1994 – the year they came.
Millennials...they’re soooo 1981… It’s all about Gen Z now! Those innovative pragmatic types who were born after 1994. The same year that Nelson Mandela became the first black president; Pulp Fiction was released, and Beanie Babies were taking over the world. The frightening this is, our new-found friends, Gen Z go as far as being born in the year 2000, making them old enough to vote, drink and integrate with us at work. Now doesn’t THAT make you feel old?
Vlogging, fashion influencing and reality TV ‘star’ – these appear to be the dream jobs for today’s teenagers. MediaKix found that 75% of Gen Z are viewing these jobs as much more desirable over becoming, a doctor, a teacher or .. well, anything that’s actually needed in our world. Unfortunately for them, there are other priorities to think about. Soft skills, these arguably taken for granted skills used by older peers now seem to be more challenging. No matter how many Missguided oversized T-shirts one may own, if our Gen Z crew panic over a formal handshake, we have a problem.
Recruiter Times reveal that poor interview etiquette, lack of eye contact and a poor handshake will limit the chances of our Gen Z generation of being offered a decent job. With Gen Z being able to simultaneously post the latest trend on Instagram with its dreamy filter, take a phone call and choose who their next date is via a quick swipe of their screen, they believe they have what it takes to show hard and soft skills. But Go Skills, found that the majority of hiring managers don’t agree. In fact, only 50% of hiring managers think grads are well-prepared for the workforce. Soft skills, such as getting along with others, managing time, and public speaking are just as vital for career success; some may argue they’re even more important than the hard skills you bring to the table. Talented people with poor soft skills can find it much harder to stay employed.
Go Skills have also discovered that the five key soft skills that are seriously lacking in Gen Z are worse than we may have anticipated. With over 60 million people born from 1995 to 2009, interpersonal communication concerns affect 46%. Good communication is vital because it encourages better understanding, helps us resolve conflicts, inspires trust and respect and allows creative ideas to flourish. And with easy peasy technology where the press of an emoji speaks a thousand words, it’s not just the soft skills that are taking its toll. Hard skills such as writing have seen hiring managers noticed our graduates are sorely lacking good writing skills.
Make It conducted a report which found that 26% of participants found it difficult to communicate with employees from Gen Z compared to older generations and 29% expect it will be more difficult to train them once they are hired. Though millennials have long been plagued by stereotypes with their lack of commitment in staying in one job and their supposed laid back work ethics, it’s interesting to find that millennial managers now feel exactly the same toward Gen Z.
So just when we thought we had millennials all figured out, it’s time to get our heads around Gen Z, who have now outnumbered millennials, making up 32% of the world population. So take a look around you, there may be a member of Gen Z closer than you think…