Twenty years ago, many hands were wrung by those born before 1981, all trying to understand the Millennial generation.
Now, the tables have somewhat turned. Millennials such as Josh Henderson feel as if they are trying to solve a puzzle, while workers from the younger generation—Gen Z—are becoming a larger part of the workforce. They are also critical to the industry’s long-term health, and they are beginning to impact work environments and management strategies across the U.S.
“We definitely have to rethink the way we manage employees,” says Henderson, president of Adcock Pool and Spa, based in Ellisville, Miss.
For Gen Xer Nicole Bailey Ashton, the transition has not felt as abrupt.
“The Millennials came to us as sort of a shock,” says the vice president of Lewes, Del.-based Ashton Pools by Design. “I think Gen X to the Millennial was such a drastic change. You had the Gen Xers who were raised in the divorce generation, the MTV generation. We were the ‘Be home before it gets dark’ [generation]. Our parents didn’t know where we were, let alone the helicopter parents of the Millennials. The Gen Zs aren’t as drastic [a change] after the Millennials.”
That does not mean the up-and-coming workers lack distinguishing characteristics. They do. In many ways, they expect more from their jobs and employers than previous generations. And many company owners and managers believe that, if they want to keep their businesses staffed, they need to learn and adapt.
“It’s not that one generation is better or worse than the others,” Bailey Ashton says. “It really is that this is the expectation that this particular person is coming with, so how do we meet those expectations?”
Changing of the guard
The good news is that Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, shares many similarities with Millennials. Being younger, they are, of course, less financially stable, but they share many of the same values and priorities. This means that companies that have adjusted to Millennials are well-positioned to welcome Gen Z employees.
In an annual survey conducted by the business consulting firm Deloitte, only 6% of Gen Z respondents consider achieving a leadership position a primary goal, but not at the expense of work-life balance or at the risk of forgoing time to learn new marketable skills in favor of putting out fires. As for the former, this generation views its parents as having sacrificed too much of their personal lives to career ambition, and it does not want to take the same path.
When it comes to managerial ambition, this younger generation takes a longer-term view. They see that the pace of change has quickened over time, so they place the ability to adapt high on the priority list. This means they seek continuous training not only to expand their knowledge base but also to pivot when needed.
As a result, these professionals are less likely to accept an immediate pay and title hike in favor of learning new skills that will help them further down the road. Their version of ambition differs from that of previous generations in one crucial way: they are willing to wait. Among Gen Z respondents, only 25% said they seek quick promotions and title changes.
This does not mean Gen Z lacks ambition. Indeed, a full 76% plan to pursue senior or executive leadership roles throughout their careers. They just might take the scenic route to get there.
Part of this trend may stem from the fact that many Gen Zs do not see a management title as the only way to make a difference at work.
This generation is also looking for a stronger sense of purpose. Nearly 100% of those surveyed said this is very important to their happiness at work and overall well-being. Nearly 40% said they have turned down work with employers whose ethics or values they disagree with.
Like Millennials, this generation values personal connection in the workplace, and respondents are 15% more likely to stay in a job for more than five years if they have formed close personal friendships at work.
Bridging the gap
Gen Z is also the first to be born into a world where the internet already existed. They have been immersed in tech, which has affected how they work.
Bailey Ashton finds herself revisiting a specific discussion with her husband from time to time.
“My husband’s come over and asked, ‘Why are there TVs in everybody’s offices? Why am I paying people to watch TV?” she says. “But that’s how they work. They have a TV streaming in the background, and they have something else going on on their phones. They’re so used to tech.”
She has come to believe that these employees process information differently from earlier generations. If they are getting their work done, she figures, she does not need to worry about it.
“Their brain can work and watch TV and have a phone conversation or text all at the same time,” Ashton says. “Our generation didn’t learn that immediately. Some of us can do that, but it isn’t as natural to us.”
Employees from the upcoming generation, raised on technology, are more likely to turn to these avenues first, almost reflexively.
