Handling the next generation of talent can be difficult. Millennials have just begun working, and now Generation Z is starting to move into the workforce. For those who are still uncertain about technology, some catching up is in order because Generation Z, which includes individuals born between 1990 and 1999, is even more online-focused than millennials. According to Human Resources Executive Online, Gen Z wants to do almost everything paperlessly – from sending out resumes online to taking notes on tablet computers.
Gen Z is still young, and therefore wants the usual things from employment opportunities, such as growth and support from those with more experience. That being said, Gen Z and Millennials both grew up during the recession, so their perception of job security and job hopping is very different from past generations. While Baby Boomers and Gen X have had to get used to a new and changing world, things haven't really ever been different for millennials. They are fully prepared to work for a job for one to two years before moving on.
How much of this is due to the inexperience of youth and how much will prove to be a long-lasting result of a dramatic shift in how companies retain, hire and let go of employees will be shown in time. The major take away is that those who want to keep young employees like Gen Z will have to offer the group serious benefits in order to keep them.
Along with Gen Z's inexperience comes a certain sense of entitlement. Gen Z fully expects to choose its own hours, according to John Males, founder and president of Fathom Corporate Training.
"Personalization is the name of the game in so many areas these days," Males said. "We personalize electronic gadgets with both accessories and apps. You can further apply this thinking to the work environment."
Other traits of Gen Z
Business Insider provides another look into the character of Gen Z. Much of the uniqueness of this generation comes from growing up surrounded with technology. Even millennials remember a time before very sophisticated PCs were in every home, but Gen Z largely cannot. Additionally, people are becoming much more work focused, so that they begin taking on internships and other projects much earlier than millennials. Gen Z began the competition for positions in high school, with 50 percent of high school students taking internships and voluntary positions for experience before they leave for college.
Gen Z is also focused on honesty and communication in a different way from millennials. Gen Z self-reported a greater interest in communicating through real life dialogues rather than online, according to a survey by Millennial Branding. The accuracy of this could be debated, since people have already become so used to instant messaging services. Gen Z also prefers intrinsic rewards versus money. Twenty-eight percent of them would say money would motivate them to work harder, while 42 percent of millennials said the same thing.
According to Dan Schawbel, Gen Z might be better suited for the workforce than the millennials who are coming before them.
"Gen Z has a clear advantage over Gen Y because they appear to be more realistic instead of optimistic, are likely to be more career-minded, and can quickly adapt to new technology to work more effectively," Schawbel said. "Additionally, since Gen Z has seen how much Gen Y has struggled in the recession, they come to the workplace better prepared, less entitled and more equipped to succeed."
How much of this is optimistic forecasting and how much is accurate will be seen as more Gen Zers enter the workforce.