Gen Z in the Workforce: Understanding the “Native Digital”
Add bookmark
Why is Gen Z so hard to work with?
Born between 1996 and 2012, Gen Z individuals are between 11 and 26 years old as of 2023. The older members of the Gen Z club are currently in the workforce, and this number continues to grow each year. By 2025, in just two short years, Gen Z will make up over one quarter of the global workforce. Not only that– Gen Z is also the most diverse generation in US history, and we highly value social change in and out of the workplace.
There are many uniquely incredible qualities that make Gen Z great employees. Gen Z are independent and self-motivated, we have an entrepreneurial spirit, we are tech-savvy and we are keen on diversity, equity, and inclusion. With every new generation, however, there is an awkward torch to pass– being the most hated, most misunderstood for a time. We saw this trend with Millennials, who suffered through graduating into the 2008 recession just to be called lazy and avocado-obsessed. Now, it’s Gen Z’s turn to be misunderstood. In fact, nearly half of surveyed managers recently claimed that Gen Z employees were the most difficult to work with, and many claimed that they had to fire a Gen Z employee within the first week of employment.
So why are Gen Z so hard to work with?
The answer is one that bears repeating every time a new generation crops up, fresh-faced, in the workplace.
They aren’t.
In order for companies to remain relevant, they already know that they need to adapt quickly to the shifting technological landscape. But they also need to remain relevant by adapting to new ideas and personas that Gen Z brings into the workplace. In established companies, a change of status quo isn’t always welcomed, but Gen Z is not going anywhere– so how do companies move with the times and engage the fastest growing generation in the workforce?
Left to right: Hannah Grady Williams and Jen Marr
The Young Entrepreneur: Hannah Grady Williams and Jen Marr talk employee engagement for the younger workforce
Last month, author Jen Marr hosted Hannah Grady Williams, d’Skills founder and Gen Z advocate, on their interactive virtual event “Showing Up for Gen Z.” This event was part of the virtual “Showing Up” series led by Marr on LinkedIn.
Hannah Grady Williams is a Gen Z advocate, entrepreneur, ChatGPT expert, and founder of d’Skills– a Gen Z community meant to teach Gen Z how to maximize the potential of AI. Her TedTalk, “Unlocking the Gen Z Employee,” aired last year and sparked a conversation about how companies can engage with this new generation of entrepreneurial and strong-willed employees. Host Jen Marr is an author, speaker, journalist, and social wellness innovator. Her book Showing Up tackles self care and mental wellness conversations through a holistic, relational lens.
As a GenZ-er myself, tuning in to Marr and Grady Williams’ event, I was painfully aware of some of the preconceived ideas businesses– and people– have of my generation. However, Hannah Grady Williams began the dialogue by asking participants to use different emojis depending on which generation they are from. In attendance were a handful of Gen Z, a sizable number of Millennials, and a majority of Gen X and Boomers. I was relieved to see a variety of generations represented and engaged in an open dialogue about supporting Gen Z, as this effort to understand one another is the first step in harnessing talent.
Hannah Grady Williams is the oldest of 7 children, all of whom fall into Gen Z or Gen Alpha, which spans from 2012-present. Her father is a real estate entrepreneur. She explained that, one day, as a pre-teen, her father gave her one of his calls and asked her to close a deal on a house. The sale was a success. This sparked Williams’ passion to work in business and sales in the future, and thus began her road to entrepreneurship.
A harrowing, and not-so-surprising statistic: over 50% of Gen Z believe that college is not worth attending. This stems from the sticker price on higher education skyrocketing since their parents’ time, Gen Z’s general mistrust of institutions, and Gen Z’s belief that skills are worth more than degrees. Williams herself graduated from college at age 18, and claimed that everything she learned was outside of school.
“What are Gen Z capable of,” Williams asked, “when there is not a grade or test attached to it?”
This movement away from school learning and toward entrepreneurial skill-building defines what I like to call The Young Entrepreneur, a Gen Z persona that companies need to understand when working with their younger workforce.
The Young Entrepreneur is creative, scrappy, and independent. Over half of Gen Z want to be entrepreneurs, and 46% of Gen Z over the age of 18 have a side hustle. Gen Z’s passion for entrepreneurship stems from a passion for autonomy and social change. Given layoffs and uncertain economic weather, a higher than ever cost of living, no real guarantee that a degree can land a job, and an unprecedented “DIY” mentality due to technology and social media, The Young Entrepreneur finds creative ways to succeed on their own, often embracing multiple income streams through many platforms to get ahead.
