Gen Z - Who are they? Why are they different?
Why is this important?
Gen Z is the most important generational shift so far, but 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.
It is a significant topic for me. Gen Z is the generation which attended the secondary schools I led from 2006 to 2018. In recent years I have seen them described in ways I did not recognise, or appreciate. More on that in future blogs.
By 2025 Generation Z will form over a quarter of the UK workforce. The older ones are already in management positions in large companies and ripping up the rulebook on their own. Their importance in the workplace will grow with every passing year.
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 key challenges this presents for leaders and their organisations
the actions not only to overcome those challenges but ensure future prosperity.
Who are they?
Like every other generation, Generation Z is a social construct. It is not a feature of a birth certificate or a passport.
It is also representative of the speed of change over the last 100 years. History moves from talking about ‘ages’ (stone, bronze, iron) to ‘revolutions’ (agricultural, industrial) to ‘generations’ (Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z) and so on.
Even within that we have moved from the names of generations created after a period of time has finished to ‘live’ naming (and also from generations naming themselves to being named by others). Fifteen years has become the standard amount of time to define a generation’s length.
These are not blunt cut-off points. For example, a younger Millennial born in 1993 is likely to have more in common with an older Gen Z born in 1996 than a Millennial born in 1982. The edges are blurry, and there is often much more variety within a generation than across them.
There is also a risk in analysing the differences between groups at different phases of life (i.e. those in their 20s vs 40s) rather than throughout their life (those born in mid 70s vs mid-90s).
Change does not impact everywhere at the same time at the same pace. As some were using bronze while others used iron, the same applies to generations. There is an argument that technology is harmonising some of this, and not always in a good way. There is a good case for saying it is a ‘western’ approach and thus limited.
But if the point needs to be made, the dialogue remains about human beings; generations may have some differences but they all belong to the same species. People should still be treated, managed and trained as individuals. Stereotyping is not helpful or relevant as we will see in particular with Gen Z.
Why are they different?
In short, it is events which shape generations. Technological, political, economic and social events. Wars, stock market crashes, breakthroughs, attitudinal changes and so on. The Boomer generation started straight after the Second World War but it is not always so straight forward.
Over the course of the blogs I will explore in particular the differences between Millennials and Generation Z. They are not the same and the terms should not be used interchangeably.
A few of the main events which have affected each generation are listed here. It is a small selection and without a direct equivalent on each side.
The key is the impact that the event had on the generation, rather than it falling within the years of birth. This is not to say that 9/11 or social media only affected Millennials but that it had the most impact. Often it is because of their age at the time and the impact on their education and early professional life. These are not always easy arguments to make and are frequently tenuous.
Key events for Generation Z
Like every generation Gen Z has inherited the world left to them. They will make their own sense of it and form their own response. The impact of the Global Financial Crash in particular, and the austerity which followed was particularly significant as was the commercialisation of the internet.
Compared to the Millennials they have faced more difficult economic times, far more uncertainty and have had to deal with 24/7 reputation management online from an early age. All of this, and more, has significant implications for them in the workplace and their adult lives.
It is not all bad and, as will be outlined in this series, there are significant opportunities too for Generation Zs and those who work with them.
Other blogs:
Click for the first blog summarising who Gen Z are and why they are different.
And then for the Key Characteristics:
no.1 - Well-Behaved
no.2 - Prudent
no.3 - Pragmatic
no.4 - Diligent
no.5 - Apprehensive
no.6 - Diverse
no.7 - Patience
Accompanying videos are all here and also on YouTube
Click on the link to book Alex to speak at your event about Generation Z.
