The Generalist Dilemma: Supporting and Retaining Valuable Generalist Employees

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Join thought leaders from the O.C. Tanner Institute to explore in-depth insights from the 2023 Global Culture Report.

As the business landscape adjusts to new models of work and continued workplace changes, maintaining a strong workplace community is more important than ever. Evolving organizations that prioritize employee belonging and connection will be ideally positioned to leverage their talent and lead out on industry-changing innovation.

In this webinar, Daniel Patterson and Dr. Cristen Dalessandro of the O.C. Tanner Institute share their insights on how organizations can support often-overlooked players who are central to a healthy workplace community: generalist employees. Generalist employees have diverse skill sets and are particularly adept at collaboration, interdisciplinary thinking, and thriving in times of ambiguity. However, this group is at risk of feeling overlooked and underappreciated within organizations, which can lead to greater attrition and other negative outcomes.

In this webinar, you will:

Explore data and perspectives from more than 40,000 employees and leaders worldwide
Discover why generalist employees are increasingly important in the modern work landscape
Learn practical strategies for retaining generalist employees and helping them thrive at work

About the Speakers

Daniel Patterson

Manager, Research and Assessment, O.C. Tanner Institute

As a research manager for the O.C. Tanner Institute, Daniel oversees the IP research team in developing original, large-scale, cross-cultural studies that explore the intersection of workplace culture, recognition, and the employee experience. Specializing in mixed-method research, he collaboratively develops strategic research that supports client solutions, shapes product strategy, and identifies long-term industry trends and transitions.

Daniel excels in translating complex data into actionable insights that help global organizations advance measurable strategies for success. Daniel holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Utah, with advanced studies in research and theory.

Cristen Dalessandro, PhD

Principal Researcher, O.C. Tanner Institute

Cristen is a principal researcher and sociologist at O.C. Tanner who specializes in the study of social inequalities as well as qualitative and quantitative research methods. As part of the O.C. Tanner Institute and the Research Center of Excellence, Cristen’s work focuses on the employee experience and workplace culture using a social science lens.

In addition to contributing to Institute research projects such as the State of Employee Recognition and annual Global Culture Report, Cristen is an award-winning researcher who has published over 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and one book, Intimate Inequalities: Millennials’ Romantic Relationships in Contemporary Times. Cristen has a PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Utah.

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