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How to attract and keep Gen Z talent in your organization First there were the Boomers. Then came Gen X. The Boomers had kids (Gen Y, better known as the Millennials) and then Gen X had their own kids (Gen Z) born between 1995-2010. As this generation comes into maturity, they’re graduating from school and entering the work force. Welcome Gen Z! Let me begin by saying that generational categories such as the ones listed to the left are a great way to group a population for marketing purposes as they help us understand likely behaviours and preferences. However, we are all individuals. Although shared commonalities exist between members of the same generations because of time - specif ic environmental and societal factors, there are huge gaps in homogeneity due to gender, race, culture and socioeconomic status, among other defining factors. With that in mind, here is how university professor Sean McDowell, Ph.D., identifies Gen Z: 1. Digital natives: They’ve grown up with the internet and they’re the first generation to have grown up using smartphones. (They’re sometimes referred to as ‘iGen’ for this reason.) They value constant feedback with clear metrics and measurability. 2.Entrepreneurial: They’ve witnessed other young people successfully start businesses and as many as 72% of them believe they will start their own businesses. 3. Diverse: They’ve experienced diversity and are overwhelmingly positive about it
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4. Less religious identification: In 2015, nearly one third of all incoming higher education students did not identify with any particular religion (compared to 6.6% in 1966). 5. Blurry: The lines between work and home, public and private, and the disassembly of the traditional family structure mean that Gen Z has grown up in a grey, blurry world. 6.Overwhelmed: Many feel the pressures of school and work, in addition to maintaining an active online presence. Over two thirds say they feel overwhelmed. 7. Lonely: There has been a steady increase in anxiety levels of Gen Z no matter where they live (urban, suburban and rural all report increases). Although they’re tech savvy, they crave real human connection. 8.Progressive: Interestingly, although this generation is less likely to drink, smoke or take drugs, they’re also more progressive in areas like marijuana legalization. 9.Individualistic: They’ve become accustomed to the world being customized to their liking; from playlists and cell phone cases to accounts they follow on social media and when, where and how information is streamed to them. It’s my sincerest belief that there are no “good” or “bad” generations. For example, Millennials often get a bad rap for being lazy and self-absorbed (TIME Magazine labelled Millennials the “ME ME ME Generation”) while Gen X is seen as feeling lost between two huge generations (the
latchkey kids) and Boomers are often portrayed as not understanding technology (ok boomer). But there are smart, creative, hardworking individuals in every generation. Each group has great things to offer, as well as their own unique shortcomings. Understanding the environment that each generation grew up in, as well as societal expectations and differences means that workplace coaching will look different for each group. Below is one key way I believe workplaces can help coach Gen Z, thereby attracting and maintaining talent within this generation.
Gen Z’s mental health Gen Z believes in the power of support for mental health, which is important for this group more than any other generation in recent history. There’s been a steady rise in anxiety-related disorders since 2011, aligning with Gen Z’s maturation into teenagehood. Although there have been home, school and societal stressors across all generations, Gen Z seems to be affected differently by it all. But why? This is a topic of great discussion in universities, whose seats are currently filled with Gen Z students. Although there are no definitive answers, the author of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, Cal Newport, offers a hypothesis about the increase in anxiety for Gen Z: the smartphone. Specifically, Newport believes that the increase in solitude deprivation in a superficially ever-connected world is to blame. The smartphone is directly
GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | May 2020 | 11
