5 Tips for Attracting, Engaging and Retaining Gen Z

Gen Z is a generation like no other, and in order to maintain your business, you’ll need to think about how you can accommodate the up-and-coming workforce.

How does Gen Z feel about work?

Surveys have found that 54% of Gen Zers are often disengaged at work. Meanwhile, 68% of Gen Z workers feel stressed out, and 77% of them actively prioritize a work-life balance.

Now that Gen Z accounts for approximately 30% of the global population, you can expect them to make up 27% of the workforce come 2025. This means business owners must learn how to work with Gen Z, not against them.

How to work with Gen Z, not against them

Let’s look at five areas you should focus on as you evolve to suit the needs and preferences of Gen Z employees.

Offer benefits for overall wellness

The high level of stress reported by this generation is beyond understandable. After all, just think about the events they have had to — and will continue to — witness on a state, national and global level. As an employer, you should take it upon yourself to care for your employees to the best of your abilities, and this means placing an emphasis on overall wellness, especially in the context of mental health. 

By implementing wellness-related perks, like coaching and mentoring programs, you can create an inclusive culture that openly addresses topics like mindfulness, encourages healthy habits like weight loss programs and gym memberships, or adopts flexible time-off programs for those who need a break every once in a while.

Provide opportunities for financial security

There’s nothing like the stress that a lack of money creates, and unlike prior generations, Get Z has no problem openly discussing this matter. Companies should take note because financial security is often a make-or-break aspect of Gen Zers’ job searches.

From competitive salaries to all-inclusive benefits, companies should also consider providing Gen Z employees with access to financial wellness programs. That way, employees will have the chance to learn how to budget, save and invest the money they earn.

Promote a flexible work schedule

Flexibility is key to attracting, engaging and retaining Gen Z. Keep in mind that about 72% of this newer generation has either quit a job or considered leaving one strictly because the workplace did not offer any flexibility.

Emphasize career growth

Workplaces as we once knew them seem to be changing at the speed of sound. In the midst of the rapid changes, what has become more obvious than ever in this fast-paced environment are the skills that are needed both now and in the future.

This allows for growth, both personally and career-wise. Some of the most important skills are business management, creativity and familiarity with technology, especially data analysis.

Cater the positions to each person

Traditionally speaking, companies would create job descriptions and then find people who can become the person described in the job post. However, with Gen Z, business owners should approach things differently by thinking about how individuals can perform tasks authentically rather than expecting them to fit a predetermined mold.

More than ever before, Gen Z is filled with young minds who are cultivating their own ideas of what work should look like. In turn, companies can either defy these evolving perspectives or evolve with the times.

While it can be challenging to adopt new business models and ideologies, the effort is worthwhile. And while you’re at it, remember that Gen Zero are still adjusting to life after the major disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic imposed, so you’re not alone in the process of establishing a new normal.