WATCH OUT MILLENNIALS, GENERATION Z IS JOINING THE WORKFORCE

Generation Z – those born from 1995 to present – are now the majority graduating high school and university and entering the workforce. Unlike Millennials, who were raised by Baby Boomers and grew up during the peaceful 90’s, Generation Z were raised by Generation X and grew up post-9/11, during The Great Recession. Socially conscious and empowered to create change, Generation Z will dictate how we advertise, evolve the workforce and progress as a society.

Millennials are often touted as being brash, narcissistic and entitled. However, Generation Z have the opposite mindset to Millennials. They grew up during the emergence of ‘terrorism’ and witnessed their parents experience the full brunt of the recession (redundancies, tight Christmas’s and divorce were the norm). Unlike the optimistic Millennials, Gen Z are the more pragmatic generation. They have access to news media, the internet and social platforms at their fingertips, informing them of the harsh reality of the twenty first century as it occurs. However, Gen Z aren’t going to sit back and wait for past generations to clean up their mess. They grew up in world of global warming and cyberbullying. They also saw the first African American president and gay marriage become a human right. And although Gen Z is the largest generation, 70% said that they need their lives to make a difference in the world. From the environment to equality, Generation Z knows the chaos and disorder of humanity, yet remain passionate about making the world a better place.

Raised in the era of smartphones, Generation Z don’t remember a time before social media. They take in information instantaneously and build relationships through technology. They’re also significantly aware of their personal brand, learning from the over-sharing mistakes of their predecessors. This makes them exceptional creatives in many fields, such as advertising, human resources, design, communications, and some that are yet to be innovated. Gen Z brings a new mindset to the workforce, they’re intelligent, creative, independent and hardworking. They know that life is unstable and that they need to work their ass’s off to get their foot in the door, but they only want to do that if the door leads to something they’re passionate about.

For Generation Z, lifelong learning and adaptability is in their DNA and their drive to make an impact on the world makes them a force to be reckoned with. Growing up in a time of hardship, global conflict and economic trouble has forced this generation to develop courage and humility at a young age. Behind the iPads and the selfie sticks there is a generation that is talented, diverse and steadfast in their values and beliefs. Employers can benefit by mentoring listening and shaping their organisations to reflect the needs and expectations of Gen Z. If they can do this they’ll be able to harness all that this influential generations has to offer for many years to come.

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