Alex Atherton
Alex Atherton – Award-Winning Keynote Speaker: Generation Z & Multigenerational Workplaces
Alex Atherton is an experienced educator and author.
He worked in education for 25 years, over half of which was spent as a secondary school headteacher in large inner-London comprehensives. On appointment he was the youngest secondary school head in the country.
His book, The Snowflake Myth: Explaining Gen Z in the Workplace and Beyond, published in 2025, sets out his research on the most misunderstood generation in the modern workforce.
Alex’s focus on Generation Z grew directly from his work with clients. Senior leaders from the public, private and voluntary sectors came to him frustrated by their inability to recruit, retain and motivate younger staff. He also grew tired of hearing the same lazy stereotypes applied to a generation he had spent years working alongside in schools. He heard the word ‘snowflake’ once too often — and decided it was time his own generation did some listening.
His talks give leaders practical tools they can use immediately. He is consistently one of the highest-rated speakers at the events he attends, which is either a testament to his insight or a reflection of how low the bar has been set by everyone else.
Alex has recently written an article on Five Generations in One Workplace.
Speaking Topics
Recruiting and Retaining Gen Z
In today’s rapidly evolving job market, attracting and keeping top talent from Generation Z has become a critical challenge for organisations across all industries and the future of work in general.
Gen Z is the most significant generational shift so far. Many organisations are struggling to recruit and retain the best of this generation. Traditional methods of recruitment no longer work, and problems with retention are more acute than ever. Senior leaders, including those in Human Resources and Learning and Development, often find themselves behind in the race to secure the services of the best young staff.
For those they do recruit, a generational disconnect can open up as motivation and engagement become issues which hold organisations back. This has a further impact on succession planning.
This talk identifies their key characteristics and the solutions organisations can use to recruit and retain the best of this generation in any industry.
Leading The Multi-Generational Workplace
Unprecedented levels of age diversity are now the norm in many workplaces. As life expectancy increases and retirement ages rise ever higher the age gap between the youngest and oldest is expanding, sometimes spanning more than 50 years.
For the first time in history, organisations have four or more generations working side by side, from Baby Boomers to Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. This brings both unique opportunities and the potential for a generational divide which demands both attention and a strategic approach.
This widening range brings a wealth of diverse experiences, perspectives, and skills. It also presents challenges in areas such as communication, technology adoption, work styles, and expectations around career progression and work-life balance.In this talk generational expert Alex demonstrates not only how to overcome the challenges from multiple generations in your workforce but use them to move the organisation forward, and faster.
Understanding Gen Z
Generation Z is the most significant generational shift so far, poised to reshape the workplace with their unique perspectives, values, and expectations.
Recruitment and retention of young staff are core concerns for many organisations. Yet those who have recruited the young staff they need often find that they do not understand Gen Z’s aspirations. A generational disconnect can open up as motivation and engagement become issues which hold organisations back.
As the oldest members of Gen Z move into management positions it has become even more important to understand what they need, so that succession planning is secure. In this talk Alex uses his original research to describe the key characteristics of Gen Z and also the strategies organisations can implement so that leaders and their young staff can get the best out of each other.
Alex is well-versed in the challenges and opportunities for Generation Z. A great source of knowledge that businesses need to appreciate and action in order to secure their workforce of the future in the ongoing battle for talent. A focused, articulate speaker with a fantastic appreciation of his material delivering a practical session full of value and information to act upon.
— Paul Andrews – Family Business Limited
Very well presented and thought provoking. We could see our audience was engaged and took away the need to make changes whilst working with Gen Z. The feedback has been great! We liked that you stayed to talk to our audience, it also highlighted that people enjoyed the session as they approached you to discuss ideas.
— Gemma Felberg – Jewish Volunteer Conference
It was so great to have Alex deliver a session, all about Gen Z. It’s been a long time since I listened to a talk when I found myself making so many notes. The session was extremely informative and thought-provoking and Alex presents with such passion on a subject area that he is clearly well-informed about. I was that impressed I have asked him to key-note speak at our annual conference.
— Graham Ravenscroft – Gateway HR
