I have spent the majority of my career in Europe and the MENA region, predominantly in Graduate Development, Human Resources and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, spanning multiple industries, including FMCG, Financial Services, Telecoms, Automotive, Healthcare and Consulting.
I have observed the considerable disconnect between the aspiration and values of individuals leaving education and entering the workforce and the generational gap between them and their organisations.
The youth are filled with hope when graduating from university. There is an expectation that upon joining a company, all is as social media portrays it to be. Yet in reality, there is a huge perceived disconnect, which results in a decline in retention, motivation, and engagement in their first year of joining.
Working with managers and leaders, I have observed how norms set for future generations make a difference on how the working youth experience leadership and authority while in their early years at work.
Another challenge is witnessing the pace of change in organisations and accepting that technological advancement will continue, and so there is a clear and urgent message, and it is about sustainably thinking about purpose. The concept of human-robot interaction, collaboration, and long-term sustainability requires a new set of future-proof skills, including resilience, strengths and adaptability.
There has to be a harmonious co-created environment.
Conceived to bridge the divide between the two worlds that are so inherently disconnected, the education system and companies, we are here to foster connection, collaboration, innovation, resilience; all critical drivers for sustained engagement to work and the Future of Work.
Panthea aims to restore the balance. Through our four focused offerings, our objective is to educate this generation on understanding long-term career aspirations through goal setting, job crafting, adaptability and resilience.
We are here to intervene and instil behaviours that will equip these future leaders with a different set of behaviours. Our role, and our ethos, is to support companies in refocusing the augmentation of the companies Employer Value Proposition and to stimulate altruistic capital by helping employees find their purpose at work. There will be an alignment of company values to personal values. Employees desire a sense of affinity, belonging and an opportunity to bring about change, which in turn, can lead to higher intrinsic motivation.
Grounded on both positive and performance psychology, our programmes have been meticulously designed to stimulate the factors that enable employees and organisations to flourish.
Our commitment is to support companies in recreating the workplace, through the theories, tools and techniques underpinning positive, performance psychology, and cognitive science, to drive fun, collaboration, innovation, foster meaning and purpose, leading to a resilient and connected workforce.
I was fortunate to have found my purpose in my career and I have an innate, burning ambition to help graduates find theirs.
Maryam Saif
Co-Founder and Head of Programmes