Establishing the traits that define generation Z in the workplace is somewhat complex since it could be an overgeneralization with which many members do not relate.
However, it is essential to generalize from time to time to be able to express ourselves. Therefore, in this post, we will analyze some of the main characteristics of generation Z in the workplace: how they approach their professional careers and what they look for in a job.
Characteristics of generation Z in the workplace
It isn’t easy to summarize in a set of features how such a large group of people approaches professional life. However, it may not be unreasonable to say that Generation Z members, the people born between 1995 and 2010, also have some distinctive features regarding their work experience.
This means they are not considered a particular generation just because they have certain consumer habits or have practically never known the world before using mobile devices, but also because of how they are and behave when they work.
1. Interest in learning and training
Members of Generation Z have not invented an interest in having a job where they can learn things. However, they are likely to be characterized by the particular value they place on working in companies that encourage training and actively and intensively help them to develop professionally.
2. Greater proactivity
Members of generation Z observe previous generations as relatively passive and accommodating compared to them. For their part, generation Z in the workplace is characterized by being very proactive and not waiting to be recognized or reinforced or given a good opportunity to take bold steps forward in their professional career. We could say that, in general, they have an excellent ability to motivate themselves.
3. Seeking flexibility in conditions
For decades and until a few years ago, employees have taken for granted that the conditions under which they are hired are what they are, cannot change, and primarily respond to the needs of the company. In contrast, generation Z in the workplace aspires to have greater flexibility in their working conditions, such as hours, if that better responds to their personal needs. And they demand it.
4. Valuing a healthy corporate culture
Generation Z in the workplace has unhesitatingly jumped on the bandwagon of healthy work-life or, at least, the bandwagon of giving importance to occupational health. This leads them to increasingly value the possibility of working in organizations that prioritize employee wellness when designing their corporate strategies.
5. Participation and involvement in the company
We mentioned earlier that generation Z in the workplace is proactive and self-motivated. This connects its members with the need to participate more actively in the life of the company they work for, exposing their points of view with the expectation that they will be considered. This way, they will have a specific capacity to influence the company.
Generation Z’s perspective
It is traditional to attribute to “youth” a particular energy that leads young people to want to “conquer the world”. These 20-year-olds are more self-confident than the so-called millennials, for example.
There is a bit of everything, and there are inevitably significant differences between the way the older “Z’s” understand the world of work and the way younger members of the group understand it. In general, however, when it comes to working, those born between 1995 and 2010 have high aspirations and expectations and something resembling certainty that those aspirations will be met. Generation Z in the workplace wants to go far, to succeed, not just to work in a job that merely provides food for survival.
These young people have a greater sense of choice than those who came before them: they don’t perceive that they have to conform and don’t aspire to lead lives geared toward reaching traditional milestones of personal evolution. Moreover, Generation Z’s mindset at work is tied to a culture of immediacy, of I-want-it-I-have-it-and-then-quickly-want-the-next-thing.
The importance of making a difference
They are also aware that not everything is easy to start and develop their personal projects: they know that they are many, very diverse, and very energetic, leading them to notice a lot of competition everywhere. In addition, it forces them to hyper-specialize to make a difference in the face of all this professional and non-professional competition. Nothing is enough. You have to stand out clearly to be in the labor (and non-labor) market.
As they often say, when they (recently) entered university, a degree was an essential requirement at all levels, so as not to be less than anyone else, as was having a good level of English (and, if possible, another language) and studying for a master’s degree (or more).
When it comes to getting their first serious jobs, they are beginning to realize that perhaps the emphasis on formal academic training was unnecessary and that, in many cases, something more practical or vocational training would have been better.
In fact, in some sectors, experience and not so much the specific university degree is being looked at: many representatives of generation Z in the workplace are finding that experience (and not university studies) is everything, and that is where they have to differentiate themselves. The only competitive advantage that gives them value as professionals or job candidates is practical experience.
What about the next generation?
We talk about generation Z in the workplace as if we were referring to the youngest members of the adult or near-adult population. However, time is passing for everyone, and the most senior “Z’s” are also watching the next generation emerge behind them, even though technically, they are all in the same group.
Again, this is generalizing too much, but today’s teenagers are observed by their “older siblings” with particular caution. In this, they are not at all original. Still, they draw the same conclusions as any person who is gaining perspective: they see those who are arriving very grown up for their age and predict that, for many of them, there will be a great disappointment in a short period.
Everyone wants to be an influencer, YouTuber, or Tiktoker, and do not just realize that not everyone will have a future in those profiles. In addition, they believe that many have settled into a culture of little or no effort. Their recommendation as “veterans”? Raise awareness about the proper use of networks and apps because they generate a lot of confusion and put very distorted ideas in people’s heads.
Improving emotional well-being in companies
At ifeel, we are committed to improving employee and company well-being. That is why we strive to help them in the challenge of generating stimulating and healthy work environments for their employees.
For this purpose, our psychologists have created an emotional well-being program for companies. Through this collaboration, your company’s HR managers will be able to receive personalized, data-driven advice on how to improve their teams’ psychological well-being. In addition, this program provides employees with a complete mental health care service structured at different levels according to their needs. Try our program now to see how it can help you.
Visit our Resources section, where you will find podcasts, guides for Human Resources, or interviews with leading HR professionals. In addition, you will have access to a Psychosocial Risk Factors Template, which will help you comply with the Labor Inspection requirements.
We hope this post about generation Z in the workplace has given you some good ideas to make it easier for you to fulfill your tasks. Contact us to learn more about how our emotional well-being program for companies works.
