Bridging The Generation Gap – How to Integrate Gen Z into the Workplace

As an employer, the chances that you have Gen Z employees in your workforce are high, with those born between the late 1990’s and early 2010’s entering the workplace with rapid force.

Gen Z bring with them a tenacity to want to work and a desire to improve the environment around them. It is predicted that Gen Z will make up 24% of the workforce by 2025. Employers therefore need to consider how they are going to engage and retain this new ‘tech savvy’ generation and understand what Gen Z is looking for in a future employer.

So, let’s find out if integrating and retaining Gen Z is really as difficult as many suggest.

How has technology shaped a generation of workers?

Technology has shaped how the majority of  Gen Z interact with each other, which has enabled individuals to see the world on a globalised scale. They are unphased about communicating with colleagues, clients or customers across multiple social media and business focused technology platforms – think ‘slack’, chatbots, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

Gen Z are typically more proficient with office technology than any generation before and adapt well to the rapid speed in which technology is changing. Equally, many may be complacent with the efficiencies of technology, impacting Gen Z’s ability to maintain their attention span in a work environment. This lack of endurance makes focusing on longer tasks and staying engaged with project timelines more challenging. Something to consider as employers embark on development programmes and graduate or apprenticeship hires.

The working environment has been transformed by technology over recent decades, and Gen Z are accustomed to being in an environment that prioritises working smarter and not harder. Expect your Gen Z employees to be motivated by the implementation of technology to achieve employee satisfaction, daily workplace efficiencies and future growth of your business. Truly listening to their ideas and reflections may well result in small changes with big impact!

How have world events impacted Gen Z?

Most recently Gen Z will have experienced the significant effects of Covid 19 and for many of them their careers will have begun online, with the requirement to work from home.

Socialisation and the opportunity for collaboration are important skills that most of Gen Z may lack due to Covid, as they may be too reliant on technology. Having a balance between in person and online socialisation is important when working in collaboration with others. An environment that allows all generations in the workplace to collaborate in person will enable the opportunity for different perspectives to be valued and create a positive workplace culture where all generations in the work environment can make a positive contribution.

Other events that have impacted Gen Z’s view on the workplace include both the economic crisis in 2008 and Brexit. Many of Gen Z will have watched their parents, siblings or friends go through these events with many in society working extremely hard against a backdrop of the constant risk of being made redundant.

Equally as we live through the cost-of-living crisis it is not surprising that a large incentive for Gen Z is balancing income, and the stability it brings, with tempered loyalty. We are seeing an entrepreneurial spirit in this new generation and an understanding that you perhaps cannot solely rely on your employer or work, for your financial stability.

Working priorities of a new generation.

Previous generations have interpreted long working hours, compromising their personal life to meet deadlines and complying with company demands as markers of success. However, Gen Z typically prioritises a job that enables them to work flexibly, so they can distinguish themselves beyond work – their work is not who they are, nor does it define them as a person.

Being able to work for a company that can offer hybrid work or working in an office that offers a flexible working schedule, will sit high on the priority list for many Gen Z employees and the reason for this is the need for a healthy work and life balance. Even the millennial generation would likely deem prioritising mental health and their overall well-being a new concept, but research suggests Gen Z considers this a fundamental value of the Company that they work for.

Most Gen Z employees will be accustomed to the topic of mental health, with this topic being talked about in a casual setting and many having a greater knowledge of the subject since the introduction of this topic into the school curriculum as well as the rise in the use of social media, creating societal pressure for individuals to look and live a certain way.

Gen Z are well versed with the daily problems that impact society due to their exposure to social media platforms and the globalised scale on which stories from countries worldwide are carried round the world.

A diverse and culturally accepting workplace is another priority that Gen Z strives to seek when looking for a job. Gen Z have grown up in a more openly diverse society, they are more aware of the cultural disparities around them and will attend events such as Pride, participate in protests on global events and are generally more socially active. Gen Z have learned from watching and listening to the generations before them about the ways in which these cultural disparities have affected them and are therefore striving to implement change in workplaces.

5 generations in the workplace – how to make it work?

The pace of change across the decades has become more apparent in recent years and we therefore need to be mindful that not all Gen Z individuals will have the same experiences. Gen Z are a generation that embraces individualism and believes that everyone can bring something important into the workforce. It has been suggested that employers who adopt this mindset will see all their employees thrive – not just the Gen Z’ers!

When entering the workplace, Gen Z employees come with ambition, they want to learn and develop, therefore it is suggested that the best way to integrate them into the workplace amongst other generations is through mentoring and upskilling training sessions.

Gen Z sees these opportunities to learn from the generations before them as invaluable as it will help them progress through the career ladder, which is ultimately their goal.

Gen Z brings a wealth of knowledge in technological areas and a willingness to help in any way, harnessing this to connect with other generations.

Making Gen Z feel valued and accepted in a working environment where they can feel heard but also learn and build up their own skills will be the way in which to retain this generation.

The topic of Gen Z is discussed frequently amongst employers as more and more are eager to enter the workforce. As we begin to see an increasing number of points raised regarding this generation, it is worth getting ahead of the curve when thinking about how to go about setting your HR agenda ahead of the coming year.