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Employers, get ready for generation Z! A new influx of employees who need to be approached just a little differently in terms of communication, loyalty and recruitment.
Of course, it goes too far to describe people born between roughly 1995 and 2010 as a completely different “animal species”. Nevertheless, there are considerable differences between the generations of employees. Not surprising, of course, when you compare an experienced fifty-something with a recently graduated starter. But even between millennials (generation Y, born between 1980-1995) and generation Z, there is already quite a gap.
Part of these differences is due to the speed at which the technology has developed. But the pandemic and the situation in the world have also left their mark on the mindset of our newest generation of employees.
In this blog, we would like to give you some tips on how to best recruit and keep young people in the workplace. Certainly not an unnecessary luxury, when you realise that this generation will account for no less than 58% of the workforce within ten years!
Below is a list of the different generations:
For the first time, we are now dealing with colleagues who can't even imagine a world without Wi-Fi, smartphones and Spotify. Simply because they never experienced that world. Where we can still freak out at the memory of the infamous chalkboard squealing, Gen-Z people will look at you incomprehensively. After all, they grew up entirely online.
Gen-Z employees have a shorter focus time and have quite a high standard when it comes to digital tools at their employer.
Laptops, phones and the internet connection should have at least the same quality at work as at home — but preferably even better arranged. It has to feel professional and high-tech to gain the trust of generation Z.
Generation Z's life is online and largely revolves around social media. Learning new things, looking for jobs, applying for jobs or deciding how to spend your weekend? You do that via social media. This is certainly useful to know when setting up a recruitment campaign.
Stay tuned! The attention of the new generation is constantly changing. And it's fast.
By now, Facebook is in danger of being almost as outdated as Hyves (who remembers it?). So know well which social media trending are and which are not. If necessary, ask your little nephew for advice, or watch your children with an oblique eye. And make sure you're just as flexible as your target audience. So don't be tempted into a multi-year contract with one medium for posting your vacancies. Before you know it, you'll end up in a black box.
You could almost call it a childhood trauma: forced distance in the years 2020-2022 further fueled the need for personal contact. No matter how digital generation Z is, a live meeting with friends and colleagues is almost always preferred. Although they are now quite trained to work remotely, they (unlike the generation before them) are very happy to come back to the workplace. Not so much to work — they can do that at home too.
It is precisely the personal encounter with colleagues that is central.
Therefore, set up sufficient spaces where face-to-face contact can take place. Make the office a pleasant meeting place (a hip interior designer even calls it: “clubhouse”), where you can brainstorm with your colleagues while enjoying a good cup of coffee.
Where you can feel like you're really part of an organisation, full of like-minded professionals.
By the way, don't forget to ensure sufficient hybrid facilities. In fact, that makes millennials and other people who embrace hybrid working happy.
Generation Z loves action and is involved in society. They are concerned about the impact of humans on the Earth and the climate. Gender equality and diversity come naturally to them, discrimination is an absolute no-go. Rightly so, of course, but where previous generations saw social issues and mainly took action on an individual basis (and sometimes not), today's young people have a clear opinion and actually wants something from the employer.
So make sure that, as an organisation, you sincerely and actively commit yourself to social issues. Do that visibly too.
Mention it in your recruitment campaigns, come into the picture as a sponsor at events and make sure you have a clear policy, addressing people if they don't meet the goals.
Actually, no one wants to be dependent on others, but the young employee really needs autonomy to thrive.
Being able to make choices (and mistakes) yourself, control your own career, a good work-life balance and take responsibility for a project: that's what makes your new generation Z colleague happy.
This desire for personal freedom can also have a downside. Younger employees often want to be able to organise their work week themselves, sometimes appropriate tasks that another colleague might have wanted to do, and shifting working hours should not be a problem. This attitude causes headaches for many rosters, and can cause misunderstanding and irritation among colleagues from previous generations.
Keep everyone on the same page with careful communication.
Give everyone a little more flexibility in working hours, workplace and free time. This can also prevent absenteeism among carers, young parents and older employees. And is all that freedom in danger of becoming unworkable? Then draw your boundaries diplomatically but clearly. Sometimes things just go for the girl. Even in 2023.
Forget the perfunctory annual performance reviews. Someone from generation Z would rather hear clearly how the flag hangs on a regular basis.
A real Gen-Z employee sees feedback as a good learning opportunity that's just part of it, and is usually good at dealing with it.
In line with this, another tip: offer sufficient development and growth opportunities to the Generation Z colleague. Anything that can seriously contribute to a clear career path is enthusiastically welcomed. If millennials were still interested in a company car or an office dog, today's generation is happy with a career coach and a wide-ranging, challenging learning platform. Preferably full gamification, because learning should remain fun, says gen Z!
We conclude with some concrete tips on how you could attract Generation Z to your workplace.
Yes, it does require some adaptability, such a new generation in the labor market. Do you perhaps still have a cold feet when it comes to digitisation? Or do you have no idea how to set up a smart learning environment that not only benefits generation Z, but also makes baby boomers, people from the fries generation or millennials happy, for example? Fortunately, you don't have to do it alone; coming up with convenient digital solutions is just our thing! Contact us, we would love to think along with you!
