Walk the talk or we walk out

The changing profile, demands and expectations of employees, coupled with an increasing shortage of talent, will put huge pressures on managers. Knowing they have control, employees will take an increasingly activist stance and demand that their worth be recognised. And this will happen across the board from a newly minted MBA to a 50-year- old middle manager who wants to work part-time . If we don't recognise these undercurrents already stirring in our firms - and make sure that our management from the top down reacts accordingly - we are going to reduce seriously our talent choices and we will quickly witness the departure of key workers.