While the benefits of multi-generational diversity in the workplace are widely acknowledged, creating an environment that is rich in experience, as well as youthful exuberance remains a challenge for many employers, as they attempt to manage different work preferences and career expectations.
Hong Kong-based film and creative agency, Asia Pacific Vision (APV) has made a determined effort to forge an environment where bringing together the technical and soft skills, experience and outlooks of different generations is a competitive asset. The initiative is known within the company as “two-way learning” and APV believes that, given the opportunity, staff of all ages can learn from one another on a daily basis through collaboration on projects and informal engagement.
The key criterion for two-way learning to be successful is maintaining a flat hierarchy, according to Jeff Chen, digital production assistant at Clubhouse, a self-managed division of APV. “A flat hierarchy allows people to see things from a range of perspectives, whether it’s related to project ideas or personal development.” Chen adds that there must be a genuine level of trust and sincerity to underpin the concept of two-way learning.
“Opinions need to be valued, regardless of your job title and how long you have been with the company,” says Chen. For him, there is little point in projecting an image of inclusion by offering flexible working hours and benefits geared towards millennials if it fails to accept that younger members of staff can make a meaningful contribution to the business.
Speaking from experience as a millennial at APV, Chen says he has learned from more experienced colleagues about working and building relationships with clients, about marketing and how to plan and structure a project.
At the same time, illustrating how sharing knowledge is a two-way street, Chen says he and his millennial co-workers offer insights into the different ways technology and social media can benefit the business. “We can relate to the expectations of our new target audience and incorporate this information when we collaborate on projects with more experienced colleagues.”
Louise Lau, a producer and director at Clubhouse, believes two-way learning increases motivation and loyalty through the feeling of being valued. “Everyone benefits when the workplace is open and flexible to different ways of thinking and working,” says Lau, who believes that, in a wider context, employers could be missing out on hiring future star performers if they focus on experience rather than potential.
“Fresh graduates may lack experience, but they can make up for this by offering a new approach through their technological expertise, which employees entrenched in the business may not have considered,” says Lau.
Meanwhile, Daniel Clarke, executive producer at Clubhouse, views the company’s two-way learning concept as an integral part of future-proofing APV’s talent needs, while positioning the agency to benefit from new technologies that are sweeping through the film and interactive media sectors.
Clarke notes that the creative possibilities generated by augmented reality, the real-time integration of digital information with the user’s environment, 360-degree film and new digital technologies are opening up more channels for storytelling. A company like APV that specialises in visual storytelling needs to continually upskill by sharing knowledge across its workforce.
The 25-year-old agency has produced award-winning content for some of Asia’s biggest brands. Clarke says each generation offers a range of skills, areas of insight and creativity and experience that are important to the sustainability of the company.
The two-way learning initiative, launched almost 12 months ago, has also produced an unexpected bonus. “When the latest group of university interns joined us, it was evident that our younger members of staff were fully prepared to provide them with mentoring and the experiences that make an internship worthwhile,” says Clarke, who likens Clubhouse to the tree house featured in the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip where innovative ideas are incubated.
“We are the equivalent of a Swiss army knife within the company,” says Clarke, explaining how the business unit has three main objectives: to experiment and innovate; to mentor and incubate; and to create new content.
Within this role, Clarke views the importance of two-way learning as crucial for all staff members to develop new skills and viewpoints, while building strong interpersonal relationships. “Finding the balance when empowering staff to innovate involves an element of risk. However, the alternative is consigning your company to the past,” he says.