Given their exposure to electronic communication, such as text and email, she also finds that her younger employees automatically turn to these media to communicate with customers. But in the retirement community she serves, that will not cut it. So she might have to walk these staffers through the process of making a phone call—not so much the mechanics as what to say and what not to say.
In some cases, Henderson finds himself discussing with employees when they should not use technology as a first resort.
For instance, some employees have been known to order lunch delivered via Uber Eats and other app-based services—not only at the store but also in the field. That has to be curtailed, especially on job sites, where liability becomes an issue when other parties show up. In one case, a delivery person stepped into the backyard just as an excavator was heading in their direction. Plus, it does not look good if the client is home.
So that must be curtailed when it happens. “We’ve had to have those conversations,” Henderson says.
“It caused a minor issue, but once we explained to them why, they seemed to understand.”
Watching YouTube videos to learn skills can also cause problems if the presentation does not align with your own procedures and methods. Explain this to employees as well.
And, of course, the use of cell phones can become a bone of contention if workers are checking texts and social media on the job. Henderson and his team have solved this problem by setting clear boundaries on when staffers can use their smartphones. This depends somewhat on their work. Retail staff should only look at their phones when the store is really slow, and only for a glance. For crews, phone use is restricted to breaks.
“I think it’s almost foolish to fight it,” he says.
Inquisitive generation
Not only does the ever-present nature of technology make these employees more inclined to turn to it as a first resort, Henderson says. They grew up in the Information Age, so they expect quick access to everything they want to know. And they want to know plenty.
For instance, when training, Gen Z often wants to know more about policies and procedures than their predecessors did. If they are asked to do something unusual or even if plans change on a given day, they tend to ask for the reason.
“They seem to want to know the whys before putting an action into motion,” Henderson says.
“I remember when I was younger, it was just, ‘Tell me what you want me to do and when you want it done by,’ and I would knock it out. It doesn’t seem to be like that anymore. If I say, ‘I have to send you over here today instead of there, I get asked. ‘Why do we have to do that?’”
It requires a little more time when training or giving directives, Henderson adds. Still, he sees the change as an overall positive, leaving him with a more well-informed workforce that can hopefully avoid some of the mistakes older generations made.
“[Gen Zs] are thirsty for knowledge, and that can be a definite benefit to the company if you embrace it,” he says.
At first, though, the questions felt to him as if they were doubting his expertise or authority. But once he learned a little about the younger workers, he saw that was not the case.
“It’s hard not to get defensive at first,” he says.
“It feels like they’re questioning your authority and decision-making. But the more I talk to them about it, the more it makes sense. I might ask why they need to know when they’re getting paid either way. They might just say, ‘I just wanted to know. If I’m going to be late, I want to let my girlfriend know.’”
Bailey Ashton sees this inquisitiveness at work during Gen Z interviews. They tend to have a long list of questions, she says. They might even want to know specifics such as where they would be working,
a little bit about their potential coworkers, and maybe even to tour the property. To accommodate this, she will set aside more time than before to field questions. She might also walk them through the office. However, any such changes she makes apply to everyone, not just Gen Z.
The search for fulfillment
Ashton has seen ample evidence supporting Deloitte’s survey findings on what Gen Z employees want from a job.
“Younger workers in construction are asking us for more training than older people ever asked for—they’re asking us for a career path,” she says. “They want to know, ‘If I come to work for you, and I’m laying pavers, how do I eventually get to be the person running the job?’” she explains.
This has prompted her company to offer more training than before and to define career pathways clearly. “[The training] is not only ‘Here’s how you lay your pavers,’ but more like ‘If you learn to do this, you can do this. And if you learn how to do this, you can do that. And here’s how you can move into a more supervisory role, and here are the steps to get you there.’”
Finally, she sees that her younger workers want to feel like they are contributing to something bigger.
So she reminds them of the service they provide.
“We go back after a photo shoot and show them, ‘Look at this family making these memories that they’re going to remember for the rest of their lives. You built this,” she explains. “If they want their work to have value, you have to be able to relate that back to a value that they appreciate.”
