“The truth is that we’re not all that different.
I advise multigenerational teams to focus on
what brings us together, not what divides
us. Everyone wants personal meaning and
purpose at work.”
remember just how important other
people are to our own happiness and
fulfillment. I think this bodes well for
the spa industry. Once it is safe to do
so, people will be yearning to gather
together in-person, and the health
and wellness industries will be
stronger than ever.
P: Millennials are now spa leaders,
and Gen Z is entering the spa workforce
en masse. How can spa directors
make the workplace more meaningful
for Gen Z?
S: Gen-Z is the most diverse generation
in history, and they are expecting
the places they work to reflect that diversity.
Spa directors can make the
workplace more meaningful by making
spas become truly diverse and inclusive
spaces. Gen-Z is on the
forefront of a lot of critical social
movements of our time, like women’s
empowerment, racial justice and climate
action, and I see spas becoming
part of that effort to make sure the
massive health and wellness industry
becomes a place where people of all
genders, races and backgrounds feel
safe and have a leadership role, as
well as places where sustainability
and environmental impact matter.
P: Lastly, I’d like to ask two questions
about multigenerational teams. How
much does what employees want—
purpose versus profit, flexibility versus
stability, etc.—vary across generations?
S: While there are surely slight differences
in terms of what different generations
want in the workplace, IBM did a
fascinating study several years ago that
found that what every employee
wants, regardless of age, is similar. The
study found that we all want to make a
24 PULSE ■ SEPTEMBER 2020