When Values Align, The Stars Align & Innovation is Inevitable

Recruiting the Best and Brightest of the Next Generation of Leaders

In my previous post “How to Catch a Star” I introduced one of the biggest driving forces in recruiting, supporting and achieving with the emerging generation of young university graduates. That force: individuality. Today’s graduates want to feel valued for who they are as a person and what they bring to the spaces they occupy. As we saw and discussed in that post, this desire to recognised and respected as an individual and to be invited to thrive by leaning into those points of individuality…well, it’s a basic desire most of us share. 

Where things do differ amongst the generations: there is an emerging wave of professionals who are willing and able to prioritise this value in their career search. They desire employers who share this embrace of diverse individual perspectives and talents. When they find an environment that meets their professional and life needs, they deliver unprecedented levels of innovation and results, with a talent set unlike any generation before.

This situation I just described, using individuality as a sample value, is the second major driver that’s emerged through our AIHM Employer Forum. This driver is value alignment.

What Are the Most Important Qualities in a Great Leader or Company?

We asked the question above during our first AIHM Employer Forum event, and you’ll see the answers below. Some of the popular responses included: empathy, understanding, emotional intelligence, communication, kindness, passion, being supportive, being a great listener, being open minded.

Looking at this, it’s easy to see an overall pattern emerging: a worldview that prioritises care for others and humanistic values. Young professionals have grown up with a uniquely strong combination of respect for the voices of individuals as well as respect for the way our actions impact the world around us.

A New Priority: Value Alignment

The next generation of professionals have been educated in an era in which young people are increasingly aware of humanity’s effects on the environment and the ways our individual life decisions have real-world impacts. In their minds, environmental and social responsibility aren’t mere add-ons to business but integral components. As they emerge into the workplace, they actively seek out employers who share and champion their own specific values.

AIHM Student Ambassador and President of the AIHM Student Committee Khemkhaeng Andrew Rohrbach noted, “Because you’re choosing the brand, you get to work with a company that aligns with yourself or what you believe in. And that will make you successful in the real world.” For the next generation, success and value alignment go hand in hand. They aim to make a difference personally and professionally. They possess skills, knowledge and technical capabilities that empower them to work efficiently, collaborate easily and innovate at levels unlike any generation before. And they have a strongly developed sense of self, personal ethics and agency over their own life decisions.

Kanpitcha ‘Front’ Prapasnithikul, who serves in the Student Committee as Treasurer and Head of Social Media and Communications, echoed Andrew’s perspective. “Brand values are something we look for,” she said. “We look for brands that have a vision that aligns with ourselves so that we’ll feel comfortable in their environment and their mindset as well.” She explained how during her recent internship she was able to work for a property that shares her passion for sustainability. Even though the department in which she interned was not the one directly dedicated to sustainability, she felt especially motivated to contribute to these types of company projects due to her employer’s alignment with her individual values.

Explore More Voices from the Next Generation

Have you watched the discussion from the AIHM Employer Forum 2024? Hear from AIHM’s students in more detail as they explore what they look for in employers and how their career visions differ from previous generations.

Academic Perspectives

Are you interested in what researchers and scholars have to say about the role of value alignment for the next generation? AIHM expert and facilitator of learning, Dr. Yuth Thongcharoen is currently researching the dynamics of the next generation of employees and ways to bridge the gap current hospitality leaders and the motivations of new, young professionals. He provides a few suggested readings below.

Case, J. (2019). Millennials are changing the landscape of social change, report finds. Achieve and Case Foundation Report.

Ferguson, A., & Morton-Huddleston, W. (2016). Recruiting and retaining the next generation of financial management professionals. The Journal of Government Financial Management, 65(2), 46-52. https://www.agacgfm.org/Research-Publications/Journal-of-Government- Financial-Management.aspx

Lyons S, Urick M, Kuron L, Schweitzer L. Generational Differences in the Workplace: There Is Complexity Beyond the Stereotypes. Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 2015;8(3):346-356. doi:10.1017/iop.2015.48

See You at the Forum

Would you like to be a part of a future AIHM Employer Forum event? Let’s connect to discuss the opportunities we have for likeminded leaders both in the hospitality industry and beyond to participate and collaborate on future initiatives and events like these.

Samantha Lauver-Marion

Director of Global Partnerships
AIHM & Minor Education