The members of Generation Z were born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and are now the rising group of employees in the workplace. As this new generation enters the workforce, leaders want to understand how to manage Gen Z employees and navigate generational differences.
When it comes to successfully leading and developing this generation, consider these four relevant data points:
- Communication styles: Gen Z is hungry for face-to-face communication, reports Inc.
- Technology: This tech-native group places a high value on technology. According to Dell, 91% of Gen Z said "technology would influence job choice among similar employment offers."
- Career goals: 76% of Gen Z respondents to a survey by Monster consider themselves "responsible for driving their career."
- Learning preferences: 43% of Gen Z prefer a "self-directed and independent approach to learning," according to a LinkedIn survey.
As organizations hire more Gen Z employees, who now make up 20% of the workforce, understanding their needs becomes even more relevant. How to manage Gen Z employees includes shifting and adapting managerial and communication styles to ensure you meet the needs of all generations in your workforce.
Effectively onboard new Gen Z hires
Leveraging a robust content library, organizations are poised to provide new Gen Z hires with access to the content they need to succeed at their first job. Within the library, offering a mix of eLearning and instructor-led courses ensures you're meeting their needs when it comes to tech as well as face-to-face connections. Providing eLearning from the first day of employment also sets an important precedent. It demonstrates the organization values learning and will encourage development for the new hire's entire tenure.
Combined with eLearning offerings, instructor-led courses prepare Gen Z to establish a network. That human connection is essential for them to feel welcome in a new workplace. To retain these digital natives, make sure their onboarding experience on your learning management system is top-notch.
Empower Gen Z for workplace advancement
Gen Zers "seek instruction that will provide insight on the best ways to advance in the workplace, adapt to changing technologies and company structure, and the best methods on redirecting this knowledge in the event that their job ceases to exist," writes talent expert Susan M. Heathfield at The Balance Careers.
From the very beginning, education for this generation has been centered on a tech-focused, collaborative approach. As they join the workforce, they have the same expectations for their employee development experience. To accommodate Gen Z, training and development teams may need to modify the traditional methods they've used to conduct employee training.
Your LMS provides a strategic way to engage learners of all ages, especially Gen Z. These employees value collaboration, while also craving ownership of their learning and development. The right LMS enables you to provide varied experiences for learners through customized learning journeys, and social learning spaces, where learners can connect and collaborate. Similarly, gamification of learning also engages Gen Z . Finally, the right LMS should offer seamless and easily accessible video content to support how Gen Z often searches for answers and information.
Tap into the Gen Z desire to learn
Employers, managers and employees all have opportunities to grow and improve as this new generation enters the workforce. Tapping into this generation's eagerness to learn and their proficiency with technology can drive impressive results for organizations right now and position it for future growth. To maximize the value Gen Z employees offer, it's essential to understand their needs, manage them accordingly and put new strategies in place to get the most out of this generation of workers.
Register for a free demo to discover how Absorb LMS caters to learners of all ages.
