The latest generation to hit the workplace is Generation Z, but are we ready? In this episode of the Transform Your Workplace podcast, hear insight from Melanie Wertzberger about how leaders can not only prepare their workplaces for Generation Z talent but retain them as well. Author of a recent ebook filled with research on this generation, Melanie has a unique perspective to offer business leaders of today and tomorrow.
GUEST AT A GLANCE
Melanie Wertzberger is the CEO of Shaka Culture Application, a startup in the HR space. Born on the cusp of Generation Z, Melanie is an expert and thought leader on the interaction between generations in the workforce. She is also the author of a recent ebook, Company Culture for the Next Generation: How Your Company Can Attract and Retain Gen Z Talent, where she shares her findings in research about the latest generation to hit the working world.
A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST
🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, Sponsored by Xenium HR
🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws
📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.”
TOP TAKEAWAY FROM THIS EPISODE
Gen Zs are entrepreneurial, independent, and individualistic.
In her research, Melanie found that 53% of this Generation Z would like to run their own business. But instead of being intimidated by this finding, Melanie insists that “businesses have an opportunity to position jobs and careers” as akin to entrepreneurship roles. Business leaders should tap into this Gen Z desire by providing their employees with “ways to innovate, create, discover new things and implement new programs.” By fulfilling their needs to be entrepreneurial and independent, businesses can indeed hope to retain top Gen Z talent.
PODCAST EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Keeping Their Options Open
“Work-life balance was by far the number one request from Generation Z. They said they were looking for companies where they could work to live and not live to work. And I thought it was really interesting that, when I asked them how many hours they expected to work per week, I actually had 41% of this population say 30-40 hours a week. They’re either going to have a really negative surprise or they’re going to be those employees who are going to say that they’ll take a little bit less money to have more free time to work on their own.”
Making the Shift
“This generation will expect to see companies make a shift to a shorter workweek and to recognize their strengths with positivity. I think that they can bring a lot of good things to the workplace. They’re very capable and very efficient because they’ve had these tools and technologies in their hands for their whole lives. They’re probably going to be more productive than any former generation in 30 hours, so their productivity likely will not fall despite potentially limiting their hours.”
Jumping Around
“Shorter tenures at companies? I don’t think that’s something that will shift backward. As technology enables us to see what’s out there and explore other avenues, they are still going to continue to jump from company to company as Millennials do. And I think that’s really interesting for companies who invest a whole lot at the start of the career and hope that it pays off over the years. HR leaders and business leaders need to come up with ways of ongoing investment in training and learning and slowly trickle that into the workforce that you have.”
Gen Z Weaknesses
“Every generation gets a shorter attention span, and this Generation Z’s attention span is eight seconds. That was crazy to me. So you have like eight seconds to be interesting and engaging, or you’ll lose them. So I think about this for marketing. I think about it for managing. I think about the university instructors out there right now — how you have to leverage content to keep their attention. And this is a weakness. I mean, you can practice mindfulness and try to improve your focus because sometimes things just aren’t interesting, but you have to pay attention and this generation is going to struggle with that.”
Worth the Cost
“The Millennial generation brought the conversation of mental health to the workplace, but now Gen Z is really going to heighten the importance of it. I asked Generation Z what they care about in company cultures, and 87% indicated that a company that values their physical and mental health was very important to them in selecting their future job and their future career. They want their organizations to offer different programs that support them to show that they care about these aspects of their health and wellbeing. And it’s going to continue to be a bigger problem for HR, a bigger focus, a bigger need for benefits, and probably bigger costs on your company’s insurance for mental health benefits.”
LEARN MORE
If you’re looking for more information about how to transform your company culture for Generation Z, find Melanie Wertzberger’s ebook, Company Culture for the Next Generation, on the Kindle Store.