Each generation has its perspective on life, work, and career. Each group is unique because they all grow up and age in different periods, each with its own set of circumstances, opportunities, and problems. As a result, a company must be able to establish a safe workplace for all employees, regardless of their generation. According to Review42, Gen Z will make up 30% of the worldwide workforce by 2030. This is why preparing your organization for the Gen Z workforce is more crucial than ever.
At the moment, there are four generations in the workplace. These are the following:
- Baby Boomers are people who were born between 1946 and 1964.
- Gen X is a generation of people born between 1965 and 1976.
- Millennials, often known as Generation Y, were born between 1977 and 1995.
- Gen Z is a group of people born between 1996 and 2015
The majority of persons in the Baby Boomer generation are either retired or approaching retirement while more of Gen Z are coming into the workplace. To recruit, hire, and retain Gen Z talent, you need a strategic approach that begins with a deep understanding of who they are and what motivates them.
How then can you make your company attractive to Gen Z? Find out below:
- Take mental health very seriously: Make sure that encouraging employees to talk about their feelings and sharing feedback is part of your company culture. Also, inform new employees about your company’s resources available to them in the area of mental health, and encourage management to provide adequate assistance, whether through stress management sessions, extra paid time off, or mental health insurance policies. Establish open lines of communication with each new hire on the company’s commitment to mental health, and assign a point person for personal well-being questions. Also, set an example for your employees by taking time off and entirely unplugging whenever possible.
- Put in place learning systems: With Gen Z in your workplace, you need to inspire them with fresh growth opportunities. This may include practical training and mentoring, peer-to-peer contacts, role recommendations, and learning pathways as they transition into the workplace. Be proactive about training and skill development possibilities as they settle into the job’s responsibilities. This is to help them maintain a sense of growth. Quarterly progress check-ins and gradual promotions can also help keep the enthusiasm going.
- Clearly define your values and mission: Because Gen Z has access to technology, it is easier for them to study and point out any false or misleading information you may be providing about your organization. So, it is important that you define your company’s and team’s mission clearly, track individual progress within the context of goals set for them, and celebrate big and small victories always. Ensure that your organization sticks to its stated mission or, better still, hire Gen Z employees to help define and enforce it.
- Encourage collaboration and communication: Because Gen Z enjoys social connections, managers should build a culture that encourages teamwork. You should also provide them with numerous opportunities to interact and communicate both in-person and online. You can keep Gen Z engaged and pleased by balancing their screen time with in-person encounters.
- Allow them to take ownership of their work: Allowing Gen Z employees to take ownership of their initiatives is one of the ways to prepare your company for the Gen Z workforce. Give Gen Z ownership of a project that they can implement from start to finish. Give them the space to share their ideas and use their creativity to benefit your company. Don’t rely on conventional job roles and tasks. Give them the tools for independent research and use online courses to encourage personal and professional development.
- Listen to Your Gen Z Employees: Gen Z employees want to feel heard and valued. As a manager, invite them to strategy meetings and listen to their ideas on business. Also, value their insights despite their age and newbie experience and treat them with the same respect as someone more senior.
- Inclusion and Diversity: When it comes to attracting Gen Z employees, creating an inclusive and diverse work environment is critical. One of the main concerns for Gen Z is to work with people from various backgrounds and learn from those with varied experiences. A varied team can steer projects in the right direction and build a knowledge base so wide that team members learn from each other on a daily basis. A company that is committed to creating diverse workplace scores big with new Gen Z hires. Gender, race, religion, age, physical ability, education level, and other factors can all be taken into account by businesses.
Knowing what motivates your employees and how it affects your company culture is critical. After all, what motivates your employees motivates your company. Pay attention to what they consider important to them and make it available in your organization.
You can find out more about what’s most important to the Gen Z workforce and the other generations in our Employee Satisfaction report.
Click here to download it for free.
