While attending the 2023 Club Solutions Leadership Summit, the question of why it’s so difficult engage and retain Gen Z employees was discussed. Here’s what I took away.
Gen Z refers to the population born between 1997 and 2012 (11 to 26 years old). They’ve been labeled as difficult to manage and keep engaged. As Gen Z enters the workforce, organizations must adapt their styles and work environments to effectively engage and retain this generation of workers. As employees, they value purpose, collaboration and growth opportunities so creating a culture that fosters productivity, longevity and motivation is essential for maximizing their potential.
When you hear people talk about the characteristics of great coaches, what you often hear is they built the strategy around the strengths of the team, instead of forcing the team into the system that is comfortable to the coach. As we look at the “difficulty” in managing Gen Z, the responsibility falls on us as leaders to cultivate an environment that enhances the strengths of this population and adapt our styles to meet their needs.
Embrace Meaningful Work
Gen Z employees seek purpose and meaning in their professional lives. Organizations should work to create a connection by communicating their mission and values and working to align them to those of their employees to cultivate a sense of purpose. Clearly communicating the impact of their work and how it contributes to the larger goals of the organization helps connect them to things bigger than themselves.
By emphasizing the significance of their roles, Gen Z employees are likely to be more motivated, engaged and committed to long-term success. The most critical piece to getting this group u and running in the right direction is by creating an onboarding program that focuses on helping them see the purpose in their work and connecting them to the core values of the organization.
Provide Growth Opportunities
Gen Z employees are eager to learn and grow professionally and are very interested in seeing the fruits of their labor quickly. To foster a culture of longevity, you must create an environment where you can show them the path for their future by providing growth opportunities. One way to do this is through mentorship programs that focus on pairing them with experienced professionals in the organization. This allows for knowledge sharing, career guidance and personal growth.
Additionally, continuous learning and allowing for the mastery of skills allows Gen Z to feel they are getting better each day. Offering training programs, workshops and access to online resources to enhance their skills and knowledge builds a connection to the company and makes critical investments in their development. Gen Z value organizations that prioritize ongoing learning and provide opportunities for professional development.
Provide Autonomy and Ownership in Their Role
Gen Z employees are typically independent and value a high level of autonomy in their role. They want to own their work and feel responsible for the work they produce. Fostering autonomy, organizations can provide employees with the freedom to make decisions and take responsibility for their work.
Empowerment is a buzz word in leadership now, however, to empower, one must give up their power to another. This means stepping back and letting go, providing support, but not micro-managing every step of the way. Allowing them to drive projects and lead initiatives fosters a sense of pride, accountability and motivation for this group.
Providing clear goals and expectations while allowing flexibility in how these goals are achieved enables Gen Z employees to exercise autonomy while ensuring alignment with organizational objectives. This can be achieved by involving them in decision-making processes, seeking their input and showing they value their contributions.
Generation Z employees in the workforce bring a very different dynamic to organizations and being able to embrace what makes them different can yield remarkable results. Daniel Pink talks about autonomy, mastery and purpose as being values that bring out the highest levels of intrinsic motivation after basic needs are met.
Achieving high production and retention for the Gen Z population, companies must set aside the old operating procedures and adapt new styles to reach this population. Companies that can create meaningful work, lay out the path for growth and provide ownership in roles can create a culture that brings out the very best in the Gen Z population and set your company up for long term success.
