3. Digital connectivity on the job can be a deal-breaker
A digitally enabled workplace is a high priority for Gen Z, who name Google, Amazon and Apple in their list of most desirable employers according to David Stillman and Jonah Stillman, authors of the book Gen Z @ Work.
Companies can position themselves as tech-savvy by installing collaborative workspace options and file management systems.
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Arizona Cardinal Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury is the first NFL coach to offer his players cell phone breaks during practice.
While Coach Kingsbury was roundly criticized on social media himself for giving players cell phone breaks, as a recent college coach, he already discovered that his team could focus better at team meetings and in practice drills when they knew they’d could count on 20-minute social media breaks throughout the day.
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For Generation Z, it’s perfectly normal to check their smartphones every few minutes for messages or status updates, even while they’re working. In fact, 67% of them say they experience a high level of stress when they can’t use their phone according to The State of Gen Z 2018, research by The Center for Generational Kinetics.
If this doesn’t jive with your company policy, strategies for dealing with it include:
Assessing the individual’s device usage during the hiring interview
Communicating (clearly and frequently) the reason for the policy
Encouraging the individual to resist the device-checking obsession
Providing a device-safe area or time period (similar to smoking zones and breaks)
Providing more enticing alternatives such as interactive learning apps
Setting up a text auto responder for use during working hours
We should also note here the paradox that while tech knowledge has made Generation Z desirable for their hard skills, it has also created shortcomings in soft skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and interpersonal communication, which previous generations took for granted as reported by Carolyn O’Boyle, Josefin Atack and Kelly Monahan from Deloitte Insights in Generation Z Enters the Workforce.
4. Gen Zers are willing to work their way up
In some ways, Gen Zers, born 1996 or later, continue the work/life trends initiated by Generation Y/Millennials (born 1977 – 1997), yet in others they are strikingly different.
Unlike Millennials with their often-cited sense of entitlement to career success, Generation Z grew up during the economic insecurity of the Great Recession.
They saw millions of their parents’ generation lose livelihoods and homes. What’s more, they’ve seen the news that Social Security may not be there for them by the time they retire.
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The foreclosures during the 2008 recession forced Gen Z to leave the homes they had grown up in. In addition to the shame of losing a home to foreclosure, they usually had to change schools when they moved, painfully leaving their friends at an impressionable age. These experiences, that most Millennials never experienced, shape the mindset Gen Z enters the workforce with.
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These experiences explain why, David Stillman and Jonah Stillman, authors of the book Gen Z @ Work, report that 75% of Gen Zers say they’re willing to start at the bottom.
That’s great news for employers who need to fill entry-level positions. And they’re more likely to provide good ROI, as 61% of them would stay with a company for ten years.
5. They are entering the workforce earlier
Given the untenable — and growing — burden of student debt for a traditional college education, many Gen Zers are looking for alternate routes to acquiring the knowledge they need. In one survey, 47% of respondents said they would consider entering the workforce straight from high school and 60% said they would welcome employers offering education in their field in lieu of a college degree. Others may choose more affordable technical or online colleges.
This means that the traditional formulas of recruiting from universities and the 20-21 age group will miss the boat in acquiring valuable talent.
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DOES YOUR WORKPLACE PASS THE GEN Z TEST? FIND OUT IN THIS SPECIAL BROADCAST ON SEPTEMBER 19TH. REGISTER NOW!
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6. They prefer experience over benefits
We’re not saying Generation Z would sacrifice benefits such as wellness programs; rather, they take for granted that they will receive those. But they do give top priority to opportunities to gain professional experience. They want to know how the present job will help their long-term career growth.
Offering formal and informal training programs can be key to luring the cream of the Gen Z crop to your company.
For example, Amazon offers a tuition reimbursement program to employees with as little as one continuous year of service. Amazon pre-pays tuition, fees, and textbooks for certificate and associate degree programs in high-demand occupations.

7. They think independently
Thanks to their familiarity with online research, Generation Z prefers to work alone and succeed on their own merits, rather than focus on team efforts and goals. It’s something to consider if your corporate culture is currently team-oriented.
The entrepreneurial spirit is strong in this generation. An amazing 72% of them want to start their own business. Therefore, they relish chances to learn in fields beyond their current expertise.
8. They demand work-life balance
Gen Zers expect more control over their working hours and a better separation between their professional and personal lives. In fact, they would choose part-time work over long hours, even if it meant making less money. And 51% of survey respondents said flexible work is the most important career goal for them in research conducted by Universum Global.
Employers can meet this demand with options to work from home and/or flexible scheduling.
9. They value social causes
Working for a better world or a higher purpose is very important to Generation Z; one example can be seen in the current news reports of environmental protests around the world. As Generation Z researches prospective employers, they’ll be looking for your company’s involvement in community initiatives. Now’s the time to beef up those efforts — and show them off on your social media pages.
Sixteen-year-old, Greta Thunberg, became a worldwide sensation by protesting outside Swedish parliament for action on climate change at age 15. She was recently nominated for a Nobel prize for her activism. Here is Ms. Thunberg addressing international leaders at a UN Conference on climate change.
Diversity and inclusion are also a vital component of Gen Z’s desired workplace: 77% say that a company’s level of ethnic, gender and educational diversity affects their decision to work there.
Integrity Staffing Solutions has aligned its corporate culture and messaging to these ideals with a variety of programs from the award-winning Project Home to diversity certifications. We believe it not only helps us recruit top talent; it gives us a competitive advantage in problem solving and productivity
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10. You’ve just been handed a roadmap of (almost) everything we know about Gen Z
The research is clear. The stats prove it. The opportunity is right in front of you.
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Generation Z’s values and goals point the way to obtaining a competitive edge in the talent marketplace. Although salaries will go up due to labor shortages, we’ve seen that money is not this group’s main concern. Together we are going to learn to adapt our cultures and processes to make way for Gen Z.
Stay tuned for more exciting research in the next few weeks you can use to train and retain this exciting new talent-force.
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DOES YOUR WORKPLACE PASS THE GEN Z TEST? FIND OUT IN THIS SPECIAL BROADCAST ON SEPTEMBER 19TH. REGISTER NOW!
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Integrity Staffing Solutions is a full-service staffing agency and ranks in the top 2% of agencies across the country for quality service based on Clearly Rated’s Best of Staffing client survey. To learn more about Integrity or for help with your hiring needs, visit Integritystaffing.com or call 888.458.TEMP.