What Gen-Z is Looking For in an Employer

What Gen-Z is Looking For in an Employer

Move aside, Millennials. A new generation is entering the workforce and they’re coming in with new ideas for what they want out of their employers.

Gen-Z (or iGen or Post-Millennials) were born between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s. This generation has grown up with technology and social media, which means their perspective on life is vastly different than older generations. What does that mean for their desires from employers? Turns out, it might not be as different as you might think. Here are three things Gen-Z is looking for as they enter the workforce.

1. Mentorship

It’s not easy being green to the workforce. Gen-Z employees might come off as confident (and they likely are) but underneath, they’re craving a little bit of hand holding while they find their footing in the workplace.

Mentorship programs are an excellent way to give your younger employees that extra boost of support when they first set foot into your office. Mentors can show them the ropes. From small things, like defining the unspoken rules of the break room, to bigger things, like how to effectively get a promotion, having a mentor can be a huge benefit to this generation.

2. Opportunities to Grow

Gen-Z employees are hungry. They’re new to the workforce and are coming in with a fire in their belly. They’re ready to learn, advance, promote, you name it. As an employer, you can harness this passion and use it to fuel your company’s success by keeping that fire burning inside of them through personal growth opportunities.

Gen-Z might’ve just gotten out of school but that doesn’t mean their desire to learn has ceased. Giving continual opportunities for growth means you’re giving them purpose in your business and in their career. They’ll grasp onto that opportunity and you’ll reap the benefits through increased loyalty and a more engaged workforce.

3. A Combination of Screen Time and Face-to-Face Time

There’s a common misconception out there that younger generations prefer more screen time. Although there’s a lot of truth that Gen-Z prefers to have regular access to their phones to look up important things, like who’s eating what for lunch, the truth is, this generation is also hungry for a little less distraction. That means, employers have to balance giving technological access to what’s important, like their schedule, and limiting access to what’s not. That balancing act isn’t as difficult as you might think.

Gen-Z is easily distracted. This distraction costs employers billions of dollars a year in productivity. Taking away their smartphones while at work can help them stay focused on what’s important and get less distracted by what’s not.

On the other hand, giving Gen-Z employees that screen time with the business while they’re outside of work can feel refreshing too. For example, letting the team see when they’re up next and who they’ll be working with through an online scheduling app can help them coordinate rides to the office, negotiate shift changes without involving managerial input until they’re ready to make the change, and make them feel overall more empowered. The same is true for email, or chat apps.

Giving this one-two punch of disconnection and connectivity alike can feed the Gen-Z strengths without feeding into their weaknesses.

Make the Connection

Gen-Z employees are coming and now is your chance to make the connection and help them thrive in their new roles. Will you adapt any of your current practices to embrace this up and coming generation?

Author Profile Jon Forknell is the Vice President and General Manager of Atlas Business Solutions, Inc., a software marketing company specializing in employee scheduling software, including ScheduleBase employee scheduling software, and other business software solutions. In the past, Jon has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Atlas Business Solutions was named as one of Software Magazine’s Top 500 Software Companies in 2004 through 2007, and 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.