Dive in, Suit Up: Gen Alpha is Arriving !

By Anupama Vaidya with Alina Dongre.

During a recent conversation, our team, Sunita, Alina, and myself, were delving into various topics, eventually being led to the multi-generational workforce. Being mothers to Gen Z, Sunita and I find it intriguing to have a Gen Z member on our team, Alina! We appreciate how she challenges our thinking at work, mirroring the way our daughters, Ishita and Tania, do so at home.

Alina’s sharing of an interesting anecdote opened this conversation leading us to get thinking

Alina’s sharing: Just day before, I was seated on a couch with my 5-year old niece, both of us so engrossed in watching her favourite beloved cartoon series “Noddy” on television. Unexpectedly, the TV screen went black due to a loss of signal. For a moment, I anticipated that my niece might feel upset about not being able to continue watching her show and now I have to be able to deal with the black-out!!! Much to my surprise, she promptly dashed indoors, grabbed her mother's iPad, searched for the cartoon series and resumed watching the series there. The swift sequence of events left me astonished at how my niece had processed and found her alternate solution and not wasted a moment of her life! This new Gen, I am in so awe of them!

Now imagine, a Gen Z expressing admiration for the upcoming generation while Sunita and myself are still marveling at our GenZs, Ishita, Tania and Alina.

The movie “Look Who’s Talking” flashed in my mind, prompting the realization that we were actually discussing Generation Alpha – the successors to Gen Z, poised to challenge every preceding generation.

The first generation to be fully raised in the 21st century, born between 2010-2025, whose parents are Millennials themselves!  Born into a world of advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and global connectivity. Predicted to be tech-native, diverse, and global minded;  Oh! they will be playing a pivotal role in the Corporate world a decade from now.

We continued discussing, specially pondering on the scenarios where we coach organizations and leaders specially those instances where we see them still grappling discussing topics of Millennials and GenZ’s, and here within a decade we will be having Gen Alpha’s already an integral part of our workplace.

We burst into laughter at just the thought of the what is in store!!!  Our conclusion - “If you haven’t adopted to Millenials as yet, then as ex-Generation leaders, you better vacate your seats – NOW!!! Forget GenZ’s, get your act together to welcome Gen Alpha!!!”

As our conversation concluded and Sunita along with Alina wrapped up for the day, I found myself alone at my desk, engrossed in contemplation about our discussion on Gen Alpha. I delved deeper into reading, jotting down notes and pondering the myriad questions that flooded my mind. 

The term “Generation Alpha” coined by Mark McCrindle through a survey, signifies a new beginning rather than a return to the old. (as alpha is the first letter in Greek language).  Born into a world dominated by Smart-Tech, AI, and pervasive internet access, Gen Alpha is truly characterized by digital nativism, surpassing their parents' digital literacy from an early age. (check out Mark McCrindle’s detailed work on https://mccrindle.com.au/article/topic/generation-alpha/generation-alpha-defined/ )

As this generation enters the workforce, a crucial the question arises:  Are we truly preparing for this new wave of talent?

A 2010 born, is in 8^th Grade today, set to graduate by 2033 and enter the corporate world – Just a decade from now. How will the Corporate world appear for them and are we able to imagine the workplace to ensure that we are taking steps to get ready to welcome this generation? Are we able envision what’s coming and take actions or are we  preparing from our today’s world view

Is our education adapting to the rapid technological advancements, global connectivity and AI that’s shaping the world they are growing in? Reports from the World Economic Forum signal substantial shifts in the job market, urging us to align education with future demands. Anticipating the displacement of up to 85 million and the creation of 97 million new roles created by 2025; our system is  grappling with the challenge skilling and employability for even today’s requirements.

65% of Gen Alphas will work in jobs that don’t exist today. (ref: https://explodingtopics.com/blog/generation-alpha-stats); Do we possess the imaginative prowess required to reshape professions and redefine workplaces? What do we need to unlearn and relearn to stay abreast of the evolving landscape?

Intriguingly, some individuals have already ventured into this transformative space, carving out influential roles through social media. This trend has made unconventional career paths increasingly attractive to the younger generation.

Are we venturing beyond conventional boundaries, exploring the vast spectrum of possibilities to engage talent, leverage technology, disseminate information, transcend geographical barriers, bridge gaps in language or ethnicity… …

Unlike any previous generations, Gen Alpha are shaping to demand immediate inclusion at heightened level. The squad or cohort based, objective focussed teamwork will be the norm, eschewing traditional hierarchical structures. With a light smile on my face, I remembered how this framework of self managed teams has been an integral part of my working style, giving me great results and that this is becoming a norm.

Furthermore, seeing this generation being profoundly influenced by diversity, this generation is emerging as the most ethnically and culturally diverse generation to date, maturing in a world marked by increased globalization and interconnectedness.

They're inclusive, open-minded and ability to embrace differences in gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, fostering a culture of acceptance and inclusivity will be at heightened level; the GenZ’s are already demonstrating this in a big way! Gen Alpha’s getting so wonderfully attuned to inclusivity, open-mindedness, and developing a remarkable ability to embrace differences in gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, fostering a culture of acceptance and inclusivity — a trend already prominently demonstrated by Gen Z.

Amidst this engrossed thoughts, I  penned in my 2024 diary, “Knock, Knock.. … Who’s There?” The swift footsteps nearing the arrival of Gen Alpha. I shall ready myself to carve out space for their entrance into the narrative of our evolving world, transcending the confines of Gen Z era and preparing to take lead in their corporate world debut. I truly look forward, Gen Alpha, to welcome you!

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