The impact of the pandemic has reshaped the priorities of the next generation of employees – like everyone, they're now more concerned about financial and job security – but it's still primarily the need for connection, collaboration and fulfilment which attracts Generation Z to a workplace.
Gen Z, also known as Zoomers, were born between 1995 and 2009 – meaning the oldest are in their late twenties, while the youngest are just entering high school. Behind them is the new Gen Alpha, born between 2010 and 2025.
As they enter the workforce, Gen Z brings with them different wants and needs than the generations which came before them – such as Gen Y 'Millennials' (1980 to 1995), Gen X (1965 to 1979) and the Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964).
You could consider Gen Z the 'Netflix generation', as they have grown up in a highly-connected world where they expect everything to be available instantly and on-demand, says social researcher Claire Madden, speaking at the recent Orro 'Future of Work' event.
The members of Gen Z also have different motivations and expectations when it comes to entering the workforce, Madden says.
Looking at the traditional model of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, previous generations entered the workforce focused on the importance of the essentials such as food, shelter and financial security. Gen Z enters the workforce focused more on needs which sit higher up the hierarchy, such as connection and fulfilment.
"Speaking to them for my research, they feel there's more to life than work – they clearly want to 'work to live' rather than 'live to work'," Madden says. "The importance of enjoying what they do is a higher priority at this young age than it was for earlier generations at their age, who were more focused on job security and opportunities for advancement."
"At the same time, members of Gen Z don't just think about themselves. They also want to contribute in a meaningful way, and they're concerned about making a positive social and environmental impact."
The disruption and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has led young people to worry more about their immediate needs. At the peak of the pandemic, the unemployment rate hit 14.6 per cent for 15 to 24-year-olds, with long periods of unemployment likely to have had an impact on how they see themselves, their priorities and how they approach work.
"The lack of security around work has added to their anxiety," Madden says. "This was the first time we started hearing Gen Z talk about these lower Maslow needs, such as survival, security and stability."
"While these things are more important, young people entering the workforce are still seeking flexibility and a sense that they're advancing quickly."
While they could be considered virtual natives, who were forced to embrace remote learning and working during lockdowns, this doesn't mean they only want to work from home.
"Flexibility is really high among Gen Z expectations when it comes to work," Madden says. "That doesn't mean they only want to work from home – they really like community and face-to-face interaction – but they want the flexibility of choice, which admittedly has become more important to many generations after their experiences during the pandemic."
Having grown up with a lot of variety in stimulation, members of Gen Z can find it difficult to commit their undivided attention to any one task. They also want to feel that their voice is valued. Attracting and retaining them requires incorporating variety in their role, along with giving them the opportunity to offer input.
"If you just expect them to be able to sit there quietly and do a repetitive task for hours on end every day, you will not retain them," Madden says. "That can seem unfair to older generations, who feel they needed to earn their stripes doing the boring work when they started out, but that's the reality of the world now."
When they're in the workplace, Gen Z's expectation for everything to be available on-demand extends to the collaboration tools they use to engage with their colleagues. They expect such tools to be instant, frictionless, personalised and constantly innovative, such as Orro's cloud-based ‘Secure Workspace’ platform, designed for working with remote teams.
"This is something which businesses need to consider when looking to attract and retain Gen Z talent coming into the workforce," Madden says. "They expect seamless interactions with both technology and people, which means that businesses which are stuck in old ways of working might need to reconsider not just the technologies they use, but also how they run their teams."
"That can seem overwhelming for some businesses, but it's not about innovating just for innovation's sake. It's about steadily looking at your processes, tools and offerings – both internal and external – to remove blockages and keep improving. It's important if you want to keep the next generation of employees engaged."
