Managing iGen Employees
There is a whole new generation entering into the workforce, and trust me, we are nothing like millennials. This isn’t good or bad, we are just different. There is a new term catching attention naming Generation Z, “iGen.” This is because we are the first generation to spend most of or entire adolescents with cell phones, internet, and social media. iGen was born between 1995 and 2012. The first years of this generation have just graduated, and you might have already hired one. We are going to require different managing skills than the millenials that we follow.
Some good news to managers and CEO’s, iGen is more focused on work than Millenials at the same age. In a national survey 55% of High School seniors in 2016 said they were willing to work overtime in order to do a good job, which is up from 44% of millennial teens in 2004 (qz.com). This generation does want to do a good job, but we have less confidence in our abilities and lack decision making skills. This means we are going to need a little more guidance and it would be much appreciated if you gave us careful instructions for our tasks.
We spend a lot of time on our cell phones, but let me tell you… we are craving human interaction. 72 percent of this generation want to communicate face-to-face at work. The top two most important factors for iGen at work are “supportive leadership” and “positive relationships at work” (inc.com). With that being said, most of us really dislike conflict or confrontation. So when you do find that we are doing something wrong or could use improvement, taking a softer, constructive, and explanatory approach will be more successful.
As I mentioned before, we lack confidence and decision making skills, especially when it comes to our jobs. We are going to require a little bit more attention from our manager and CEO’s. “Sixty percent of Generation Z want multiple check-ins from their manager during the week; of those, 40 percent want the interaction with their boss to be daily or several times each day” (inc.com). This feedback is very important and will improve retention. These check ins don’t need to be super in depth, but just a quick comment or emoji will do. The faster the response the better, remember we are used to instant gratification and quick responses. Having to wait long periods of time for a person to respond is new territory for us.
Learning how this new generation entering your office works may take some trial and error. Just remember we are looking for guidance and mentorship. We are eager to learn all the knowledge you have to offer and work hard to make you proud. iGen has a lot of potential if you give us the chance.
Sources:
https://www.inc.com/ryan-jenkins/23-percent-of-generation-z-wont-take-a-job-without-this.html