Si no has vivido bajo una roca durante los últimos cinco años, seguramente habrás leído algún artículo sobre los millennials. Tanto los profesionales del marketing como los reclutadores han dedicado innumerables horas y recursos a convertir a los millennials en clientes y empleados leales. Por desgracia, toda esta investigación pronto dejará de ser relevante. La próxima década se dedicará a comprender a la generación Z: los sucesores de los millennials.
¿Cómo definimos a la Generación Z?
Si algo hemos aprendido de los millennials es que definir una generación puede ser complicado. Robert Half, la agencia de selección de personal especializada más antigua y grande de Estados Unidos, ha elaborado un informe de 24 páginas titulado«Here Comes Generation Z» (Llega la generación Z). La primera información destacable es que este estudio define a la generación Z como aquellos nacidos entre 1990 y 1999. Estos son los rangos de edad de las tres generaciones anteriores:
- Baby Boomers: 1946 a 1964
- Generación X: 1965 a 1977
- Millennials: 1978 a 1989
The first trend to note here is how the age range shortened with each successive generation. The Baby Boomer range is 18 years, Gen X is 12 years, the Millennial generation is 11 years and Gen Z is nine years. Why is that?
It is because these age ranges have been adjusted based on the speed of our ever-changing society. If we went with a range of 18 years for Gen X and Millennials, that would put most of Gen Z in the Millennial category. It would lump 18-year olds just entering the workforce and 35-year olds in the middle of their careers in the same cohort. The range of 1990 to 1999 defined by this Robert Half study will allow you to laser-target Generation Z in the workplace.
Now that we’ve defined Generation Z, let’s talk about how you can build a workplace to attract the top talent this group has to offer. Here are three trends you need to be aware of.
1. Generation Z craves career development
One of the questions asked of participants in the aforementioned survey by Robert Half was “Rank your top three priorities in finding a full time job.”
64 percent ranked “career opportunity” as their number one priority, with the second closest being “generous pay,” which came in at 44 percent. This study also shows that, like the Millennials before them, Generation Z thrives on feedback. Quarterly reviews simply won’t cut it if you want to retain this new generation of workers. Generation Z wants to be developed into leaders rather than serve as a cog in a machine.
What this means for recruiting: You can entice your entry-level candidates by showing them the developmental path to get to the next career level. Dedicating resources to developing an in-house mentorship program will save you on recruiting in the long-term, because it will help you retain your Generation Z employees. Companies searching for how to raise productivity amongst younger workers will see results from such a program, as the continuous feedback would drive your workforce to strive for improvement.
2. Generation Z sees job-hopping as a necessity
The Robert Half survey found that participants expect to work for an average of four companies throughout their career. What’s interesting is the reasoning behind this assumption. Many wrongly assume it’s because this generation is unloyal. In fact, the opposite is true. The majority want to be loyal to one company, but they accept the reality that it most likely won’t be the first company that gives them a job out of college.
What this means for recruiting: The holy grail for companies is figuring out how to be that special company that earns the loyalty of its Generation Z employees. 32 percent of Generation Z sees themselves as being in a supervisory role within the first five years of their career. This means their ideal scenario is working their way up through the right company. Once they find a company that aligns with their values, they want to grow within that company. Companies need to make sure they have a purpose other than profit in order to retain this new generation of workers.
3. Generation Z thrives on a collaborative work environment
The Robert Half survey showed that 64 percent of Generation Z prefer to work in a small team within an office setting, and 17 percent prefer to work in a large team within an office setting. Interestingly, only 4 percent prefer to work autonomously at an off-site location. This may seem like members of Generation Z are against remote work, but the reality is most are probably unaware that remote work is one of the hottest digital trends. A 2015 Gallup poll showed that 37 percent of U.S. workers have a job that at least partially involves remote work. These remote workers statistics show a 7 percent increase in remote workers since 2005. They may also not know that working from coworking space is an option. Remote work doesn’t have to mean isolated. Coworking spaces give remote workers the vibe of a thriving office while allowing them more autonomy over their work day.
What this means for recruiting: Show your candidates how important working in teams is to your company. Showcase your team on company websites and social media channels. Create an advocacy program that rewards employees who are active in building their career brands on social media.
Now that you’re aware of these three trends regarding Generation Z in the workforce, you are ready to start building your team of the future. Follow these tips to reach and retain the top talent in this new generation of workers.
Riya es escritora independiente. Le encanta trabajar con muchos aspirantes a propietarios de pequeñas empresas. En esta ocasión, Riya escribe para The Work Loft, una comunidad de trabajo premium con un diseño inteligente situada en el centro de Bangkok. Como autónoma, Riya comprende la importancia de la productividad en el trabajo. Nunca ha dejado de buscar nuevas formas de aumentar su productividad laboral. Síguela en Twitter.
Nota del Editor: Este post fue publicado originalmente en Trakstar.com. En abril de 2023, Mitratech adquirió Trakstar, un proveedor líder de soluciones de gestión del rendimiento, adquisición de talento y análisis de la fuerza laboral. El contenido ha sido actualizado desde entonces para reflejar el compromiso más amplio de Mitratech para apoyar el ciclo de vida completo del empleado - desde la contratación y la incorporación hasta el aprendizaje y el desarrollo -, así como la integración de las mejores prácticas de cumplimiento de RRHH a través de nuestra creciente cartera de Recursos Humanos.
