Generation Z: Sneak Peak into the Next Generation in the Workplace
ArticleBy Josh Beaver, Regional Manager
For the latest article in our series on effective employee communication, we’re focusing on Generation Z, commonly referred to as iGen, or the post-millennial generation. It is the next generational wave that will be joining the workforce. These employees will bear similarities to the millennials, but there will certainly be differences, both subtle and easily discernible, that will need to be taken into account.
Generation Z is typically associated with individuals born after 1995. This era just so happened to be a time of prolific societal change. The internet exploded virtually overnight and became a part of daily life for millions of people across the world. Here are some commonalities of Gen Z’ers:
Access to internet
A life without internet access would be unthinkable. Instant access to information and real-time communication has always been the norm for them and should certainly be considered when determining how your organization chooses to move forward with future communication initiatives.
Connectivity
They are generally fluent in all things pertaining to social media and other interactive means of communication and can function quite well with these channels. This will certainly be an asset as we continually move forward with technological advancements in the workplace. With the passage of time, texting has also become an accepted way of organizational communication, and this should only increase as new generations of employees become more entrenched.
Tech focused
The availability of useful phone applications is also important because they will help provide increased work flow efficiency. A younger generation of employees will continue to be a useful tool for determining which of these should be considered for company-wide use. Keep in mind that all of this technology talk doesn’t necessarily mean that face to face communication should be abandoned. According to a book called Introducing Generation Z by researcher Hal Broetheim, Generation Z prefers this type of communication over online communication.
It will be important for current and future managers to make all communication and technological options readily available for these future employees. Your organization should always be evolving and improving in an effort to provide the most positive working environment possible. This will need to continue now more than ever, since a large percentage of Generation Z employees would be much happier running their own start-up businesses rather than working in a traditional hierarchical structure. It is certainly a different working environment from a decade ago, and we must continually remind ourselves of this as we move into the future.
Want to learn more about this demographic?
Of course, a quick Google search will give you everything you need to know, but here’s an interesting article with an infographic about Gen Z and how to tap into this upcoming group of future employees.
The last two issues of our company quarterly newsletter, Powerful Knowledge, have included articles as part of a series about effective employee communications. Last issue focused on the millennial generation (also referred to as Generation Y) and ways employers can create a more positive working experience for this demographic, as well as how to communicate with them. We’ve found that millennials, like all respective demographic cohorts, are unique. Communicating with them needs to be intentional, and we need to understand their habits and expectations, as well as how they work and live. This can be achieved through enhanced communication efforts, taking notice of exemplary employee performance at all levels in your organization, and by shifting the company’s focus to a more technologically-based environment. To read the entire article focused on millennials, click here.