Gen Z Findings – For Managers / Supervisors

Following is a brief summary / overview of Generation Z (also referred to as post-millennials, linksters, iGen, Millennial Cusp, Homelanders). It isn’t an exhaustive description. (Also: if you do not like what other people say, don’t shoot the messenger – me 😉 )

Rodriguez, Boyer, Fleming and Cohen (2019) point out that the newest generation, Generation Z, is difficult to understand and engage because not much research has been conducted yet to understand how employers and organizations can best deal with this newest generation of workers. 

The definition of Generation Z cohort is not agreed upon by all scholars.(see Note #1 below

In the workplace Rodriquez et al. (2019) state that Gen Z people tend to like the use of ranking and reward systems. Therefore, organizations may have to modify their supervision and performance management processes and system. Furthermore, other scholars found that Gen Z are “not aware of the concept of struggling” (Bencsik et al. 2016; cited in Rodriquez, et al. 2019), and they need to receive explicit instructions and have precisely defined roles (Tulgan, 2013; cited in Rodriquez, et al. 2019); Gen Z, write Rodriguez et al. (2019), have a low tolerance for ambiguity, and they appear to have difficulty problem solving on their own. Gen Z tends to want job and personal growth, but they also want to have considerable flexibility so they can pursue their other interests outside of work (Rodriguez et al., 2019).

Generation Z are more accepting and open-minded of racial, cultural and other differences because this generation has been exposed to more diverse perspectives during their formative years (Pew, 2014; cited in Shatto and Erwin, 2016).

Gen Z spends on the average 9 hours per day on a cell phone (Pew, 2014)

Gen Z tends to have a great affinity for using technology, and while that can be an advantage, it can also be  a barrier. According to Pew (2014, cited in Shatto and Erwin, 2016), Gen Z tend to have short attention spans, around 8 seconds, and they tend to be easily frustrated when they don’t receive the immediate gratification they expect. 

The authors point out that Gen Z learns best by observing and practicing rather than by reading books or seeing powerpoint style presentations (Pew, 2014). 

[This last point is important for organizations, in my opinion, to consider when they conduct various training, or are evaluating external training vendors’ products. To be properly engaging and effective for Gen Z staff a different pedagogy is required. For example, one article I read talked about “gamification of learning”. At its simplest form, for example, many teachers use “Kahoot” to do inhouse quizzes.]

Finally, I also have to add that not everyone agrees on the concept of generational cohorts based on age. Such disagreement is not uncommon in academic circles, and it is always healthy to consider opposing points of view. Parry and Urwin (2017) provide an overview of challenges to generational theory.

Note #1:

For example, Tulgan (2013, cited in Rodriguez et al., 2019) defines Gen Z as the second half of the Millennial cohort, and that the Gen Z cohort actually began in 1990. However, other scholars (Bencskik et al. 2016; Turner 2015, Wood 2013, Helmersson and Svensson 2016; Bassiouni and Hackley 2014; Montana and Petit 2008, Zenke et al. 1999; cited in Rodriguez et al., 2019) have defined the Gen Z cohort as beginning in 1995-1996. Similarly, Rodriguez et al. (2019) point out that various scholars either consider the end of the Gen Z cohort to be in the early 2000s (Tulgan, 2013; Wood, 2013; cited in Rodriquez et al. (2019), while other scholars maintain that the Gen Z cohort actually ends some time in the 2010s (Turner, 2015; cited in Rodriquez, et al. 2019).

References:

Parry, E. and Urwin, P. (2017). The Evidence Base for Generational Differences: Where Do We Go from Here? Work, Aging and Retirement. 3(2) pp. 140–148. doi:10.1093/workar/waw037

Pew – https://www.pewsocialtrends.org (various articles on this website)

Rodriguez, M., Boyer, S., Fleming, D., Cohen, S. (2019). Managing the Next Generation of Sales, Gen Z/Millennial Cusp: An Exploration of Grit, Entrepreneurship, and Loyalty. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, 26:1, 43-55, DOI: 10.1080/1051712X.2019.1565136

Shatto, B. and Erwin, K. (2016). Moving on From Millennials: Preparing for Generation Z. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing . Vol 47(6) 253-254.