April 5th 2023
As the members of Gen Z continue to settle into the world of work, it becomes increasingly important for business owners and business leaders to understand the needs of their newest cohort of employees. Attracting Gen Z workers to your company can provide a myriad of benefits, outlooks and work styles that even your most hardy, long-term employees can learn and grow from.
Today, we’re going to discuss how you as a business owner can attract the youngest generation to your positions, and perhaps more importantly, what you can do to manage them and cultivate an environment where they can thrive.
Keep Innovation at the Heart of Your Business
As years tick by in business, many companies need to change and evolve with the times. Generation-Z is the most forward-thinking and diverse generation to date, so businesses will need to keep this in mind when looking to on-board talent from this group.
Innovation, in the sense of business direction and input from employees will steadily climb, and Gen Z will be at the forefront of the cultural change. It’s safe to say that their acumen when it comes to technology is second to none, and their attitudes to work come from a place of equality and individuality. Make sure to continuously innovate to move forward in your business, as Gen Z will be your ticket to success on the global stage.
Encourage a Healthy Work-Life Balance
In the days of old, it was normal to work a typical 9-5 schedule. However, in the last few years (and likely due to the pandemic too), we’ve seen a huge cultural shift in how people get their work done. Gen Z is likely now accustomed to more flexible ways of working – and hugely successful in doing so!
They put a lot of value in a healthy work-life balance, and the sooner you understand that not everyone is their most productive self in the office 5 days a week, the sooner you’ll be able to see it from your Gen Z employees’ point of view, where flexible working is a huge bonus when recruiting them.
Provide Clear Career Paths
With Gen Z being the youngest generation to enter the workforce, it’s understandable that they want clear ways to move up in the world. Providing your Gen Z employees with fresh, engaging opportunities will likely see them sticking around for longer.
By putting these opportunities out to your employees, you’re also enhancing your own business, reinforcing it with new approaches to old problems as your workers learn and grow. This is something that Gen Z workers will not soon forget, especially as they seek more long-term employment.
Cultivate a Positive Workplace Culture
High up on Gen Z’s list when job searching will be a positive workplace culture. If they enjoy their job, and the people they are surrounded by, you’re more likely to get the most out of them. Sure, this could be said for workers of any generation, but for Gen Z, this seems to be a tipping point.
Cultivating a positive office culture requires action and input from everyone and a mutual respect. Gen Z wants to feel valued, like their work means something, so it’s up to you as a leader to adjust the way your business works internally to ensure their needs are met.
Try asking them for feedback or what could be changed in the office, engage with them regularly to ensure they feel seen and heard, and most importantly reward them for a job well done.
Value the Individual
Members of Gen Z are not cookie-cutter workers. No two of them work or function exactly the same. Gen Z values individuality more so than any generation that came before, and it’s critical that you understand this as a business owner. Their goals and aspirations within your business may fluctuate, so putting in the time to understand the needs of each worker will be fundamental in keeping them around for the long haul.
Some of Gen Z may flourish in a settled, office-based pattern, whilst others may benefit from a more flexible schedule, which can include working from home or remotely. It’s up to you to identify how and when your Gen Z employees work at their best and allow them the freedom to adapt in their own time. These small investments in them will have huge payoffs.
Lead by Example
Gen Z is likely the most outspoken and direct generation to ever come into the workforce. Speaking down to them or instructing in a forceful manner is the wrong approach when it comes to Gen Z. They appreciate honesty and a mutual respect, and it’s your responsibility to inspire success in them and lead them to their goals.
Think of this as if you’re taking them with you on the journey to greatness, not simply stepping on them to get there yourself. You need to become the leader you never had.
Motivate Your Employees
It’s not always about the monetary rewards with Gen Z, it’s about the sense of purpose and fulfilment too. While yes, financial rewards are a fantastic short-term motivator, fostering an environment of meaningful communication and group goals will go much further in the long run.
When you’ve gained the trust of your Gen Z employees, they’ll likely work much harder to achieve success for your business. This goes hand-in-hand with creating a positive workplace culture, where your Gen Z employees feel motivated by you each day to get their tasks done. This can easily be achieved by setting clear goals each day, and checking-in regularly (but not overbearingly) to see if any assistance is needed.
Promote Diversity and Inclusion
Gen Z is also the most open-minded generation by far. As a business looking to recruit Gen Z workers (and what should be a standard in modern business anyway), it’s your job to ensure your workplace employs people from different backgrounds. Be it different racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, those with disabilities or varying educational levels, ensuring your office is filled with a diverse cast of characters will only serve to benefit you long into the future.
The point here being that people coming from different paths in life can offer your business new perspectives and ways of working that you’ll never have had before. This creates an atmosphere of collaboration, innovation and creativity that will be second to none – something that Gen Z will very much be searching for when entering the workforce.
As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to create the best environment for your Gen Z workers to flourish and grow. We hope that you’ve taken on board some of the points we’ve laid out for you today if you’re currently recruiting – especially if you’re looking for fresh young faces to help propel your business to new heights.
If you’ve already recruited and need to expand your office space to accommodate your new employees, head over and take a look at our serviced office spaces and managed offices or use our free office search tool to find Gen Z approved offices in your area today.
