Generation Z is here and ready to work, but should you hire them?
The short answer is YES. But why? Let’s go over some of the basics between Generation Z and Millennials.
How do they compare to their slightly older counterpart?
Born between 1995 and 2010, the first group of the new Generation Z workforce graduated college in the spring of 2017. Generation Z is often portrayed as having similar characteristics to Millennials, including a desire for work-life balance and having mission-driven professional goals. One of their differences is that Generation Z seems to be more practical.
Inc. magazine does a great job of explaining why “Seventy-seven percent of Generation Z expects to work harder than previous generations.”
Millennials became optimistic thanks to their encouraging Baby Boomer parents and growing up in a time of prosperity and opportunity. Generation Z will be realistic thanks to their skeptical and straight-shooting Generation X parents and growing up in a recession. According to Pew Charitable Trusts, during the Great Recession, the median net worth of Generation Z’s parents fell by nearly 45 percent.
This is great news for employers seeking a hard-working group. Generation Z will be extremely productive, as long as their supervisors don’t micromanage or force them into a group project.
Seventy-one percent of Generation Z said they believe the phrase “if you want it done right, then do it yourself.”
Independent and Competitive
When given the option to arrange a group of desks, Millennials would opt for a collaborative arrangement and assemble the desks into a circle. Generation Z will be more competitive with their colleagues and will harness a do-it-yourself mentality at work. In fact, 69 percent of Generation Z would rather have their own workspace than share it with someone else.
Give your Generation Z employees some time to themselves and of course, fast Wi-Fi. Forty percent of Generation Z said that working Wi-Fi was more important to them than working bathrooms.
According to Pew Research, only 14 percent of U.S. adults had access to the Internet in 1995 but by 2014, 87 percent had access. Millennials were pioneers in the digital age. They witnessed the introduction and rise of social media, instant messaging, smartphones, search engines, and the mobile revolution. Generation Z did not witness these innovations, but rather, they were born into it. Ubiquitous connectivity, highly curated global information, on-demand video, and 24/7 news cycles are native to Generation Z.
Where Millennials have often been accused of believing an employer is lucky to have them, Gen Z’ers may have learned from their Gen X’er parents that they’re lucky to have a job and that paying your dues is critical to future success. Z’ers value efficiency, stability, and independence, qualities that can only enhance the workplace if they’re properly leveraged.
This is a great group of young adults that will most certainly work hard and impress their employers.
