'What Gen Z want from work'

A webinar held on Wednesday 21 September 2022 by the Graduate Recruiters Network (GRN) entitled: ‘An update to the new normal - What Gen Z want from work’

Hosted by Josephine Hansom , MD at YouthSight (now Savanta) , Youth Practice Lead at Savanta : An award winning research consultancy and panel and data services provider.

Post pandemic what are Gen Z looking for in a job or future career? What is important to them when considering their place of work? What can be done to understand and address the current issues with employing talent in early careers? How have Millennials influenced Gen Z?

Gen Z born 1997 - 2012 (Aged: 16-24):Millennials born 1981 - 1996 (Aged: 25-40)

Through 7 years’ worth of data by Savanta from 2015 to 2022, discover the latest insights and advice covering:

• Attraction
• Expectation
• Retention

Attraction

Technology and social media have clearly changed the way young people research, explore and identify the jobs they apply for and the careers they seek. In understanding how to approach your talent attraction for this generation, the following research will help identify areas of improvement to your early careers strategy:

• Gen Z will only apply to your organisation if they feel a connection so this is your first hurdle.
• Using technology in your hiring process is key with 54% of applicants not completing a job application if the process is too clunky/takes too long; or does not allow individual talents outside of the job spec to be showcased.
• Mobile phones are the window to their world so ensure you optimise the tech for mobile usage.
• LinkedIn has become increasingly popular since the pandemic so ensure you deliver engaging experiences through posts and videos of your organisation.
• TikTok is becoming increasingly popular through its powerful algorithm of engaging with the user and making it highly addictive - consider using influencers to advertise your organisation.
• Ensure you advertise your vacancies on the other most popular platforms for job searches which in addition to LinkedIn, are Indeed and Instagram.

Expectation

Work versus Passions

In recognition of a difficult job market, one in four Gen Zs have a side hustle to their current job, enabling what they are passionate about to be explored. Examples are selling vintage clothing or exploring cryptocurrency.

Expectation versus Reality

There is a feeling of uncertainty here which needs to be addressed through conversations on hybrid working and the reality of how this can work best. A good working environment does not need to be the place where you do most of your work, which may be at work or in the office.

The following should be noted when looking to attract candidates:

• Two in Five candidates have rejected jobs that did not align with their values so advertising the values of your organisation, at an early stage, is key.
• Be clear on how teamwork can be achieved through a hybrid working environment by incorporating this in your onboarding process.
• When asked if school had prepared them for the world of work, 70% confirmed it had not, so aim to ensure: they feel part of the company they work for; they understand their role and their contribution outside that of their team; acknowledge their desire to contribute creatively and individually, finding something within their work environment to be involved in to act as a counter balance; be aware they are prepared to hold an employer to account on issues felt strongly about - last year (2021) 40% of Gen Z boycotted a brand; and understand they have areas of anxiety in a new role and need guidance and training on even the basics of office etiquette, such as: how to sign off emails; how to focus on multiple tasks; how to speak to a large number of employees; explaining what an employer would expect someone to be able to do in their first job; and confirm what their boundaries are in the workplace so they are set out clearly - show less judgement and offer more help.
• Through understanding that salary is a lesser motivator in their role than making a difference and being part of an organisation, ensure you: communicate your ethical values through your marketing eg. Charities you support, sustainability initiatives; employee resource groups they can join; show examples of how you treat your employees when marketing who you are and what services you provide; and create a visual window into the world of your workplace, showing a positive culture where they feel they can belong.

Retention

This can be achieved through understanding the generation you are employing and their needs, as outlined above, but also their influences through ‘trends’ of discussion, one of which is currently known as ‘quiet quitting.’ This has come about through more recent open discussions and concerns on mental health, resulting mainly from the burn out of how Millennials previously worked. This has had a knock-on effect and developed a working attitude by Gen Z to do the job, no more and no less than what is asked of them. The advice to employers on aiming to lessen this attitude of ‘quiet quitting’ would be to:

• Confirm the future journey of their role, tell them what this might look like for them long-term to inspire them to stay and work towards a goal.
• Show them they are valued in their role through letting them know their place in the organisation and by confirming their unique purpose and belonging.
• Offer a balance to the work through providing perks, aside from the freebies in the office, by asking what they want to ensure they can be helped to be happier.

To conclude, Gen Z are looking to work where their individuality and creative skills are embraced and to be provided with an outlet for these alongside their work. They want to feel a sense of belonging, aligned values, and to work in a hybrid but supportive team environment with basic training provided. Senior leaders should also spend time with new employees to deliver a longer term view of the future goals of the organisation and how they can be part of that journey.

If you are looking for help with your brand and seeking to improve your connection with the next generation, please go to https://www.youthsight.com for more details.

?Q&As to Josephine Hansom

How can we build a competitive early careers programme?

There is no golden bullet answer but note the webinar just spoken about for that advice. Generalising: Gen Z have had a lot of disappointments, their life has not been as it was expected so open the door, share what it is like at your organisation – this is key – outside of working they want experiences they lost out on from the pandemic – they want a broader, more fulfilled life so offer them a role with a competitive edge.

What do you believe the key differences are between Gen Z and Millennials?

Both want to be change makers, both want to do things differently but millennials wanted to try and make changes more with the way they worked, individually through the opportunities they were given, whereas Gen Z are looking at bigger changes in the wider sense – millennials created flexible working prior to the pandemic so they set the start for Gen Z to take this on. With hybrid working it is important to showcase how the company culture make it work.

Job offers - what makes a Gen Z decide which offer to take?

From their education to employment the idea of explaining a career trajectory path is important as it is not always so well defined after leaving school or university. Up until now they have known what they are doing, but in the world of work it is not always set or defined. For example, expectations of the role, future of the role, provide a sense of what is to come and make your organisation real – allow young people to speak to those who work there and let them know what it is like. A sense of belonging is important and not a quick fix – present a job offer that can provide a hook ie. make them feel they belong and this will also allow for retention in the workplace.

What are the views on Gen Z visiting the office? Do they prefer to work alone? What support is required? Should there be enforced relationship building and collaboration? Older generations benefited from this environment so what would you recommend?

Gen Z want to be in the office – they want to make connections and meet people but have quality time. Set days are good but enforcement is optional and dependent on what your organisation decides. Think how an individual works in their role and if visiting the office more often would work better for them. Working from home works well where they have other responsibilities but rethinking on your onboarding and what training is delivered is advised. Senior people need to spend time with the Gen Z in the workplace – one on one and not just ‘hope it happens by osmosis’ so onboarding and engagement needs to be carefully thought through. A senior engagement to help their team learn something or give feedback is so important. It is a bit like school, you need to go through what work someone is doing, eg. If a draft of work is prepared and handed in to check over – in this instance the draft should not just be handed back marked up but the changes made should be gone through. If this does not happen it does not help teach them to be leaders of the future. Going into the office is useful for making bonds but learning, onboarding and training should be embraced more individually. The current format of hybrid working does not encourage this so evaluate what works best and make those changes.