Understanding the needs of Gen Z
With baby boomers starting to retire from the workplace, we are now beginning to see other generations becoming more prominent – in particular, the newest generation, Gen Z. Gen Z, are those employees born between the years 1997-2012. There are currently around 12.9 million of this generation in the UK. With Gen Z becoming more prominent in the workplace, it is essential to tailor the workplace for this generation to attract and retain them. It might mean that you need to look at your policies and culture to align with the changing shape of the workplace. These are some of the changes you can make to attract Gen Z.
Embracing Technology
There are a lot of challenges when it comes to attracting and managing Gen Z in the workplace. Unlike the generations that came before them, they were the generation that started to enter the workplace just as the world faced a global pandemic. Therefore, there needs to be some empathy because they are not as used to face-to-face workplace interactions. They are also a generation completely immersed in technology – and probably have been since they were born. As an example, 60% of the users of TikTok are Gen Z. Embracing these platforms when you want to communicate with this generation will help you attract employees and keep them engaged with your organisation.
Offering Flexibility
It will come as no surprise that Gen Z prefers flexibility in the workplace. They were used to working from home due to the pandemic, and they value their freedom. To attract and retain this generation, you should be prepared to offer some degree of flexibility, such as a hybrid model.
Ownership and Autonomy
Unlike baby boomers, who would stay in the same job for many years and be quite happy to follow instructions, Gen Z is much more fluid in their work. They want to take ownership and have autonomy in their jobs—they don’t want a manager sitting on their shoulder. Gen Z is not afraid to leave their jobs, so you must do your utmost to retain them.
Diversity
Gen Z has grown up in a more diverse setting. They’ve gone to school with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Therefore, they expect the same in the workplace. They want to be around people they can grow and learn from. Baby boomers tended to be around the same type of people, but the world has become much smaller, and we now raise children in multicultural settings. With the growth in social media, Gen Z is engaging with people from all over the world, and they want this experience in the workplace, too.
At Morgan Spencer, we use recruitment strategies to attract and engage with Gen Z. If you are looking to fill a role, contact us here, and we will be happy to help you source the best candidates.