Generation Z is the newest generation to enter the modern workforce. Ridden with setbacks from COVID, and thrown into an environment nothing like they have ever experienced before, many employers are struggling to keep these people on payroll.
Studies have shown that job transitions for Gen Z are up 80% year over year, which has proven to be very significant for recruitment professionals. The future of work is dependent on the success of Generation Z, meaning that it is vital to learn how to work in harmony with this new group of people.
Understanding Generation Z
Regardless of these struggles, studies are showing that over 30% of Generation Z ages 16 to 19 are working, up from 26% of millennial teens. This clearly shows that engaging with and maintaining Gen Z employees is necessary, no matter how difficult.
Companies are currently facing unrivaled challenges surrounding Gen Z recruitment and retention. Many organizations have revealed that they find it hard to integrate the younger workers with their existing employee base. Whether there is a disconnect in culture, communication, or relatability, it all boils down to the fact that the majority of hiring managers agree that Gen Z is the most difficult generation to deal with in the workplace.
Experts have found three major factors that are currently fueling this Gen Z hiring gap. First, changing workplaces in a post-COVID world are causing problems. What has been coined as “The Great Reshuffle” disproportionately pushed younger workers to the side, causing ill feelings towards the workforce in general.
Also, many have detected unnecessary friction in the workplace, as negative headlines have stimulated unfavorable responses on both sides of the issue. Finally, there is a severe misalignment between the career ambitions of employees and their employers. Gen Z has a very high turnover rate that is not currently even comparable to their older coworkers.
Preventing Turnover
These early-career turnover rates are affecting business more than we know, jeopardizing our precious time and money, and significantly affecting the future of business. Fortunately, over 50% of early-career employees say that their turnover could have been prevented. This means that the time is now to change our hiring strategies and engage the generations of the future.
The first way that recruitment professionals can keep Generation Z on payroll is to establish clear expectations and increase transparency. This lowers stress and increases the level of trust and comfort that new Gen Z hires feel between themselves and their employees. Next, basic workplace respect must become and continue to be the norm. This will promote positive mental health for the younger generations, especially as they continue to face a mental health crisis like never before.
Work-life balance will also become more of a priority, and people on both sides of the equation will feel taken care of. Establishing and nurturing meaningful connections between employee and employer will also be a game changer.
Especially after the pandemic, many people feel that their opportunity for genuine human connection has remained hindered. This presents a perfect chance for business leaders to reestablish this norm of human to human connection being a valuable resource. Finally, intentional and clear communication is paramount between older employers and their Generation Z new hires.
The younger generations, more than any other group of people, face an information overload every day on social media, television, news outlets, and much more. To offer clear communication at every turn can make or break a new hire’s confidence in a new environment. This will ensure that learning and training are carried out smoothly and that the transition into the workforce is as seamless as possible.
Conclusion
The bottom line remains that connecting Generation Z and their older employers is not only a want, but a need. It is the responsibility of existing companies to foster new talent and their needs, even if it is different from their own. Workplaces can have the ability to engage and retain Gen Z’ers if the proper time and care is taken to ensure that new hires feel comfortable and welcomed into their new company.
