Gen Z Is Already Here: How Can We Attract Them?
As new generations enter the workforce, they bring with them new preferences that differ from their predecessors. Your company must adapt to these evolving priorities to attract and retain new employees who will bring with them fresh insights and help move your company forward.
There could be up to four generations working within a single company, meaning there’s a range of expectations a company must meet to target each generation’s set of job priorities. It’s important not to get trapped in old methods and to move with the times to continue bringing fresh talent into the fold.
The youngest generation in the current workforce is Gen Z, who are looking for entirely different benefits in both their workplace and job role than those who came before them.
Out full-service marketing agency experts explains all the details about Gen Z and their expectations in the workplace.
What is Gen Z?
People who fall into Generation Z were born between 1997 – 2012 and are also sometimes called the Zoomers. This generation grew up alongside the internet and smartphones, and therefore they are the most technological and visual generation yet.
They are well and truly submerged in the digital world – this makes them digital natives. They will seek information in search engines rather than books, and they are pioneering revolutionary changes in social, environmental, and global issues more than the generations that have preceded them.
Generation Z constitutes more than a third of the global population, so you need them on board. They’re also a highly entrepreneurial generation, so they bring with them a lot of value.
What Matters Most to Gen Z in the Workplace?
As mentioned above, Gen Z has a whole set of different preferences from other generations when it comes to their jobs. Let’s take a look at what their priorities are:
1. Owning Their Career
This generation expects to be promoted quickly, to understand and take control of their career path, and see their careers as part of a bigger picture. Financial security is a high driver for them given the increased cost of living they’re facing compared to previous generations.
2. Training and Growing
One of the most important things for this generation is to feel like they are constantly evolving. This shouldn’t only be in a professional manner, but also soft skills and day-to-day life skills.
It’s common among Gen Z to feel unprepared for a job role, especially when it comes to management positions, so it’s vital that they feel your company will help equip them with the necessary skills.
3. Flexibility
Flexibility is the key – the Zoomers are putting flexibility at high priority, whether in relation to working hours or the overall working model. They need to feel like they have options and can choose the one that suits them best.
Many Gen Z’ers would consider leaving employers that don’t prioritize a flexible work environment.
4. Passion for Work
Gen Z must feel passionate about their workplace and position. They actually rated a lack of passion as the third highest reason to leave their job, which means that you’ll probably lose them if they aren’t passionate about your company and their position.
5. Tech Focused
Being tech-forward is something Gen Z’ers will look for in a company. Incorporating digital technology into the way you work will be a lot more of an attractive prospect to Gen Z, e.g. using an online task management and internal communication platforms.
What’s more, these digital systems can increase productivity levels within your company because of the communication, automation, efficiency (and more) benefits they bring with them.
6. Value Alignment
It’s super important to Gen Z that they work for a company that reflects their values. This may be in the company’s overall mission statement, or how the company acts on its social responsibility.
They may question whether there are charitable initiatives in place, or whether the company genuinely follows through with its public promises.
7. Diversity
A huge priority for Gen Z is diversity and inclusion in the workplace. They will look for companies who show that they truly care about diversity – actions speak louder than words. After all, Gen Z became the most diverse generation in United States history in 2020.
How Can You Attract Gen Z Employees?
Gen Z’ers bring with them a whole host of benefits as employees of a company. Their tech-savvy and digital-first approach to life is crucial in the digital age. Gen Z has grown up alongside the Internet and apps rather than coming to them later in life, and it shows in their approach to work, life, and creativity.
It’s always helpful to have a Gen Z insight in your company to help you steer in the right future direction – after all, they are the future.
1. Be Transparent
Try to be as transparent as possible about their position and potential future in the company (of course in a way that suits both parties).
2. Offer Training
Create a training plan in the organization with management training, professional courses, and soft skills training to help them grow and become better employees. This works to both their advantage and your company’s.
Mentorship programs will also be an attractive prospect for Gen Z, who like more constant feedback than previous generations. This may stem from the fact that they’ve grown up in a digital-first social media environment, where feedback and gratification come almost instantly.
They are used to immediate access to food, TV, messaging, social media likes, and more.
Remember to make sure that anyone applying for jobs at your company is informed about these opportunities from the start.
3. Be Flexible
Provide them with options, whether it’s a remote work policy or flexible working hours. As mentioned above, flexibility is indeed the key to attracting Gen Z. It will be a significant factor for them when considering your job offer. Work/ life balance is important to Gen Z, therefore you must support it too.
4. Highlight Your Value
What’s in it for them? Show Gen Z’ers the value of your company and their position within it. Once they’re in – it’s your profit.
You can show Gen Z how your mission aligns with their values, what financial rewards they may receive in your company, what promotions may be in store in their future, and so much more.
5. Go Digital-first
We’ve established by now that Gen Z is tech savvy to their core, and one vital way to bring them on board (and keep them around) is by ensuring your company is digital-first in all areas of work. That goes for its external offerings, internal communications, and everything in between.
Embrace new technologies when they appear on the scene to keep up with the constantly evolving tech industry and to always be ahead of the curve.
6. Build a Strong Social Media Presence
It’s important to remember that Gen Z is the most social media savvy generation to enter the workforce to date, so to attract them you must build and maintain a creative and relevant social media presence that highlights the benefits of working for your company. This should go beyond the work itself and more into the company culture.
Given that Gen Z spends so much time online, it makes sense to find them where they’re already hanging out, right? Ensure the content you put out is engaging and highly relevant, drawing on your mission, diversity, training opportunities, timely and industry-specific conversations, and any other features that may attract a Gen Z audience.
7. Make Diversity a Priority
It’s not good enough to make diversity a surface-level value of your company; it needs to be a deep priority. Many companies now hire diversity and inclusion officers to instill necessary processes within the company infrastructure that puts diversity and inclusion at its core.
Final Thoughts
The Zoomers want personalized communication and to feel a deep connection with the place and position they are filling.
Eventually, don’t all of us?
