generation z blog solutions intergenerational coaching

Over the course of these blogs and through the talk I have put together I explain

how and why Generation Z is different, naming seven key characteristics
the challenges this presents for leaders and organisations
the solutions not only to overcome those challenges but ensure future prosperity.

Click on the link to book Alex to speak at your event about Generation Z

‘The companies that have the worst reputations do not develop them because they are rotten. It happens because they sell you a dream that's completely false’.

Gen Zer - 2022

Clarity & Detail

I cannot emphasise these two aspects enough.

If you want to recruit the best (and retain them, and motivate them) you need to be ultra-clear.

You also need to ensure that all the detail anyone may ever wish to see (or at least to know it exists in an accessible format) is available.

Collectively clarity and detail generate transparency, and that is the starting point for trust.

Gen Zs have many good reasons to be suspicious. They include inheriting a very poor set of financial circumstances, alongside responsibility for resolving enormously expensive issues around an ageing population and climate change. Like everyone else they are bombarded by content of all forms, and filtering out what is not useful, truthful or interesting absorbs a lot of energy.

As an organisation you cannot resolve the former (although you can contribute, more on that in the next blog) but you can help your own case with the latter.

And as I keep saying to leaders, the most able Gen Zs are looking for organisations who get this right. It may be difficult to cut through and get attention amongst the noise, but I would not advise anyone to adopt a starting point of compromising on quality.

On the contrary, Gen Zs are looking for ambitious organisations who know what they are about and seek high-calibre candidates. All those coming out of university with first-class degrees did not put in the work to achieve them only to end up with an employer happy to get what they could.

Clear and detailed about what?

There will be a limit as to the number of words which appear on your company website, or any promotional, induction or training materials.

Collectively, between all of this, and your various policies and procedures, it all needs to be there and in a presentable format. If something is really important, then slide decks and videos can go a long way.

Go back through the small print, what needs to be in the big print instead? Everyone understands the need for a little legalese, but not if it conceals something which should be front and centre.

Examples include:

Job description
Person specification
Hours of work
Flexibility, and the degree to which it may vary
Arrangements for leave
Benefits and perks
Training opportunities
Appraisal & feedback
Line management arrangements
Workplace culture
How employees can feedback
Last but not least…what the purpose of the work is

Hang on I hear you say…we do all of this already!

And you may well, the point is how well and to what extent?

It may feel clear and sufficiently detailed to you, but it may well not to prospective #GenZs.

Take person specifications for example.

When was the last time you revised it properly?
How many aspects are tested as part of recruitment?
How does it connect to the appraisal process?
Does everything within it really REALLY matter?
If a candidate is short in some areas (and who isn’t?) what resources are on hand to support them in addressing it?

Or line management?

How often will you actually have a sit down meeting with your manager?
How does the relationship best work for both sides?
What could day to day interactions look like?
What should you go to them for, and what should go to others?
What relationship, or not, will you have with your manager’s manager?

Assume nothing. Avoid polish. Authenticity is always better than sheen.

Resources

Gen Z’s education has taught them that the resources on offer to help with their revision are vast and available in any format they choose. A step-by-step guide is instantly there for everything, and it will assume no prior knowledge. Furthermore, it will cross-reference and link to anything which could possibly be of use to anyone.

Video has a further advantage in this day and age, in that it conveys a greater degree of authenticity. Anyone can piece words together and make a claim. The same can apply to video too of course, but it is harder to do so. Video testimonials from your current employees on your website will add a lot more credibility than an image and a grab quote.

Make sure your documentation is crystal clear and is what you really want in each component part. If you need employees to undertake tasks for which they may not be best suited or could be automated elsewhere, explain why. Gen Z understands the need for efficiency, so if something on face value presents as inefficient be clear on the value you see it adds.

Quality control

Ultimately the quality and nature of your documentation forms a window through which you will be seen and judged. Churning out the same versions year after year will only be to your detriment.

Gen Z needs to see that you take and act upon feedback from your employees, not least because they assume you want to improve as an organisation. And if you don’t, why would they stay?

Demonstrating that you prioritise thinking the detail through has one other major advantage. It gives the impression you are more likely to survive whenever the next economic crisis/pandemic/constitutional crisis hits. GenZs know well about the unpredictability of life and value those who think ahead.

Flexibility

From the Deloitte 2021 survey.

Flexibility stands out and it is a distance ahead of the rest. Even so, I would like to put this in a little perspective.

In 2021 this may have had a higher level of significance than will prove to be the case in the future.
Although it is still the most ‘critical behaviour’ to Gen Z, it is not to the same extent as Millennials.
Flexibility may be important but you do not have to be flexible to the extent it harms the organisation. You may not need to be more flexible than you feel truly comfortable with either.
However you do need to be clear how flexible you will be and how you came to that decision. Employees still expect employers to make decisions, they also expect some consultation along the way.
Flexibility does not mean there are no rules, or that you are no longer in charge. You might lose people if you do not give them what they want but if you are clear about your rationale and what you will lose if you go further stick with your decision.