Millennials, Millennials, Millennials: The conversation about how to engage and retain them is ongoing. But what about the workforce’s newest generation of talent, Generation Z? These post-Millennials are larger than the Gen X, Gen Y or Baby Boomer generations before them, and will start seeking employment this year. And as it turns out, they have very different priorities than their predecessors. In short, appealing to them will require a whole new mindset. How much do you know about these newly minted college grads? Are you ready to recruit and retain them? And how enticing will they find your workplace? Take our short, 7-question quiz to find out:
Did your quiz results surprise you? Thanks to their shared digital heritage, it’s clear that Millennials and Gen Z are similar in some important ways. But it’s also apparent that Gen Z is no carbon copy of the generation that came right before them. As Millennials prepare to act as managers to incoming Gen Z workers, how do they feel about this new crop of professionals? The 2017 Deloitte Millennial Survey asked this question, and found that Millennials tend to have a broadly positive opinion of Gen Z. In fact, 61 percent believe that Gen Z will have a positive impact as their presence in the workplace expands. And while Millennials perceive that Gen Z possesses strong IT skills and the ability to think creatively, 78 percent believe the Gen Z workers will need a significant level of mentorship and support to meet certain workplace expectation. Perhaps not surprisingly, areas where Gen Z will need the most help are within the realm of soft skills; that is, professionalism, patience, maturity and integrity. The good news? These skills can be learned. And because both Millennials and Gen Z place great value in mentoring, there’s reason to believe that these groups will work well together to meet future business challenges.
