Five Untapped Talents of Gen Z Employees
4 MIN READ
Have you heard it’s a challenge to manage young employees today? Complaints about the younger generation are as old as Aristotle, but research shows that Generation Z brings difficulties to their employers that haven’t been seen before. Some of these problems include a high need for reassurance, poor motivation, and a proclivity to quit without notice.
Hidden in the research, however, is evidence that Generation Z also brings unique gifts to their jobs. For example, did you know they’re more collaborative, enthusiastic, and tech-smart than their older counterparts?
You may not be aware of the gifts Gen Z brings to the workplace.
Whether you believe complaints about young workers are legitimate or not, I think it makes sense to understand their gifts. According to the research, Generation Z has advantages over their older counterparts at work:
Eager. Don’t confuse the new generation with earlier, cynical generations. Studies show Gen Z brings a high level of enthusiasm to work.
But here’s the catch: they’re not eager to work hard for just any employer. You need to build trust with them first. They need to believe you have their best interests at heart before they commit to your leadership. There are many ways to build trust, but one great way is to spend time coaching and guiding your youngest workers instead of just supervising them.
Hypercognitive. This is a term McKinsey uses to describe young workers being “comfortable with collecting and cross-referencing many sources of information,” and “integrating virtual and offline experiences.” Give Gen Z workers an interesting problem to solve and you might be surprised how fast they can crack it.
In fact, Gen Z is the first generation to join the workforce with crucial skills that their managers do not possess. How many 50-year-olds have mastered social media, or ChatGPT? Gen Z’s early exposure to digital tools gave them a facility to learn quickly and encouraged them to be curious and self-reliant. This is a bonus for intellectually demanding fields like high tech. And with increasing reliance on tools like Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT, Gen Z’s hypercognitive mindset might be just what your company needs to excel in the future.
Entrepreneurial. Gen Z likes their side hustles. They’re more likely than earlier generations to work their own businesses on evenings and weekends.
Some employers see this as a bad thing, but look at it this way: Gen Z’s side hustles show they want to take responsibility for their own future. They’re willing to take risks and work hard. Gen Z entrepreneurialism is a benefit, not a detriment. You can put that creativity and drive to work for your own company.
Collaborative. Gen Z has been doing group projects since elementary school. They know how to work together and get things done.
Teamwork is essential to success in the modern workplace. Gen Z has the social skills needed to get along, to encourage, and to hold others accountable. Put them on a group project and watch them make your whole team better.
They want to work with you. Gen Z employees are pragmatic. They’re hyper- aware of economic uncertainty, so they understand that getting and keeping a good job is crucial to their economic future.
If you wonder how that aligns with the Gen Z habit of sudden quitting, the matter pivots on Gen Z’s need to build trust with their employer. With this generation, trust is crucial. The primary reason for workers changing jobs in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is job disengagement: poor career prospects and uncaring leaders. As a leader, it’s your job to spell out the possible career paths to each of your young employees. And it’s mandatory to show that you care.
Fail at those tasks and you’ll watch employees walk out the door to your competition. Succeed with Gen Z and you’ll build a loyal workforce that will be a legacy for years to come.
What this means for you as a leader
Even if you don’t appreciate the gifts that the New Generation brings to the workplace, the fact remains that people aged 33 and under are 38% of the workplace today, and are expected to be 70% of the workforce in 2030.
Leaders who can’t – or won’t -- learn to lead this new cohort are crippling their long- term careers and the health of their company. On the other hand, leaders that learn to recognize and leverage the gifts of the New Generation will succeed as leaders -- and have a lot more fun as well.
When you learn to leverage the gifts of GenZ, you’ll be a better leader with happier, more productive teams.
I’d love to hear what you think. Do you believe it’s important to look for the advantages that Generation Z brings to the workplace? Tell me in the comments below.
Dale Wetmore believes the future belongs to leaders who can leverage the Gifts of the New Generation. He’s been building teams and enabling leaders for over 20 years at companies like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.
See www.giftofnextgen.com for more information.
