INSTANT MBA: 5 Things You Need To Know About Working With Generation Z

Instant MBA

September 03, 2014

Generation Z is entering workforce, and they're bringing several new ideals with them.

For example, Gen Z — which includes anyone currently between the ages of 16 and 20 — are more entrepreneurial, less focused on money, and more inclined to work from home when compared to the generation before them, according to a worldwide study from Millennial Branding and Randstad U.S.

The study, which compared workplace expectations between Gen Y and Gen Z, identified several other ways Gen Z could impact workplace dynamics, as well.

Here are five of the most important things every employer should know about working with the youngest group of employees:

They crave honesty.

Over half of all Gen Zers believe honesty is the most important quality in a leader, according to the study. This group seeks leaders who demonstrate strong integrity and provide a clear vision for the organization. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z sees leadership as a privilege, says Jim Link, chief human resources officer for Randstad North America. This means supervisors and managers must work to prove their honesty and integrity before they can win over any Gen Z hires.

They're more entrepreneurial.

Generation Z exhibits more of an entrepreneurial spirit than their predecessors, but this doesn't necessarily mean that they all want to start their own businesses. Rather, Gen Zers focus on driving results and seeing the purpose of every task. "They have to be able to connect the dots between the day-to-day tasks and the long-term benefit for the company, usually in the form of bottom-line contributions," Link says. This generation is willing to work harder than previous generations, but their employers need to be diligent about showing how their contributions matter.

They're not interested in a typical workweek.

Gen Z doesn't want to be confined to a typical 9-5 workweek. Because they grew up immersed in technology, this generation doesn't feel bound to working in one specific place every day. They would rather work from home if they think it will help them get more done. "It's less about a corporate office space and more about the work that they're doing and the people that they're working with," says Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding and author of "Promote Yourself." Gen Zers place a premium on the quality of talent they're working with, not the location.

They want to talk face-to-face.

Despite Gen Z's natural fluency with technology, they're more interested face-to-face communication than their Gen Y counterparts. Instead of relying on instant messaging and social media for communication, this generation wants to speak in-person. "They're looking to make connections now in ways that are more personable," Link says. "Things like face-to-face mentoring, coaching, and advisement are going to become more important to this generation." This could signify a shift back to older forms of communication for businesses.

They know what they want.

Career paths and goals will be established much earlier for Generation Z. "There's a huge trend of people taking things on earlier in life in order to compete later in life," Schawbel says. In fact, he found that 50% of high school students are already completing internships and taking advantage of volunteering opportunities in fields they're interested in. Gen Z also hopes to work fewer jobs than Gen Y — meaning they plan to stay at one company for a significant period of time, instead of bouncing from job to job looking for the perfect fit.

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