What Shapes Gen Z?
Born in 1996 or later, this generation has seen more stay-at-home dads, stay-at-home moms, and part-time employed parents. They saw parents lose jobs during Great Recession. Gen Z, also called Linksters or iGen, witnessed older Millennial siblings drown in student debt.
Generation Z has been online (high-speed) since toddlerhood. They text an average of 2899 times/month. These digital natives lack face-to-face interaction and verbal communication skills, though they highly value such for important conversations.
Gen Z and Education
Companies are already welcoming Gen Z into their workplaces. 60% are already freelancing! Online education alternatives coupled with the student debt they saw their older siblings rack up are motivating Gen Z to skip college and go straight to work.
Gen Z is looking for a company that provides college-like training. 75% of Gen Z say there are other ways of getting a good education than going to college.
The Value of Gen Z at Work
There’s much to learn about Gen Z and their work habits. Being young, it is hard to attribute characteristics as generation specific. They could be related to youth and inexperience. Every generation seems to be skeptical of the next. That trend continues, yet you’ll be excited to see what’s most important to Linksters.
Gen Z says honesty and integrity are the most important attributes a boss can have. Because of worldwide economic and political disruption, their values are more similar to Baby Boomers than the previous two generations. Zers values responsibility, determination, work ethic, dependability, financial stability, independence and intellectual growth. This generation places high emphasis on sustainability.
Gen Z’s reliance on tech fuels a desire for speed and easily accessible answers. Gen Z can teach previous generations technology, while more seasoned employees can teach Gen Z the unwritten rules of the workplace.
iGen are effective and efficient workers. They are willing to experiment. 80% say they want to be creative at work. Drawing few lines between work and personal life, they value coworkers as friends and look for culture fit above traditional job benefits.
Watch for the normalizing of working remotely and the business casual revolution with this generation.
Communicating with Gen Z
51% of Generation Z prizes in-person communication over text messages or emails.
Gen Z require instant gratification. iGen needs to be encouraged to think beyond the first answer, being thoughtful in one’s presentation. These young ones need to develop critical thinking skills and learn to receive constructive feedback.
Workplaces should be open to technology, especially small screens.
Gen Z expects a higher level of transparency. Growing up in a time when everyone shares everything on social media, they expect to feel “in the know.” Organizations like Buffer and Wholefoods are publicly publishing salaries.
Managing Generation Z
Keep an open mind. Managers will continue to uncover the value of Gen Z in the workplace if they are patient. Reject stereotypes. Remember that you were once the maligned young generation. Be excited to see what this group has to offer. Be willing to learn from their comfort with technology. And be prepared to teach.
Provide routine. Generation Z will benefit from routine. Though looking for flexible workplaces and spaces, routine adds to accountability and provides an environment conducive to training.
Reward often. Keep things fun and engaging. Do correct them immediately. Don’t assume they know better. Inexperience means exactly that. Explain what may seem obvious, but don’t talk down
Provide them with job descriptions. Because our young ones today no longer have automatic loyalty to their employer it is crucial to make clear what is expected of them and show them how they can advance. Outline a career path, even if it’s a micro career path.
Treat them like valued coworkers. Generation Z chooses to apply for a particular job because of culture fit. They want to belong. They don‘t see the separation of work life and personal life that previous generations do. Pair them with a “buddy” who can show them the ropes.
Lead by example. More seasoned employees shape the generation to follow. We all have the responsibility to set the tone for what we want the world to look like in the future.
To attract young talent, reexamine your uniforms and dress codes. We’re seeing less and less formal attire at work. In Madison, Wisconsin dress codes are illegal.
Recognize merit. It isn’t about age or hierarchy—it’s about ideas. The newest members of the workforce want to be judged on the merits of their own making, not how many months it has been since they graduated. When JetBlue implemented a peer-to-peer recognition system, employee satisfaction surged by 88%. This crescendo trend will continue and it is working!
Close the Generation Gap
Embrace innovative team-building. Most Linksters have been raised with team sports and group projects. Create places for creativity to happen. Allow “roving” work stations.
Promote transparency.
140 characters is enough to bring down an entire company. Younger workers have come to expect that their employers will be up-front with them at all times.
Get rid of hierarchy. Research has shown that the top-down management style is ineffective for the majority of young ones.
Resources/Citations
The Gen Z Effect by Thomas Koulopoulos and Dan Keldsen
http://adrenalineagency.com/blog/gen-z-dawning-new-disruption/
http://www.millennialmarketing.com/2016/12/where-millennials-disrupted-gen-z-will-restore/
http://time.com/5066641/generation-z-disruption/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/deep-patel/8-ways-to-prepare-for-gen_b_12679118.html
https://www.staffmanagement.com/blog-preparing-gen-z-workplace/
