There’s a massive number of millennials starting their careers and they all have different ideas and expectations about work.
They want access to information, a behind-the-scenes view of what’s happening in your company and training. Their biggest expectation, however, is around fairness and entrepreneurialism. Entrepreneurialism is a big word, but Gen Z is aiming for a thriving environment where they get to contribute, make a difference, and where they are continuously having access to coaching. And the right mentorship and coaching are going to foster their career.
They may not spend decades at your company, but they will tell their friends to come work for you. And you must look out for productivity and hard work while they are there. It may seem like a new sheriff in town, but the reality is that these millennials are going to drive change and they expect a lot from you.
So here’s a Look at the 5 Tips You Should Incorporate to Increase Workforce Engagement with Gen Z Employees:
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Emphasize Their Importance in Your Workplace Culture
Millennials want to be heard and taken seriously. Of course, they are the youngest in your company. But they want to make sure that their ideas are being listened to and that they have a way to innovate within their jobs. Gen Z is very innovative; they have recently graduated from college and have met a lot of people, have gone through a lot of experiences, and have learned a lot of things. They don’t want to be put in the fax room to file papers, but they want to take part in a project and have a say in what’s going on in your company.
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Provide Frequent Feedback on Their Work
Since Gen Z is relatively new in the workforce, they will want frequent feedback on their work. After all, it’s an interactive and collaborative environment that they thrive in. The idea of feedback extends to their relationships with managers, where they get feedback from their supervisors which are delivered in a humble manner. But annual reviews and occasional conversations with the management are just not enough to efficiently engage millennials. They’re already constantly engaged on social media, with friends, and other channels and when they’re spending a significant amount of time at your organization, they want to make sure that it’s worth the while. By using effective online survey tools for employee feedback, managers can keep millennials engaged.
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Embrace New Tools and Technology
Multitasking between gadgets is second nature to the Gen Z workforce. And innovative tools are essential for roles and responsibilities at an individual level. This way your younger workforce will be able to seek and absorb information well. Provide them with tools that foster their roles, letting them fully utilize their absolute comfort with technology to their advantage and yours.
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Foster Group Activities and Collaborative Learning
The digital and physical life of the Gen Z workforce is an incredibly interactive one. Social media, for instance, is a highly intuitive desired way for younger employees to communicate. When the comfort with interactivity meets an inborn desire to succeed and flourish, engaging Gen Z requires an environment that is collaborative and favors group activities at regular intervals.
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Promote Work-Life Balance
The Gen Z workforce is willing to work hard for you throughout the week, probably even on weekends too. But they also like statutory holidays and occasional opportunities to work remotely to prioritize things that need their attention too. Allowing flexible hours and work-life balance will only value and trust you even more. This way, they will feel more engaged and will put in extra effort into their everyday tasks.
While there may be occasional generational gaps in communication, if you can show your Gen Z employees that you appreciate and value their work, you will be just a few steps away from creating engaged and loyal employees who will energetically help your business succeed.
Author Bio: Bhavika Sharma is a survey designer at SurveySparrow, where she designs surveys that work by making them more conversational and engaging, fetching 40% more responses. When she isn’t designing killer surveys, she loves to travel in search of adventure and to meet new people. Her travel experiences have taught her the importance of conversation and that is what she brings to the table while creating surveys or content for her readers.
