Ways to Improve Employee Engagement for Generation Z
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Career placement officers at top universities are on the front lines of understanding Generation Z, also known as Gen Z, as they begin to enter the workforce. HR leaders, who are trying to understand how to improve employee engagement and collaboration among the generations in the workforce, can benefit from the insight of those in higher educaiton.
Recently, Kevin Grubb, Associate Vice Provost, Professional Development Executive Director of the Career Center at Villanova University, spoke with HR Exchange Network about the four top priorities for Gen Z when choosing an employer. He stresses that Generation Z is not a monolith. While there are trends happening, each individual employee is unique and might not fit with every generalization about the generation.
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Still, Grubb offers his knowledge, which comes from working with Gen Z recruits and the employers hiring them:
HREN: What does Gen Z want in the workplace?
KG: It boils down to four things. The first is that they want flexibility. And flexibility falls into two categories. First, where does work happen? Am I working remotely or in. person? They also want flexibility about when work happens. Does it need to happen on a certain schedule? They've lived in a world where work can be done asynchronously.
One thing that I feel like gets lost in the conversation about this is that the college students of today and the ones graduating really do want in-person experiences. They want face-to-face time with people.
If you think about the Class of 2022, for example, everything really erupted for them toward the end of their sophomore year of college. Much of their formative experiences in the workplace with internships over the last couple years have probably had to take place virtually. And I am hearing directly from them saying, 'I wish my internship wasn't all virtual. I really want to go to work and meet people and get to know them.'
They feel like they lost a significant part of their college experience and their young adult lives because everything had to be virtual. They do want flexibility. But that flexibility doesn't mean all remote. No group is a monolith. Not everyone is the exactly the same. But what I'm hearing from Gen Z, especially our current set of students, is this desire to have in-person experiences that are purposeful.
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HREN: What more can you tell us about flexibility through the lens of Gen Z's preferences?
KG: Flexibility really ties in with two other trends that come from Gen Z. The first one is a general destigmatization of conversations about mental health and wellbeing. We had seen a big crisis around mental health emerging pre-pandemic, but it certainly blew up in the time of COVID-19. This is not a perk. This dialogue is becoming expected. Mental health and wellbeing will be something we understand and can work through together. There will be benefits that will support wellbeing and mental health. Those kinds of conversations are on the table for this generation.
In addition, they want their values to align with the organization's values. They want to see their commitment. The values connect to sustainability, climate justice, equity, inclusion, and other principles.
HREN: How do you think Gen Z sees the fine line between helping people with their mental health and maintaining their privacy? And what do you think that means for the future as they become leaders?
KG: One of the important management competencies is a good level of compassion, and a smart way to be empathetic. There's a cognitive empathy and an emotional empathy. The emotional empathy is when you're sort of take on someone else's emotions, and that can be difficult. Cognitive empathy is slowing down to understand how you're feeling and why. That's really important because this generation is used to a level of sharing and exposure. It would be strange to many of them to not be able to talk about [sensitive issues related to menthal health and wellness]. Now, you might find yourself explaining boundaries and talking more about these topics.
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HREN: What has surprised you about Gen Z's preferences in employers?
KG: I think they are motivated by their desire for financial stability period. Many of them experienced their formative years around the time of the Great Recession, and they saw their families be incredibly impacted by it. Obviously, now they've been impacted by the pandemic and the corresponding economic and employment crises during another pretty formative time in their young lives. This idea of financial security and stability is incredibly important. Some of them may be responsible for supporting family members financially, so this is critical to them. When we talk about the compensation increasing now, we have to really keep in mind the context for this particular generation.
READ: Why You Can't Afford to Ignore Generation X in the Workplace Anymore
HREN: What are your final thoughts?
KG: I have the incredible privilege of watching this transition of Gen Z from university to the workplace, and hear from our employers who are usually of different generations. My vantage point is really at the intersection of these two groups. So, it's a fascinating position to be in, and I'm learning all the time.
I think the most important thing is for all of us to remain open and listen to Gen Z and for Gen Z to remain open and listen to the generations who came before them. It's really important to slow down and understand where they're coming from. It might help us reframe how we communicate with one another, so that we get the best of each other, do the best work, and be the best community that we can be.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto for Pexels
