This is part of a series of blogs on Generation Z. 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 actions not only to overcome those challenges but ensure future prosperity.

Gen Z is the most important generational shift yet. Their experiences and outlook are not understood well enough by those who have come before them. Generation Z has huge, as yet mostly untapped, potential to meet the challenges of today.

“There's a lack of certainty. We've lived through unprecedented times for about a decade, from Trump to Brexit, five prime ministers in six years, a global pandemic, then you start working and there's a recession on the horizon. It is a bunch of random events and the future is not as it might have been”.

Gen Zer 2022

Faster yet also slower

It is not difficult to list examples of how life has sped up in recent years, whichever generation you belong to. Every day I complete tasks which would have previously taken weeks, should I have attempted them at all. The longer we have lived with the world wide web, the more it feels as though we have barely scratched the surface with its possibilities.

One example is how long it takes to get a business going. The need to generate new sources of income quickly during the pandemic meant many thousands discovered the possibility of having a bright idea on Sunday night, starting a limited company the next day, then opening a business bank account, building a website and selling their products by the end of the first week. Let me point you towards https://www.get-your-game-on.com/ as a wonderful example of this!

There are also ways in which life has slowed down in recent years, including for Generation Z, and this is the focus of this blog.

Virtual, but not reality

Gen Z has been exposed to far more experiences online than was the case for the previous generation, particularly those whose teenage years preceded the digital revolution. Yet there is a dissonance between this and what has been experienced in real life. Frequently this is because awareness of risks has led to a delay in actions.

I covered this in the first blog about Gen Z characteristics in this series. On average Generation Z has experimented less with drugs and alcohol, and had fewer sexual relationships. On average Gen Zers have also waited longer for their first such relationship, as well as their first alcoholic drink.

In addition, a lot of risk has been engineered out of life. People do not get lost in cities, the endless presence of the camera has regulated behaviour and extensive research about how to do pretty much anything is available in text and video form. A lower possibility of mistakes being made has also meant there are fewer opportunities to learn from them.

I have read a lot about the concept of a second adolescence in the course of my research. Most frequently this deals with the ages of 18 to 24, although it can also refer to middle age.

In terms of the former, there is evidence that Gen Z’s parents spent more time with them. There has also been criticism of a risk-averse, highly scheduled style of ‘helicopter parenting’ and its long-term implications for Gen Z as they reach the workplace. There is not the space to do these topics justice here, but they are interesting asides.

Patient, but not always out of choice

The average age of marriage continues to rise. In 2018 the average age for both men and women was closer to 40 than 30 (38 for men and 36 for women, this includes marriages beyond an individual’s ‘first’). Many Boomers got married so they could move out of home and get their own place. It feels ironic that in this day and age there are few social barriers to the former, but very significant financial barriers to the latter. These include the cost of renting or owning as well as the cost of the wedding.

The graph below from Statista shows that the number of weddings per year has fallen by a third since the late 1980s. The number of divorces has also fallen by a similar proportion over this period.

The average age of becoming a parent has also risen over time. As the youngest Gen Z was born in 2009 we will be waiting a while to find out how this pans out over the course of this generation, but it would be a surprise if it declined.

The age of parenthood for women has gone up from just over 26 in 1995 to just over 29 in 2019. Three years may not feel like a lot but as a proportion of adult life it is highly significant. This may also reflect the nature of an informed, pragmatic generation as part of the rise is as a result of a decline in teenage pregnancies.

Not only are parenthood and marriage delayed but so is the prospect of moving out or owning property, Over time the evidence is likely to show that the pandemic has accentuated all three, as seen here.

In addition to this are the rises in retirement and state pension ages and the steep decline of the private sector pension. The table below from the BBC illustrates the former. The possibilities of a state pension age of at least 70 seems realistic for Gen Z. This is unfortunately accompanied by a plateau in life expectancy. The expansion of the number of years spent working may be at the cost of the number of years spent in retirement.

In short, Generation Z can expect to be working for a much longer period of time and not out of choice. This lack of choice is also accompanied by a loss of control, as exemplified by the quote at the top of this blog.

The delays in parenthood, marriage, car ownership and house ownership have all been accentuated by the pandemic. It is also fair to say there is not a baseline expectation that some, if not all, of these life markers will happen at any point. As shown in this blog, Gen Z’s levels of optimism are not high.

A less linear life

The traditional linear route of school to higher education to work to retirement has many alternatives, including being in two or more of those phases at the same time. University courses can be embarked upon at any point of adult life, there are plenty of teenagers earning as they take their GCSEs and A levels and work can exist in many forms beyond the 9 to 5 Monday to Friday.

Although individuals may have a choice in theory to retire when they like, go back to full-time study, or choose a job they love with a lower salary they remain luxuries not open to everyone. The juxtaposition of Generation Z knowing the choices which exist but without the meaning of following up does not sit comfortably.

A lack of financial stability and certainty may be a key driver of behaviour for many Gen Zers but they are hardly alone in this. Given the length of time they are likely to have to work, then why rush if their circumstances mean they do not have to?

Gen Z’s propensity for patience should not be underrated. Much of it may not have been wanted, but for employers who are able to show what the future will look like for their employees there is also much to build upon if accompanied by the stability and certainty they desire.

This is the last of the Gen Z characteristics blogs. From this point we move to solutions for leaders and their organisations in recruiting, retaining and motivating their Gen Z workforce.