Written by: Amy Townson

My son is a high school senior. Last week, he came home and proudly announced that he had less than two months before graduating. He has less than three months before leaving for basic training (he’s enlisted in the Navy). My first reactions were pretty typical for a parent – I’m not ready, I’m too young to be an empty-nester, will my baby be okay? Then my reactions as a professional kicked in. Am I, as a consultant, ready to work with Generation Z (Gen Z) team members?

I’m smack dab in the middle of Generation X. When the Millennials entered the workplace, it was a culture shock for me. Their values, their expectations, and their needs as workers were very different from my own. But we all figured it out and quickly realized the value that Millennials bring to the team. What values, expectations, and needs will my son and others in his cohort bring to the team?

Several studies have already given us a glimpse into what Gen Z will bring to the workplace. I see many of these glimpses in my own son, and I think their needs and expectations around communication, the workplace, and career growth will profoundly impact organizations.

Communication

• Team Collaboration. I used to dread group projects, but Gen Z workers understand the value that teamwork brings to the end product. However, this collaboration can’t be one-sided. Gen Z wants their input heard, respected, and accepted as well. Nothing infuriates my son more than being told he’s too young to understand (unless it really is something age-specific, like creaky joints or failing eyesight!).
• Compelling and Visual Content. My son won’t wade through long manuals or instructions. Instead, he’ll look at infographics, bullets, and videos for information. Targeted instructions and visual management will be even more critical as he and his peers become a prominent part of the workforce.
• Blending of Communication Formats. For all of their comfort with technology, Gen Z still values face-to-face interactions. They want a mixture of technology and in-person communication, and video calls will be second nature.
• Behavioral Evidence. With Gen Z, actions definitely speak louder than words. But it’s not just at the individual level. My son has already boycotted stores with corporate policies he does not agree with or a mismatch between their message and behavior. At the organizational level, matching the message, strategy, and actions will be vital to attracting and retaining Gen Z as both customers and employees.

The Workplace

• Technical Savvy. It took me a decade to become comfortable with Automated Teller Machines (and I’m still not comfortable with self-service checkout lines). On the other hand, Gen Z is instantly comfortable with new technology and expects that their colleagues will be open to learning and adopting this as well.
• Failure and Feedback. Failure and negative feedback don’t hold the same connotation for my son that they do for me. He sees these as learning experiences and is quick to dust himself off, learn, and try again. Gen Z will likely need honest feedback and room to fail (and grow from that failure) in the workplace.
• Flexibility and Independence. With COVID, my son has done remote learning and is now on a hybrid approach between remote and in-person schooling. Give him a due date, and he will make sure the work is done on time. Gen Z embraces the concept of “work smarter, not harder.” He and his peers will want the same flexibility and independence in the workforce, especially for individual work.
• On group projects, my son will actively seek out peers who are very different from him because they bring something to the group that he doesn’t. He has said that a homogenous group will produce the worst work, and this expectation will carry through to the workplace. Gen Z doesn’t want a diversity plan – they want actual diversity.

Growth

• When I was a teenager, I was full of dreams about the future. Dreams that, frankly, were not realistic. My son and his peers have dreams, too, but theirs are more grounded in reality. They are quick to look at the potential problems with their goals and, if those goals mean enough, work to solve them. I think this approach will be a massive boon to the workplace!
• Gen Z has seen many events – from the recession to COVID – cause upheaval in day-to-day life. My son isn’t looking for the highest-paying job. He’s not looking to get rich quickly. Instead, he and his peers are looking for stability and a company where they can grow.
• Targeted, On-Demand Learning. General training completely demotivates my son. He’s happy to learn new skills, though, and watches training videos or reads material on his own to learn those. Expanding his skills is more important to him than promotions or a snazzy title. Training programs may need to adapt to meet Gen Z’s expectations.
• Several studies have shown that Gen Z has higher stress and anxiety than other generations. Indeed, my son is no exception, and he’s frequently expressed fears that he isn’t prepared or won’t make it. Like his peers, he’ll need patience and reassurance, along with some guidance and mentoring as he grows his skillset.

Are We Ready?

As a parent, I will freely admit that I’m not ready for my son to enter the workforce. As a professional, I hope that I will be. At the end of the day, I think that Gen Z workers will need the same thing I would offer my colleagues of any age – my respect. I may not agree with, or even understand, everything, but I can always respect others.

Are organizations ready? On the whole, I think organizations are getting there. Certainly, some adaptations will be needed, but I do think these adaptations will offer improvements overall. Ready or not, though, here they come!

What do you think? Feel free to connect with Momentum on LinkedIn and share your thoughts!

Amy Townson – Senior Advisor

Amy is a certified project manager with over 20 years of experience and expertise in the health and human services industry, transportation, state government sector, contract management, and project management techniques. She has successfully managed over fifty unique projects and multiple portfolios of projects. In addition, Amy has provided training for state and federal clients on a variety of topics. She has strong facilitation skills with the ability to tailor messages to fit the audience’s experience level and role. Amy is a skilled leader of in-person, virtual, and combination teams.