If you were born between 1994 and 2010, you can consider yourself part of Generation Z (also called post-millennial or centurial). Depending on who you ask, this generation may also include those born between 1997 and 2012. The important thing is not exactly when they were born, but rather understanding the world they live in: technological innovation is part of their horizon and they are willing to organize to make the world a better place. Your survival probably depends on achieving this.
If you are an employer of the millennial or older generation, it is essential to understand that members of Generation Z were born into a very different world than yours. This difference is what makes them invaluable allies in the work environment. The first wave of Gen Z college students is already out there, looking to make their way into the competitive job market, although most are still in school and we won’t hear from them for a few years. Your expectations about the work environment should also be taken into account to avoid misunderstandings. And although they were born and raised directly in digital environments, that does not mean that they do not value human contact. Let’s go step by step.
Therefore, here are 10 things you should know about Generation Z at work:
1. Generation Z is the most self-taught
They probably went with collaborative or less structured educational programs than previous generations. This is because study programs have changed along with technology. Their way of learning may seem less structured than before: Instead of taking a class to learn something, they probably took a free course, watched tutorials on YouTube, or learned through trial and error.
Their idea of learning is not to obtain a university degree that endorses their knowledge, but rather the constant search for updates and new ideas. However, they must develop a tolerance for frustration and take care that the variety of their interests and expectations is balanced with the discipline necessary to achieve their goals.
2. They need training at their own pace
Very much in line with the previous point, the way in which Generation Z receives training to integrate into a new work environment is also changing, even from the employer’s point of view. If technology and the economy are changing, why should training be just as structured?
Clear and direct feedback is the best way to explain to them what their role is within a work group and what is expected of them in a company. In turn, Generation Z is not shy about expressing all its doubts. This can be very beneficial at work, as they have the ability to modify old learning methods (and even improve them) while applying them.
3. They need to feel valued to create value
Labor wages do not grow at the same rate as the cost of living. This is why members of Generation Z are not willing to stay for a long time in a job where they do not feel valued and rewarded both financially and professionally.
Unlike their predecessors, the millennials, Generation Z has to pay for medical services and save for themselves, so they see a job that does not help them cover vital needs as a disadvantage. On the other hand, not all rewards come in the form of money: advancing in their career or accessing better jobs are also valuable rewards to motivate them to stay in a job.
4. They have an entrepreneurial spirit and are independent
Generation Z is ambitious. A survey from Online Schools Center states that 41% of respondents in this age range plan to have their own business. This contrasts with 4% of millennials included in the study. This does not mean that they simply want to “be the boss,” but rather that they were born into an economy where freelancing seems to be the norm. Like millennials, they have had to employ themselves simply to survive.
To put it another way, it is not that they cannot “wear the shirt” of a company, but rather that they are entering a work environment that requires them to wear several shirts at the same time, including that of their own passions. The best way to keep them and take advantage of their skills in a work team is to listen to their suggestions and motivate their participation in decision-making. That, or watch how they leave a company to found their competition.
5. They are your main priority
This may seem selfish, but given the state of the economy, Generation Z understands work as a stepping stone on the path to their development, not as a goal in itself. That is why members of this generation will not be willing to stay on a sinking ship out of “loyalty” to the company. The economy has left them in debt and worried about the future. They are not going to sacrifice themselves for the sake of other people’s progress.
One way to counteract this, from the employer’s perspective, is to create a work culture that allows them to have personal reasons for staying at their current job. According to the latest surveys, today’s workers change jobs approximately ten times between the ages of 18 and 34. Moral: to keep them, help them progress.
6. They take their passions wherever they go
Being independent and working as a freelancer is the first option for Generation Z, not only because full-time jobs and benefits are disappearing globally, but because it also allows them to have flexibility and control over their time and income.
It is important to understand that for more recent generations, work does not define who they are. The idea of reinventing themselves through their passions makes many of them seek to turn their passions or hobbies into a full-time career. They are also a generation that is willing to change their place of residence more easily and frequently, which can be an extra motivation to stay in the same job for longer.
7. They seek balance between personal and work life
For better or worse, the digital ecosystem makes it difficult to determine precisely when the end of the work day is. Being connected all the time seems synonymous with “being available” all the time for work. However, this translates into burnout syndrome, where the worker stops being productive due to being physically and mentally exhausted.
According to a Gallup poll, 28% of millennial employees have reported feeling burnout, which increases the likelihood that they will miss work (or quit) due to illness or exhaustion by 63%. The way to counteract this is to ensure that the workload is not excessive. Burning out or burning out an employee in the short term will prevent them from developing their full potential in the long term. Motivation is also important.
8. Human contact is essential
Although their grandparents may see them as a little robot, the truth is that members of Generation Z appreciate contact and feedback in the work environment. This especially applies to freelancers: email can be convenient, but impersonal. The rise of physical coworking sites in different cities is evidence that freelancers need to interact with other people and feel part of the projects they work on. Or at least, it is a way to fight against ostracism and isolation.
They and their employers should be aware of the advantages of flexible work schedules, but the home office can be exhausting and lead to extreme cases (it is not for nothing that cases of depression and anxiety are increasing among this population).
9. They have the shortest attention span in history
Some studies suggest that Generation Z is only able to concentrate for periods of approximately 8 seconds. If you have reached this point in the post, think about all the things that have distracted you while reading: notifications from your social networks, calls, the pace of life… For this generation it is the same, or maybe a little worse.
Another way to understand the way members of Generation Z use their money is that they are not going to invest it in anything that is not really attractive and relevant. When they concentrate, they are able to filter out a lot of unnecessary information in a very short period of time. They know how to get to the point if they feel that the task is worth the titanic effort of maintaining attention.
10. They are also the most stressed generation
A study indicates that workers between 18 and 34 years old report stress levels of 5.4 on a scale of 10, while the national average (in the United States) is 4.9. According to this study, an acceptable level of stress is 3.6. This means that millennials and Generation Z are the most stressed generations today, and the causes are 1) work, 2) money and 3) job stability.
Stress is not only a subjective state of tension, but a growing cause of work absenteeism, failure to meet delivery dates, work accidents and high health costs. Stress costs $300 billion a year in the United States alone. This can be remedied with reduced work hours (making better use of employees’ work hours will also increase production), more vacation days, and breaks interspersed throughout the day.