How to attract and keep Gen Z talent

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 workforce. 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-specific 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.

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 responsible for filling every spare moment that could be spent in reflective thought with a ping or ding. Our phones are designed as ‘digital slot machines’ that trigger hits of dopamine when we receive new information.

Each click or swipe brings with it the possibility of new information and our brains love and crave this novelty. The discomfort of sitting with one’s thoughts and ‘being bored’ never needs to happen in the age of the smartphone.

Author Ryan Holiday echoes this need for time alone with one’s thoughts in order to live a contented life. In his book, Stillness is the Key, he draws from thousands of years of insight from great philosophical leaders and from just about every religion on the planet.

Furthermore, Gen Z wants to stay connected to the world through the many, many channels available to them (think YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, among other new services popping up regularly). They see themselves as multitaskers who are able to manage multiple devices and apps at once to stay hyperconnected to the world. But it’s taking a toll. Newport calls Gen Z “the canary in the coal mine” for what will happen to our mental health if we continue to let our devices dictate the quality of communication in our lives, instead of allowing them to act as one tool in our toolbox of ways to satisfy our human needs of communication and connection.

So fear of missing out (FOMO), being constantly connected to a stream of twoway information 24/7/365, unrealistic expectations about what happiness looks like in their own lives and others’ lives, the compulsive desire to share their own (often manufactured) experiences with the digital world, the fact that they often don’t know what makes them happy outside of their digital lives (what high quality, analog leisure looks like), and lastly the problems associated with creating very little space for reflection and solitude to reconcile their thoughts and emotions on all of the above (phew...) has led to a perfect storm of anxiety. This never-ending bombardment and pressure would be overwhelming for anyone.

The above may be a harsh depiction of an entire generation, but it’s a reality for many who’ve grown up with smartphones, not having experienced daily teenage and adult life without one. Many experts agree that the smartphone has molded a generation into an anxiety-ridden group that needs mental health support from their friends, family, schools and workplaces.

What employers can do to help

● While Gen Z is used to making themselves available 24/7 to friends and family via their mobile devices, employers should help them set clear boundaries as to when to respond (and when not to respond) to work-related emails and phone calls to avoid burnout.

● Help Gen Z do less multitasking (which studies have shown time and time again to not actually be possible) and coach them in developing solutions to remove distractions, prioritize important work and focus on one task at a time for maximum efficiency and higher quality work. This should include an evaluation of the physical configuration of the office, providing both collaborative open work spaces, as well as private areas for more intense and focused individual work.

● Set clear expectations around deliverables, deadlines, time management, as well as the amount and frequency of feedback (Gen Z is used to and often in need of a great deal of feedback).

● Offer competitive Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), benefits and personal leave policies to attract top talent who may be facing mental health challenges.

● Study the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) to understand not only your legal responsibilities to support workers with mental health challenges, but also what you can do above and beyond the minimum to support and retain talent.

● Offer coaching that helps employees understand big picture goals and helps them reduce anxiety about world events and the future in general (in keeping with the stoic philosophy, help them understand what they can and cannot control to reduce anxiety).

We all want the same things

Every member of every generation comes to work for the paycheck, but they also want more: a sense of community and doing work that contributes to a goal bigger than themselves. Furthermore, every member of every generation is facing their own individual challenges and crises relative to their personal situations. Gen Z is no different and will face similar life challenges as all generations before them, albeit in a faster-paced, higher-tech world. But no matter to what generational group you belong, we’re all human. McDowell sums it up nicely: “ And let us not forget that [Gen Z] has the same deep needs for love, significance, meaning, and belonging as every previous generation.”

So above all, let’s continue to be kind, understanding and empathetic to the needs of all individuals in our workplaces. Welcome Gen Z, we’re glad you’re here.

Diana Varma

Diana Varma is an Instructor at the School of Graphic Communications Management at Ryerson University and the owner of ON-SITE First Aid & CPR Training Group, a health & safety company that provides training to the Graphic Arts Industry.