Generation Z on the job market

Make room for onenew generationon the job market – theGeneration Z. According to numerous recent studies, a new generation is about to enter the job market and they have completelydifferent ideas and expectationsto the world of work than their predecessors. In doing so, they present HR managers and managing directors with new onesChallenges, but also possibilities. In our blog post we dedicate ourselves to the wishes of Generation Z when it comes to careers.

The alphabet from behind – X, Y and Z

Before we turn our attention to the last letter in the alphabet, let's briefly talk about itDifferences in meaningat theGenerational designationsenter. In the 1950s, the American photographer Robert Capa coined the term Generation X in a photo report. The term caught on. Generations Y and Z logically followed. The baby boomers are also among the predecessors of all three. Here is an overview of the timing with names for the year 2023 according to Beresford Research.
/Baby boomers:born between 1946 and 1954
/Generation X:born between 1965 and 1980
/Generation Y: (also called Millennials): born between 1981 and 1996
/Generation Z:born between 1997 and 2012

The work mentality of generations X and Y

Over the last 20 years, employers have had significant differences in their...Valuesand thatbehaviorof generations X and Y. While X was still considered materialistic, ambitious, but also reserved, Y already showed other characteristics. This generation - technology-savvy, self-centered, but also idealistic - already had a lotlower bindingto the employer than their predecessors.

Generation Z – the digital natives

Partly it wasdigital affinityalready said to belong to Generation Y. But this is evident to a much greater extent with Generation Z. Z grew up with an enormous amount of data anddigital informationto be processed in a short time. She is the generation thatConnected 24/7and maintains their online community almost more than their real one. And she enjoys doing all of this. Thedigitalandreal worldhas merged together. Information is obtained from forums, blogs, vlogs and social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter. There is also no separation between the twoprivateandpublicI.

Information of all kinds is provided with theCommunityshared and also constantly participate in the lives of others. This means that many will tooTopics, which were taboo for previous generationspublic lightand lost interest. Topics such as mental health, environmental protection, racism, sexism, dealing with sexuality and gender as well as career issues and much more. m.

What Generation Z expects from the job

Security & stability in a chaotic world

Gen Z is during aeconomic crisishas grown up and is in the middle of her teenage years or young adulthoodPandemicand thatUkrainian war, both of which bring their own individual consequences and challenges.
The logical consequence of this is the longing forConstancyandStability, both in private and professional contexts.
In an annual survey by Deloitte Millennial 2021, 55% of Gen Z respondents said they wanted to change their job in the next 2 years. A year later it was only 31%. Instead, the majority said they wanted to stay in their current job for the next 5 years.

Clear separation between work and private life

Gen Y has come up with the idea ofWork-life balancealready tried to bring a balance between professional duties and private life including family, friends and hobbies. Gen Z takes a far more radical approach and demands clarityBreakupsbetween private life and job, flexible working hours, home office andhybrid working models, a reduction in working hours from full-time to part-time, job sharing models and much more. m.

Mental health in focus

Gen Z has learned from their predecessors. While Gen Y withOvertimeand the desirehigher positionsHaving worked against burnout, Gen Z is shifting their mental andphysical healthinto focus. A clear rejection of overtime and the assumption of management tasks are clear here. This trend also continues in the so-calledQuiet quitting trendstipulate: No unpaid extra work is carried out in order to put one's own mental and physical health at risk for the work.

A job with meaning

In the one already mentionedDeloitte survey25% of post-millennials said they were looking for work with meaning. However, it is not only the meaningfulness of an activity that is highly valued, but also the opportunity to develop creatively.

What employees should consider when recruiting Gen Z

As is clear from the above points, Gen Z has clear onesideasabout how she wants to work. And above all, what she doesn't want. Gen Z values it mostEqualityandDiversity. She is more politically minded than her predecessor and deals with issues such as the climate crisis, resources and the environment. All of this is reflected in the choice of their employersJobsreflected.

Gen Zcheckedthe promises of companies are put through their paces. you takeJob offersnot only because they are offered to them, but also weigh all the points carefully, sleep on them (even for more than one night) and also refuse if they are important to themRequirementsdo not seem fulfilled.

Practical tips for employees

1. No bullshit
Promising potential employees things and telling them nothing is of no use. It will show the desired effect for a short time, but soon emerge from itdissatisfiedandfrustrated workerswho throw their motivation out the window and/or the companyleave.
Employers should focus primarily on their ownDiscuss valuesand communicate their expectations of candidates openly and honestly. This is the only way to dispel false expectations on both sides. They both waste ittime, the other doesn't and those whose values coincide come together.

2. More than salary – employee benefits
Salary is definitely not everything for Generation Z and certainly not everythingLure. What is in the foreground for this generation areBenefitsthat employers can offer them. These include an operational oneHealth care, because – as already mentioned – they attach great importance to mental and physical health. The possibility of aBicycleLeasing contributes to increased mobility and providing acompany kindergartenor childcare options, makes it possible for working employees with children to reconcile both. Other options for employee benefits include operational onesRetirement planningor oneWorkation. With the latter, employees have the option of leaving the office for a while and doing their work elsewhere.

3. Practice new management
For Gen Z is the issueleadership positionlargely a no out of fear of overload. Yet this generation is not afraid,Responsibilityto take over – under certain circumstances. And that is definitely the topicNew leadership. The possibility inDesign and decision-making processesBeing actively involved is an absolute must. Likewise, flat hierarchies and agile work in agile teams. And these shouldn’t just be keywords in the job description (see tip 1!)

4. Development opportunities
With individualDevelopment opportunitiessuch as workshops, coaching and training that expand orpromote, employees can develop within their role. In combination with this, the option of job rotation is an exciting instrument with which employees can find new positionsTaskscan try out.

5. Feedback culture
Gen Z is the generation that cares about likes, comments and messagesquicklymust go. The same applies to them, therefore also withFeedback. Open andconstructiveFeedback at eye level has the potential. To let employees grow beyond themselves and develop in their ownWork environmentto feel comfortable. They get the opportunity to improve their work and have a high regard for themselvesQuality standards.

6. Next-generation recruiting
As mentioned several times, Gen Z is the generation where everythingonlinehappened. That's whySocial Media Recruitingannounced. The fastest way to compete here is with the generationdigital nativesin contact. Also in the application processAuthenticityeverything. Showing the company and employees in the natural environment and - as far as possible - in everyday job life arouses interest in potential candidates and at the same time gives them a feeling for what their future workplace and colleagues could look like.

TheLabor marketmust change if companies do not want to miss out on the good workforce of tomorrow. And tomorrow's workforce will have a different attitude to work than thatgenerationsbefore that. Whether you like that or not is a matter of opinion. The fact is: whoqualified personnelwants to, must give it the necessary framework so that it feels comfortable, can develop and sees meaning in its work. Then it works with that tooEmployee retention.

Sources:
https://haiilo.com/de/blog/generation-z-arbeitswelt/
https://www.beresfordresearch.com/age-range-by-generation/
https://www.karriere.at/hr/t/gen-z-fachkraefte-von-morgen