Joe O’Neill – Forbes noted in an early 2025 article that Gen Z (born roughly 1997-2012) will represent 30% of the workforce by 2030. Clearly a decade after that, they will no doubt form the core of corporate management. Smart employers will proactively find ways to engage Gen Z employees now.
Despite this reality, well over 50% of senior managers find this cohort difficult to work with and generally seem disinterested. Articles abound reporting managers having fired Gen Z within a month of starting their jobs.
AI promises to render these entry level employees redundant. But the underlying challenge is that more likely, Gen Z will enter the work force at a third level position, with no foundation to build success.
However, the company that successfully navigates these challenges will win in the marketplace. So, make no mistake, there will be winners and losers.
What we know for certain about Gen Z:
- There are relatively few of them
- They expect to be trained to do their jobs
- They are comfortable with technology
- Diverse
- Purpose-Driven
- Hold well defined values, which they demand of their employers
- High expectations of employers
Gen Z is a company’s future. Then, given this reality, employers need to figure out how to engage and retain Gen Z employees. Thus, current attitudes won’t cut it.
What does Gen Z need?
- Flexibility/work life balance
- Effective and informative feedback
- Frequent and effective communication
- Career long training
- Tools to handle stress
- Empathy for workplace challenges
At the very least, it seems that Gen Z people are far more labour intensive than previous generational cohorts. Maybe it’s not worth the effort? Of course, biological reality leaves business with no choice but to recognize the differences, value the strengths they bring, and accept the new reality of workplace engagement. To do otherwise, given the small size of this cohort, is to invite an existential risk.
The best approach to Engage Gen Z:
- Accept their needs. Practice genuine empathy
- Plan to deliver regular training
- Train for technical and soft skills
- Train your current managers how to unlock the potential of Gen Z
- Expose them to a variety of training methods
- Use eLearning effectively
- Develop effective methods of feedback and communication
So, the employers who embrace this reality have a significant opportunity to build an effective leadership team and seize upon the best qualities of Gen Z. Not necessarily an easy task, but the potential benefits make it a wise investment. So, are you ready to win?