3 Ways Generation Z Is Changing The Workplace
- Mar 5, 2018
- 2 min read
Photo sourced from Unsplash
It's official, not all young people are technically Millennials. The PEW Center's recently announced that Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, and said that all those following, myself included, will be called "post-Millennial" for the time being. But many of us already have a name for this newest generation emerging into the workforce, Generation Z. And with a different name comes a slew of different experiences, values, and expectations. This applies to the workplace, as well. As Gen Z starts to fill internships and entry level positions as we graduate, what can employers expect, and how will the office need to adapt to a new set of needs? Here are 3 ways that this newest, yet undefined generation will be shaking things up.
1) Generation Z prioritizes security.
Gen Z were young kids, no older than 10, when the Great Recession hit American families. Many of them grew up disillusioned, and dealing with hardships that were the results of the housing crises. As a result, they seek security in their lives, and that certainly extends to their jobs. Generation Z will be looking out for opportunities for job security, opportunities for raises, and a solid income.
2) Generation Z values individuality.
These young adults, often mocked as the "me generation" and "iGen" have been raised with technologies and brands that are increasingly personalized. They value individualistic experiences, and feel attracted to environments where they are recognized as unique. They're also vastly different from one another. As kids of YouTube content, cultivated Instagram feeds, and Tumblr communities galore, they have had no problems finding their niche and thriving within it. As such, they are difficult to generalize, and hate almost nothing more than attempts to do so. They're going to demand individualistic approaches to management, performance objectives, and terms of employment.
3) They can multi-task --- and in ways Millennials could only dream of.
Where Millennials drive employers crazy, flipping between texts, screens, apps, and work, Gen Z is even more prone to dividing their attention. As kids who have grown up with technology as a given, they are used to being constantly connected to their devices, networks, and social spheres. Switching stimuli is not only natural for them, it is essential to maintaining their attention. They are most comfortable when more than one thing is demanding their attention, but this definitely does not have to be scary for employers. This means that a Gen Z employee will thrive when tasked with multiple projects. Allowing them to switch between updating contact sheets, to planning social media posts, to writing cold pitch emails will enable them to engage with their need for variety as opposed to fight it.
With each new generation, comes new workplace cultural shifts, expectations, and standards. This will certainly be the case as we see the last of Millennials starting their careers and Generation Z beginning to enter the arena. But employers beware: though the generations are close in age, their values and cultural experiences are vastly different, and as such they will each demand their own considerations as employees.
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