Gen Z employees have a very different mindset than the employees of other generations. If you’re not accustomed to dealing with this group, you may find it difficult to keep them engaged or retain them. That’s not because Gen Zers don’t want to work, it’s simply that they approach work from a very different perspective than the older generations you’re likely more accustomed to.
If you’re struggling to relate to them and find managing the Gen Z portion of your workforce to be a genuine challenge, this article will help put you on the path to success! Here are a few insider tips:
Transparency Is Your Friend
Gen Z employees are much more likely than any other generation to actively challenge the status quo. They want to know what’s going on and how their work relates to larger corporate objectives. The less they know, the more likely they are to challenge you at every step.
Fortunately, that’s a relatively easy problem to fix but it may mean brushing up on your communication skills and being much more open about corporate goals and objectives than you’re used to.
Gen Zers Crave Autonomy
A typical Gen Z employee is much more interested in working independently on projects that excite them and that also happen to align with your corporate mission. While it’s not always possible to allow this, when and where it is possible, you should definitely embrace this desire on their part. It’s a good way to; give your Gen Z employees greater freedom and flexibility, while meeting business objectives you may have had to put on the back burner. That’s win-win!
Work Life Balance Really Matters
Baby Boomers thought nothing of working sixty hour weeks, then taking the work home and continuing right on through the weekend. A scary percentage of Baby Boomers even take work with them on vacation!
Gen Z isn’t like that. They have lives outside of work and they’re fiercely protective of them. That’s not to say that you can’t get a Gen Z employee to put in extra hours, but they’re going to need a clear understanding of why it’s necessary, and they’ll almost certainly want a measure of autonomy and control over how and when that work gets done.
Collaboration Is Key
Gen Z also loves collaborative work and will tend to seek out opportunities to collaborate. Make it easy on them and on yourself by giving them opportunities to do exactly that. You’ll be impressed and amazed at the clever solutions groups of Gen Zers working together can come up with.
Embrace New Technology
Gen Z grew up on the internet. They are the most tech savvy generation you’ve ever encountered and they love new toys.
While older generations may live in fear of recent advances in AI, for example, Gen Zers rush to embrace it and find innovative ways to make themselves more productive.
Again, let them. Embrace their love of tech and take advantage of it. As a rule, this generation has no problem teaching themselves how to best use a new, emerging piece of technology and they’re apt to impress you with completely unsolicited productivity gains.
There’s a lot more to managing Gen Z effectively than just these points, but if you start here and take the lessons above to heart, you’ll be far, far ahead of your competitors who are still struggling with how to get the most out of this vibrant, dynamic generation.