Category: Generation Z

Why go to the trouble of enriching your thoughts with scientific data and facts, structuring them and publishing them? I actually ask myself this question regularly, because it's a lot of work. But I like this work because I learn an incredible amount every time. And what's really great is when you get feedback. You see that you can reach others with a publication and initiate a discussion - what could be better in a democracy? I am allowed to publish the following feedback anonymously after consultation with the author.

By the way, here is the Part 1 said contribution, here to Part 2.

Dear Dr. Bürger,

I came across part 1 of your article and read it with enthusiasm; not only because it immediately brought back memories of my own education and studies, both positive and negative, but also because, as a young father, I want to break the chains of educational mistakes made by the boomer generation for my own children and hopefully have broken them - my own rethinking doesn't happen on its own either.

I would have liked the areas of recruitment (Amtfluencer is an excellent term here and I follow various police forces and the Bundeswehr on social media), training, service and promotion to be "different" for me; I would have liked to have gone my own way with less resistance and more support.

I have always enjoyed working in a conceptual but practically oriented way, I have acquired expertise in various police divisions and used it in a solution-oriented way - not always to the satisfaction or even with the recognition of my superiors. In different roles, often "generation"-overlapping groups/teams/teams, I have also had painful experiences, but have also experienced positive social bonding, support and appreciation, both as an employee (at that time rather a subordinate) and in the sandwich position of a middle manager.

I would like to incorporate my experience from different areas of the police, the behavior of different superiors (positive and negative) proactively and actively into a more modern training, prepare the young colleagues empathetically for everyday service and special burdens and accompany them caringly beyond the training in order to provide the current colleagues with a new generation that is competent in every respect and to meet the changed demands of the population. If you are preparing a modified concept geared towards the applicants as a pilot for the adapted training for the new 2nd QE, I would be happy to recommend myself as a teacher for the planning work and even better for the technical instruction.

While reading your article, I involuntarily came up with ideas for design and thoughts on possible concepts that should be geared to the social, cultural and emotional needs of our successor generation and that could serve as a model for us predecessors and make our own services and processes more professional and more personalized for everyone.

I would be delighted if you would contact me if you actually put your hopeful comments into practice.

Rethinking the future of the police and training.

With the kind permission of the editor of "Die POLIZEI", Prof. Dr. jur. here the article by Heidi Ellner and myself on Generation Z. That's the point:

A new generation of young people is revolutionizing the job market. This article, which appears in two parts, was published in the first part The question of what Generation Z really expects from an employer like the police and where their attitudes come from.
Based on this, it was described which specific
Measures for a successful police social
integration and bonding process required
are. In this second part, we will first
how the training could be adapted in order to
train the younger generation in a skills-oriented way.

It then goes on to show why the police as an employer must make a special effort in the competition for talented people. Police organizations will have to adapt, and not just their mindset or training methods. Corresponding considerations for rethinking the police profession can be found at the end of the article.

Click here for the Download.

The importance of employee experience in the police

With the kind permission of the editor of "Die POLIZEI", Prof. Dr. jur. here the article by Heidi Ellner and myself on Generation Z. That's the point:

A new generation of young people is revolutionizing the job market. The first part of this article, which is published in two parts, explores the question of what Generation Z really expects from an employer such as the police and where their attitudes come from. Building on this, it describes the specific measures required for a successful police integration, socialization and retention process.

In the second partwhich will be published in the next issue, explains how training could be adapted in order to train the younger generation in a skills-oriented manner. It will also show why the police, as an employer, should make a special effort in the competition for talented people and also examine fundamental strategic organizational adjustments. To this end, corresponding considerations are presented that could be taken into account in the design of training and organizational development in order to further develop the police in such a way that it is and remains attractive as an employer for the younger generation and that long-serving employees can also benefit from the developments.

Click here for the Download.

In this 36-minute podcast I would like to give you a few brief insights into Generation Z in the police force. Who is this generation, is there even such a thing as "the" generation and why should we be careful with this big pigeonhole "Generation Z"? How can we win them over and, more importantly, how can we retain them?

If you would like to know more, here is the link to the review in our book: "Generation Z and Alpha. Understanding, winning, retaining - a guide for the police."

Our book on Generation Z in the police has finally been published. In a time of rapid change, marked by technological innovation, global crises and new generations, organizations face the challenge of adapting and establishing contemporary ways of working. Our book takes a unique look at an area traditionally characterized by order and authority - the police. A police officer and an educator take on the subject. This unconventional collaboration creates a reflection on Generations Z and Alpha and the challenges they face in an environment that calls for new approaches.

The book is available directly from Publisher or with Amazon - and of course in any well-stocked bookstore. If you use the links here, especially the one to the publisher, you support my work, because then I actually earn something from the book ;-).

What our book offers:

• a reflective understanding of the concept of generation and the younger generations
• Clearly structured practical tips on recruiting and boarding, training design and employee retention
• Strategic proposals for sustainable organizational development

About us Authors:

Police Director Dr. Bernd Bürger has been with the Bavarian Police for over 25 years and has been working intensively with the younger generations since 2015, both in his own leadership work and in numerous publications and lectures.
Heidi Ellner, Dipl.-Päd. univ., has been analysing how organizations and individuals learn for 20 years now. Through her work in the training of prospective police officers in the Federal Police, she is at the center of the relevant field of vision on a daily basis.

What happens next:

We will stay on the ball and publish further Article and perhaps there will be a second, updated edition. That depends on your interest and feedback.

Certainly different or completely normal?

"Mit Sicherheit anders" ("Safety is different") - this is the slogan of the Bavarian police's current recruitment campaign (Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, Sport and Integration 2021). But does this also apply to Generation Z? Or is this a completely "normal" generation? And most importantly, is "Generation Z", as described in the major youth studies, also found in the police force?

Our article explores these questions on the basis of a master's thesis in which several training seminars (entry-level training) of the Bavarian police were surveyed using a standardized questionnaire. The reasons for applying to the police, the general expectations of employers and superiors and the specific expectations of the police in this respect were examined. In addition, a comparison was made between participants from different stages of training and older candidates. The results of the 2019 Shell Youth Study were used as a basis for comparison.

Click here for the article.

If you would like to find out more about the topic, click here for a Podcast with me and here to my book "Generation Z and Alpha. Understanding, winning, retaining - a guide for the police".

Unable to deal with conflict, dependent, work-shy? You can find my new article on this topic in issue 02/2024 of DP (Deutsche Polizei), p. 38-39. Just follow this link and then scroll.