If you haven’t yet read our previous article, The Defining Factors of Generation Z, you absolutely should. As the next step in the workforce, it is important to know the Gen Z characteristics that will be beneficial to your organization. The Defining Factors of Generation Z highlighted some differences in their beliefs compared to former generations. Now we’re going to highlight their important traits and see how they transfer effectively into the workforce.
- Like our previous article stated, Gen Z is a pragmatic group. They value stability and safety, both career-wise and overall, giving them peace of mind that they may be financially stable and successful. This desire for safety and stability leaves them less likely to job hop, leaving you with lower levels of employee turnover. In fact, 60 percent of Gen Z say they prefer a long career with one company over job hopping.
- Generation Z is the most culturally diverse generation to date. This means they are comfortable with, and know how to communicate with, a variety of customers, coworkers, and organizations, regardless of their background or cultural differences.
- Gen Z was born with smartphones in their hands, making them expectant of and reliant on immediate communication. This will ensure positive feedback and communication habits are in place; a process that they may even perform subconsciously due to their reliance on feedback and communication.
- Although they value communication among peers, Gen Z is extremely self-reliant. A majority of them—77 percent—say they prefer to learn on their own and at their own pace, even though they believe personal relationships with coworkers are important.
- While Millennials value money as the most important aspect of a job opportunity—mostly due to the recession they experienced in the late 2000s—Gen Z ranks learning and gaining experience as more important. About one-third (34 percent) say they are most motivated by opportunities for advancement, while money motivates 38 percent of Millennials. Gen Z-ers understand that learning and advancement opportunities don’t always come with a paycheck bonus.
- Their guarded outlook on life and opportunities has Gen Z thirsting for honesty. Honesty is ranked as the most important quality of a leader by 52 percent of Gen Z. They desire openness and respect, and don’t believe they deserve any less because of their age or title.
Generation Z is growing fast and they’re looking for careers. Based on their characteristics and values, they will be a valuable generation to add to the workforce.
Be sure to add them to your workforce effectively by determining their job fit with a Talexes employee assessment.
