.svg)
Generation Z, or Gen Z, is fully entering the workforce—and they’re here to make an impact. Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z brings fresh perspectives that are reshaping traditional workplace norms.
This generation makes up about a quarter of the global workforce, so HR professionals managing a multigenerational workforce need to explore and understand the Gen Z work ethic and how to recruit Gen Z employees. Traditional hiring practices and professional environments that worked for previous generations don’t land as much with this generation, so understanding what motivates Gen Z in the workplace can help you take the next steps to recruit and retain these passionate individuals.
Let’s explore Gen Z recruiting trends and how to retain Gen Z employees in your organization.
Why should you care about what motivates Gen Z in the workplace?
Engaging Gen Z employees isn’t just about employee satisfaction and retention (though that’s a large part of it). It’s about welcoming new ideas, perspectives, and values that drive innovation and give your organization a competitive edge.
This generation is eager to contribute to meaningful work that helps your company succeed. Work on engagement strategies to learn how to retain Gen Z employees and make sure they’re their most productive, satisfied selves. By understanding where they’re coming from, organizations can harness the Gen Z work ethic to bring in new skills and perspectives to build a more vibrant, innovative culture.
Read on to learn how to motivate Gen Z employees.
What Gen Z wants in the workplace
For this generation, employment is more than just a paycheck—though understanding Gen Z salary expectations is important. They want a workplace that aligns with their principles, gives them opportunities to grow, and encourages inclusivity and collaboration. By creating a space that resonates with their ideals, organizations can unlock the full potential of the Gen Z work ethic while benefiting all other generations that make up your workforce, ensuring they thrive both personally and professionally.
Let’s look at Gen Z hiring trends and what motivates Gen Z in the workplace, plus how those needs were shaped.
Flexibility and balance
Burnout is a big deal right now. In fact, research from Future Forum found 48% of desk job workers aged 18-29 feel burned out. Plus, survey respondents that said they were dissatisfied with the level of flexibility at their job were 43% more likely to report burnout.
Flexibility, balance, and autonomy in the workplace are highly valued by younger employees. Since many discovered they’re more productive and can better manage their personal lives by working from home at least some of the time, remote and hybrid work has been a cornerstone to Gen Z recruiting and retention.
Authenticity and transparency
Traditional workplace hierarchies and the real or perceived separation between executives, management, and individual contributors doesn’t impress Gen Z. Those hierarchies tend to contribute to information silos and hide the “why” behind decisions that directly impact their work.
This is a large part of why Gen Z values transparency and real, open communication from the top down in their workplace.
Growth opportunities and clear career paths
Ambitious by nature, Gen Z is keen on continuous learning and career advancement. This means they need meaningful feedback and guidance to continue growing. They want to explore what the workplace has to offer in terms of new challenges, new responsibilities, and new skills.
Gen Z’s drive to work hard and need for novelty means they’ll pass on companies that aren’t clear about career progression and growth.
Fair compensation and benefits
Not unique to just Gen Z employees, feeling financially secure is a big deal right now, especially with the after effects of the pandemic causing a lot of financial uncertainty. With this in mind, Gen Z wants to make sure they’re fairly compensated for their hard work. Because of this, they aren’t afraid to negotiate higher salaries and benefits.
Gen Z salary expectations are high, but they earn it. Their compensation requests directly relate to their high levels of education, their drive to succeed, and external factors such as the rising cost of living.
Technology and efficiency
What Gen Z wants in the workplace is technology. As the first generation fully raised with the internet and broad use of tech, Gen Z has high expectations for their workplace tools. They’re looking for the same ease of use and power they experience with consumer technology, including AI. They have a low tolerance for inefficient or outdated tools and 70% say they would consider leaving their current role for better tech.
Gen Z highly appreciates workplace technology that allows them to be their most productive selves and collaborate with their team, no matter where they are.
Purpose and impact
For Gen Z, the desire for purpose in their careers is more than just a trend—it’s a foundational element of their professional identity. They’re here to make an impact and want to know their contributions to the workplace are leading to meaningful outcomes for the organization and your customers. Understanding how their roles impact your organization’s success not only fosters a sense of belonging but also reinforces their commitment to the mission at hand, improving Gen Z employee retention.
Social responsibility and diversity, equity, and inclusion
All the workplace desires we listed are vital parts of how to recruit Gen Z, but, above all, they are a values-driven generation. Thanks to the internet and social media, many social issues and a far broader range of perspectives have been brought to light. Because of this, Gen Z wants to see that reflected in their workplace. Choosing a workplace that puts a strong emphasis on social responsibility and diversity, equity, and inclusion is high on the list of Gen Z recruiting trends.
How to retain Gen Z employees: 8 ways to promote engagement
We explored what Gen Z values most in a workplace. Now, let’s explore how to motivate Gen Z employees by putting those values into practice in your organization to improve Gen Z employee retention and promote engagement.
1. Purpose-driven culture: Build purpose-driven messaging into your corporate culture. Be clear about how each role contributes to the company’s success and positively impacts customers.
2. Foster diversity, equity, and inclusion: Gen Z’s high value on authenticity means they can tell when their company is paying lip service. Be serious about creating a more welcoming, inclusive environment where voices are heard and different perspectives are celebrated. Provide DEI training, sponsorship programs, and find ways to level the playing field in a meaningful way.
3. Build community and connection: Create a supportive work environment by providing opportunities for employees to connect with their coworkers. Whether it’s an informal gathering, a team building event, or connecting with peers through tools like Together’s Colleague Connect, when Gen Z employees feel supported, they’re more likely to share ideas and be engaged.
4. Offer continuous learning and growth opportunities: Formal mentorship programs are a great way to do this. Traditional mentorship or peer mentor programs create a structured way to build skills, track progress, and provide meaningful feedback to help employees grow.
5. Incentivize improvement: Gen Z wants to know their hard work is going to pay off. Find ways to incentivize improvement and create avenues for formal recognition of their contributions.
6. Improve information-sharing: Explore ways to reach your employees and be clear about the “why” behind company decisions. Don’t beat around the bush, be honest and open and your employees will be honest and open in return. Learning how to manage Gen Z employees becomes easier through transparency and open communication.
7. Prioritize work-life balance and wellness: Promote healthy work habits such as limiting work outside business hours and provide flexible working options, when possible, and promote wellness through providing mental health resources or wellness allowances.
8. Use tech that makes their job easier: Make implementing user-friendly tools a priority or explore different ways to use existing tools to create more efficiency such as project management tools or even how you store digital documents. Gather regular feedback on software to understand how to better use it or whether it’s time for a new solution.
How to motivate Gen Z employees through mentoring programs
A mentoring program is a powerful tool for bringing a lot of what Gen Z values most into the workplace by creating a more connected workplace community while opening up opportunities to be heard and learn from a diverse range of perspectives.
To sum it up, here are just a few ways mentorship integrates what motivates generation Z in the workplace:
- Fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Builds community and connection
- Promotes collaboration
- Provides continuous learning opportunities
- Promotes employee wellness
- Creates avenues for recognition
With Together’s mentorship platform, you can build what Gen Z wants in the workplace into your program to benefit the entirety of your workforce. Learn how Together can help your organization create an impactful mentorship program—book a demo today!
