Generation Z and the New Workplace

Welcoming the New Generation – Generation Z

If you thought managing Millennials in the workplace was a big departure from managing Baby Boomers, get ready for Generation Z.

23 million strong, Generation Z will become the fastest growing generation in the workplace in the next 5 years and they are very different from previous generations. Although just entering the workforce and with little data as to how they’ll perform, current research suggests some clues: they are more self-aware, self-reliant, innovative, goal-oriented and more pragmatic. What’s more, they don’t remember a time before social media, meaning they’ve spent all of their lives online – interacting with friends and family and making purchases.

Members of Gen Z are also more highly educated with the likelihood that a larger percentage will attend and graduate from college than any previous generation. Gen Z, while being more diverse than any other generation in history, are also raised differently. Gone are the days of “helicopter parents” and in its place a more “figure it out approach” leading to more self-reliance. Career-wise they prefer to have a job that makes a positive impact, and tend to be more financially prudent. They likely want to make a decent living with a stable employer, possibly because they’ve lived through the Great Recession and saw how it impacted their parents and will be saddled with more student loan debt than any other generation.

What does this all mean to employers? Obviously with Gen Z about age 20 and under, their defining moments are still occurring, but we know they’re more technologically aware and possibly have a Baby Boomer’s work ethic. Time will tell what methods will be best to recruit this generation but signs point to a company with stable roots that is growing with work tasks that are project-oriented and contribute to society as well as the bottom line.

Need help gearing up to recruit the next generation?  Sky is here to help.  Reach out and we can develop a custom strategy specifically designed for your organization.