SUMMER 2020 TODAY’S GENER AL COUNSEL
Labor & Employment
Gen Z Joins the Workforce By Megan E. Walker and Megan C. Winter
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fresh crop of entry-level workers is about to join the workforce. However, these new workers — aged 24 and younger — do not belong to the overly analyzed and frequently maligned millennial generation. Rather, they represent the dawn of Generation Z’s coming of age. And with this new generation (which has never known a world without search engines), employers may need to readjust much of what they think they know about the youngest adult workers. To start with the basics, “Generation Z” is currently the term most accepted to define those born in the late 1990s and after, with the oldest born around 1995. There are approximately 60 million members of Gen Z, and while most are still minors at this point, they are expected to account for one fifth of the workforce this year. It is only a matter of time before nearly all employers have an employee from this latest generation. Generation Z is defined by its commitment to diversity and inclusion. They are the most racially diverse generation in U.S. history, and, according to a 2018 study by YPulse, they list racism as the biggest problem facing their generation. Over half believe racism is getting worse. They also have greater diversity in gender. In a survey of teens in California by the Williams Institute at UCLA, 27 percent identified as gender non-conforming, a term that includes those who identify as non-binary as well as those who otherwise do not identify with certain characteristics associated with their sex assigned at birth. As with each generation, the outlook of Gen Z is framed by major events that
occurred in their childhood. The early 2000s brought the dot-com bust, 9/11 and the sub-prime mortgage crisis that led to 2008 recession. Moreover, these events occurred as online media surged. Given those events and the greater access to reports on the same, it is perhaps not surprising that research shows Gen Zers tend to be pessimistic, anxious and
skeptical. And stressed. In an analysis of four studies covering seven million people in the United States, Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, noted that they report a higher likelihood of seeking professional treatment for mental health, higher rates of trouble sleeping and a greater struggle to remember things, compared with previous generations. Technology is one of the primary factors that has defined this latest genera-
tion. Facebook came on the scene when the oldest were still in elementary school, and approximately 90 percent of Gen Zers have a digital footprint. However, although one might assume that Generation Z prefers communicating through digital means, a recent survey by talent acquisition platform Yello found that 51 percent prefer face-to-face interactions and only 25 percent prefer digital communication. This contradicts managers’ expectations, 41 percent of whom reported in a national survey by APPrise Mobile that they believe smartphones and tablets will be the most effective means of communication. The challenges in communicating with Gen Z may not arise from the method, but rather the content. Gen Z is known to be less focused, but better at multitasking. The key to communicating with them is to get to the point. They can spot an Instagram Valencia filter in the blink of an eye, and they want their managers to give it to them straight so that they can be better set up for success. Specifically, in a study published by Robert Half, 38 percent of Gen Z workers list honesty and integrity as the most valued characteristics in a boss, followed by mentoring ability (21 percent). Similarly, 75 percent of Gen Z workers surveyed by InsideOut Development say they want a boss who can coach them. Overall, Gen Zers value frequent feedback and manager consistency. Employers should consider Gen Z’s preferences if they wish to stay competitive and attract the newest workers. Generation Z workers want real connections, even with their recruiters. In fact, in the Yello survey, they rank the recruiters
