11 Things You Need to Know About Generation Z

Millennials, Millennials, Millennials. Very much in line with Millennials’ insatiable desire for
recognition, it seems like the last ten years of articles, videos, and speeches, were all about them.
As the first surge of Generation Z enters the workplace, organizations may be surprised at
how different they are from Millennials (also known as Generation Y). Organizations, human
resource leaders, and managers will need to learn about, and fully understand, this unique
generation especially since they may be the solution to the never-ending talent attraction and talent
retention challenge. Thus, employers will need to also adapt and bring a whole new way of
working to the workplace to win over Gen Z.

Who are they?

Most commonly referred to as Generation Z, there are many other monikers given to this
generation, including Digital Natives, Globals, Post-Millennials, Millennials-On-Steroids,
iGeneration, Plurals, The Homeland Generation, Centennials, and Delta Generation, or Deltas.
MTV has labeled them The Founders. The fact that there are so many names floating about for
this generation illustrates the general lack of understanding them. The rough consensus on what
years they were born is from 1995 to 2014. They are the children of Generation X. Native-born
American members of Generation Z number roughly 60 million, just outnumbering their endlessly
dissected Millennial elders by one million, according to Susan Weber-Stoger, a demographer at
Queens College.

Lena Dunham photo - CNN. Kylie Jenner photo - The Independent

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 Millennials Generation Z

(Born 1980-1994) (Born 1995-2014)

TV Icon: Lena Dunham Kylie Jenner
Music: Lady Gaga, Beyonce Lorde
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram Snapchat, Whisper
Web Star: PewDiePie, YouTube Lele Pons, Vine
Style Influencer: The Olsen Twins Tavi Gevinson
Clothes: American Apparel Shop Jeen
First Gadget: Walkman, CD player, or iPod iPhone, iPad

So what makes Gen Z different, and specifically what will companies need to
do differently to attract and retain them?

1. They have an even greater desire for the most up-to-date technology than Millennials.

They have strong preferences for immediate access to information and want their employee
experience to fully integrate with, and match, their customer experience.

2. They care more about money than the last generation.

Having lived through the Great Recession of 2008, they value financial security more than
other generations. Having seen their parents laid off during the recession, this left a lasting
impression on Generation Z.

3. They are far more loyal than Millennials and do not plan to “job-hop” like Millennials
did.

Again, Gen Z’s sensitivity to financial and job security will make them appreciate their
job, pay, and employer, far more than Millennials did. This loyalty transcends into their
church attendance: 41% of Gen Z attended church during their young adulthood, compared
to 18% for Millennials at the same ages, 21% of Generation X, and 26% for Baby
Boomers.1

4. They are far more socially conscious than their older brethren.

In fact, 82% of Gen Zs consider Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) a major factor in
deciding where to work.2 In addition, 66% of this generation would take a pay cut to work
at a more socially responsible company.3 In fact, it is not unheard of for Digital Natives to
walk out of a job interview if they see the company still uses plastic water bottles and
straws, most of which wind up in a landfill.

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5. They yearn for career development and a job that provides meaningfulness and
purpose.

While Gen Z values money more than Millennials, they also value learning and career
development. In fact, 81% of Gen Z believes that a college degree is necessary to obtain
one’s career goals.4 Furthermore, Gen Z is far more prepared to focus on their careers at a
young age than Millennials have been: a 2016 Annie E. Casey Foundation study revealed
that Gen Z had 40% lower rates of teenage pregnancy, 38% lower drug and alcohol abuse,
and 28% higher graduation rate from high school, than Millennials.

6. Gen Z are bargain-hunters.

Gen Z cares much more about prices and getting deals than Millennials, mostly because
they came of age during the recession of 2008. Sixty-seven percent of Gen Zs said they
would go to a website to obtain a coupon for a deal, whereas only 46% of Millennials
would due the same.5 A large part of this price sensitivity gap is explained by the fact that
Millennials were the sons and daughters of the richest generation in American history,
while Gen Zs watched their parents get laid off, lose stock & real estate value, and suffer
overall economic hardship.

7. They would very much like when social media is used to attract, recruit, and interview
them.

Specifically, Gen Z would love to see both digital and virtual reality instruments used
throughout the recruiting process. Companies will find the need to alter their recruiting
from in-person interviewing to online messaging and platforms that are tailored to this
generation. This includes texts, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so they can
use their phones.

8. Gen Z is less focused.

Gen Z lives in a world of continuous update and information downloads. In addition, Gen
Z processes these updates and information faster than other generations, largely due to apps
like Snapchat, Instagram, and Vine. Thus, organizations need to deliberately channel and
challenge them to the task at hand.

9. Gen Z are better multi-taskers.

Although Gen Z can be less focused than their Millennials peers, they are highly individual
and self-starters, creating work on their computer, while doing related work or research on
their phone or tablet, at the same time making notes on a notepad, and then completing the
work on their tablet while FaceTiming a friend. With many consistent and continual
distractions, they are very efficient at handling work and play, often at the same time.
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 Now that is multi-tasking!
Employers should consider how this trait could redesign how work is performed in their
organization and its effect on culture.

10. Gen Z is much more diverse than former generations.

In fact, according to the U.S. Census bureau, almost half of Gen Z identify themselves as
Non-Caucasian. Thus, companies will need to fortify and re-examine their messaging and
commitment to diversity & inclusion. If they don’t, they will never be able to attract,
engage, and retain Gen Z workers.

11. Gen Z is more global.

As more of the world comes online, Gen Z has and will become more global in their
thinking. In fact, 58% of adults worldwide above the age of 35 believe that Gen Zs have
more in common with their global peers than adults in their own country.6

Smart and forward-thinking organizations will adapt and find new ways to attract, engage,
and retain this wonderful new generation of workers and reap the myriad benefits of doing
so, not the least of which is higher profitability.

Sources:

1. U.S. Department of Labor Study, 2016.

2. Workforce.com Study, 2018.

3. Workforce.com Study, 2018.

4. Northeastern University Study, 2016.

5. Huffington Post, 2018.

6. Huffington Post, 2018.

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 Kevin Sheridan

Kevin Sheridan is an internationally-recognized Keynote Speaker, a New York Times Best

Selling Author, and one of the most sought-after voices in the world on the topic of Employee
Engagement. For six years running, he has been honored on Inc. Magazine’s top 100 Leadership
Speakers in the world, as well as Inc.’s top 100 experts on Employee Engagement. He was also
honored to be named to The Employee Engagement Award’s Top 101 Global Influencers on
Employee Engagement of 2017.

Having spent thirty years as a high-level Human Capital Management consultant, Kevin has
helped some of the world’s largest corporations rebuild a culture that fosters productive
engagement, earning him several distinctive awards and honors. Kevin’s premier creation,
PEER®, has been consistently recognized as a long-overdue, industry-changing innovation in the
field of Employee Engagement. His first book, Building a Magnetic Culture, made six of the best
seller lists including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He is also the
author of The Virtual Manager, which explores how to most effectively manage remote workers.

Kevin received a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School in
1988, concentrating his degree in Strategy, Human Resources Management, and Organizational
Behavior. He is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded and sold three different companies.

Connect with Kevin on social and learn more about him by visiting the website or reaching
out through email: kevin@kevinsheridanllc.com