loans to pay, her first priority was salary. Now, she said, she is more interested in research and advancing in her career.

While she acknowledged that there are differences in communication styles and mindsets between older and younger generations, Price pointed out that people should remember those differences can and should be bridged for the greater good. "We can all learn from anyone," she said.ft