Gen Z can bring the best and the brightest talent.
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One of the biggest questions leaders ask is how to attract and retain Gen Z talent, as well as how to engage them, motivate them and create the conditions for them to do their best.
It’s a critical question because while plenty of leaders are unsure, the number of Gen Zs in the workforce is growing fast. By 2030, Gen Z will comprise 30% of the workers, based on research at Johns Hopkins University. And there are plenty of reasons to hire Gen Z and benefit from their talents.
With so much uncertainty about the best strategies for Gen Z, research helps, and there is solid evidence to point the way.
Attract and Retain Gen Z Talent
Here are the eight most significant ways to create success for Gen Zs as well as the leaders, team members and organizations they work with and for.
1. Give Them Purpose
Data from EduBirdie finds that for 37% Gen Zs, purpose is their most important priority and for 12%, it’s making a positive impact. A Deloitte survey of almost 15,000 Gen Zs in 44 countries found that 88% said that a sense of purpose was as important to job satisfaction as wellbeing. And 54% said meaningful work was a very important criterion as they evaluated potential employers.
Give them a sense of purpose by articulating the bigger-picture importance of what your organization does, as well as how their team and their work are connected to it. Be sure to clarify how their unique personal contribution matters.
In addition, ensure the purpose is human. It won’t be highly motivating to contribute to 15% annualized growth, but knowing how their work contributes to customers, clients, end users and people will mean a lot.
Also be sure to give them enough work to do, aligned with both what they’re already good at as well as where they’re passionate about going.
2. Support Their Wellbeing
Evidence shows that Gen Z is struggling mightily with their wellbeing.
- 91% of Gen Zs said they experience stress and 98% said they felt burned out, in a survey by Cigna.
- 62% of women and 51% of men ages 18-34 were completely overwhelmed by stress, based on a Stress in America survey.
- 40% say they feel stressed or anxious all or most of the time, and a third say their job is a major source of stress. In addition, only 52% rate their mental wellbeing as good or very good. All this is based on Deloitte data.
- 78% of Gen Zs say wellbeing is as important as salary, according to a study by Gympass.
- 82% value wellbeing as a top priority, according to data from Top Employers Institute.
Support their wellbeing by providing empathetic leadership and creating a culture of respect, appreciation and value. Also offer reinforcing systems like EAP, wellbeing programs and affinity groups.
In addition, hold them accountable and give them challenging work to do. Of course people need space when they’re going through tough times, but holding people accountable is also a terrific for wellbeing. Having meaningful responsibilities, knowing our work has value and that people are counting on us, are powerful contributors to esteem and wellbeing.
3. Offer Fair Pay
Gen Z is stressed out by finances. According to Deloitte, 48% don’t feel financially secure and 80% say both their day-to-day finances and worries about their financial future contribute to their stress.
Be sure to pay Gen Z (and all generations) fairly, but in addition, provide plenty of non-financial perks as well. Also offer education for Gen Zs about the value of their full package, including vacation, pension, health benefits and more. Provide classes on investment and financial management.
Also consider that Gen Z, more than other generations, is also demanding transparency about pay and clarity about the steps it takes to build their pay and position. Provide these when you can.
Gen Z values building relationships at work.
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4. Help Them Build Relationships
Gen Z is the most lonely generation, and significant numbers of Gen Zs say they don’t have friends, or they struggle to make friends. Work has an important role to play here since most people make their friends at work. And even if people don’t find their BFF in a colleague, work still offers the opportunity to see and be seen, and to be counted on by others.
Gen Zs say what they need most to thrive is collaboration and teamwork. In fact, 78% of Gen Zs view work as a key place to create community and connections and build belonging, based on data from Top Employers Institute.
Help them build relationships by giving them work that requires them to collaborate in groups toward mutual goals and the opportunity to be part of employee resource groups. Create strong teams where people feel appreciated and integral to the shared efforts.
5. Celebrate Work-Life
Perhaps one of the most defining features of Gen Z is that they prefer working to live, above living to work. They value work-life as a top priority (62% of them) along with 62% who report relationships and family are most important. In addition, 14% want to travel and explore, while 13% prioritize hobbies, according to EduBirdie.
According to Deloitte, work-life balance is one of the top three reasons Gen Z chooses to work for an employer.
Celebrate work-life by providing flexibility where you can and ensuring workloads are reasonable. Also be sure employees can set appropriate boundaries. Create a culture where employees feel they can bring their whole selves to work as well as share details about their life outside of work when they choose.
6. Support Their Development
Fully 25% of Gen Zs say development is their highest priority, and 24% say it’s career and education, based on EduBirdie data. In addition, Gen Z believes it’s incumbent on employers to develop them, with 80% expecting employers should offer continuous upskilling, based on data from Top Employers Institute.
According to Deloitte, among their top three reasons for choosing to work with an employer are learning and development as well as the opportunity to progress in their career.
Specifically, Gen Z wants skill development in soft skills (ex. communication, leadership, empathy and networking) as well as time management, industry-specific knowledge, creativity and innovation and project management.
They want to learn through on-the-job training and experience (89%), mentorship and guidance (86%), peer learning (84%), feedback and performance reviews (82%) and formal training programs (81%).
Support Gen Zs in their development by providing for the skills Gen Z must build offering a range of approaches from formal learning to mentorship. Give them guidance about how they can progress in their career that is balanced by their own autonomy in choosing their preferred development options.
Give them stretch opportunities on projects or new teams and promote them when they’re 70% ready and then provide for ongoing development. Provide plenty of positive recognition for what they’re learning and how they’re applying their learning.
7. Expand Definitions of Career Advancement
Interestingly, only 6% of Gen Zs say that a leadership position is one of their aspirations, according to Deloitte. And for Gen Zs who are already in leadership roles, DDI reports that they are 1.7 times more likely than other generations to leave the leadership role to protect their wellbeing.
They do want career progress, however, and it is the second-highest of their priorities. They also want career fluidity, with 31% employing a strategy of moving to a new employer every two years or so for expanded pay, opportunities and development. All of this is according to Deloitte.
Expand definitions of career advancement by providing for growth that doesn’t require formal leadership responsibility. Consider career advancement that is associated with broadened roles across the organization, new project responsibilities or role expansion. And be sure that these extended opportunities are aligned with pay and titles.
8. Embrace Technology
Gen Z also values the opportunity to use cutting edge technology and incorporate generative AI into their roles. In fact, 57% of them are using AI in their day-to-day work for data analysis, creative work, content creation, project management and strategy work, according to Deloitte. And 71% of them feel fully capable of using new technology in the workplace, based on Top Employers Institute data.
Embrace technology and encourage Gen Z to use it in their work on a regular basis. Provide recognition for their efforts with AI and encourage them to share their learning and innovative use of AI with others.
Create Success for Gen Z
When you support Gen Z to achieve success, you create success for the whole organization. Be intentional in your efforts to build and sustain effective organizational cultures, strategies and practices to help them bring their best in their work and their lives.