Generation Z, the youngest Millennials – the group commonly defined as being born between 1990 and 2000 – are entering the corporate world in force. Already they represent 11 million workers, or almost 7 percent of the workforce, a number that is projected to more than quadruple in the next six years. And according to a recent article on SHRM.org, this group is sporting characteristics that distinguish them markedly from their Gen Y contemporaries.
Bruce Tulgan, widely recognized as an expert on management and youth in the workplace, asserts that much of Generation Z “simultaneously grew up way too fast and never grew up at all.” This group came of age in a post-9/11 world, developing an early awareness of war, vulnerability and economic uncertainty.
“Their access to information, ideas, images and sounds is completely without precedent. At the same time, they are isolated and scheduled to a degree that children have never been.” Additionally, while this group tends to be highly tech savvy, much of its constituents lack interpersonal skills, as well as an ability to think critically and solve problems.
So what does this mean for their employers? Namely, new approaches for recruiting and retaining workers. Tulgan provides a few recommendations, including developing highly structured job descriptions and engaging workers with smaller bits of information. Time offers a slightly different analysis of Gen Z, describing the group as very connected and making the case that instead of being a hindrance, their state of connectedness could, in fact, be a boon for their employers.
Whatever the case, this much is clear: Gen Z is coming, and shopworn recruiting strategies probably won’t cut it with them.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