So how does The Young Entrepreneur show up in the workforce? And how does this differ from preceding generations?
Photo by Liza Summer
Native Digitals: We Must Lead Gen Z Differently
What sets Gen Z apart from every generation before it?
You guessed it, technology.
For most individuals under 30, and for every Gen Z-er, our primary life experience is a digital one. People of this age group do not remember a time when modern technology (the internet, media, etcetera) did not exist or dominate modern life, though that technology rapidly shifted in scope and ability throughout each year of a Gen Z individual’s life.
Hannah Grady Wiliams calls these individuals the “native digital.” A native digital is anyone whose primary life experience is a digital one, and whose secondary life is lived in “the real world.” A “native analog,” on the other hand, is someone who is native to “the real world” and adapted to the introduction of the digital world.
Williams is keen to explain that this classification is not ageist: instead, it is “just a difference in generations.” In fact, many of the older generations are even more tech savvy than Gen Z. “Digital analog” does not make one inept at technology– it just means they grew up radically different from someone who was born into a technology-first world. Everyone spends time on their phones. The difference: Gen Z has been doing so since early childhood.
Williams uses the analogy of “Peter Analog” and “Sofia Digital” to explain how this major difference among generations might manifest in the workplace.
“Peter Analog,” she explains, went to college and got a degree– which didn’t break the bank. He then entered the corporate world, bought a house, climbed the corporate ladder, owned and sold property, and retired happily after staying at his company for over 25 years.
“Sofia Digital,” on the other hand, feels unsure about college because she doesn’t know what to study. With an increase in inflation and a lack of trust in social security and other government institutions, a traditional career path with one income stream seems unstable. She decides to use technology to create content around her passion, and starts to diversify her income this way. After years of content creation, Sofia doesn’t have a degree, but she does have the skills to create a meaningful brand in a saturated marketplace.
Williams asked the question, however– who would companies rather hire? Peter Analog or Sofia Digital? Someone with 15 years of traditional job experience and a degree, or someone with 7 years of successful content creation and homegrown skills?
Of course, the answer varies for each company and role, and the analogy is only meant to represent some basic differences between “analogs” and “digitals.” Many Gen Z DO go to college and enter the workforce, but still maintain this entrepreneurial spirit and have high expectations for their workplaces.
The bottom line: Gen Z prioritizes different things than the generations before them, because they were born into a different world with different tools and challenges. As a result, companies that want to retain young talent need to lead Gen Z-ers differently.
So how do you lead Gen Z differently? Understand some of the following Gen Z characteristics:
1. Gen Z wants a promotion and raise, and they want it now.
The Young Entrepreneur, or the “native digital,” highly values companies that provide clear opportunities for growth– and fast. 72% of Gen Z employees expect a promotion in the first year of their job. Companies that do not have transparent, comprehensive career pathing structures will lose out on retaining top Gen Z talent. Additionally, nearly a quarter of Gen Z state that they would not be able to pay their bills without their side hustle. Companies need to offer raises that match inflation and offer a reason to stay.
2. Gen Z values human connection in a digital world.
This might surprise some, but 74% of Gen Z actually prefer face to face communication over virtual communication. Growing up in a cold digital landscape, opportunities for human connection and empathy are highly valued and sought after. Companies should keep in mind ways to promote these touchpoints with their Gen Z employees, even in a remote workforce.
3. Gen Z is impatient– they want social change and frictionless digital experiences.
It is shocking how quickly technology can feel obsolete, especially for “native digitals,” who spend over 9 hours a day on new, exciting digital platforms that churn out content every minute. A result of this endless feed of technology? Impatience. One study showed that Gen Z college students switched between tasks on their laptop every 19 seconds. Another showed that Gen Z are likely to hang up the phone if not answered within 45 seconds. Gen Z change tasks quickly, are quick to X out of a tab, and are not going to wait around if things are slow or antiquated. Companies should gather thoughts from their Gen Z employees on the systems and platforms they use– you might be surprised how much you can learn from their experiences. Additionally, Gen Z has seen every kind of disaster, social, political, or environmental, the minute it happens across every platform. This constant barrage of racial and gender inequities, social problems, corrupt institutions, and reminders of climate change have made Gen Z eager, and impatient, for change. They can also see right through companies’ attempts to say empty words or make empty promises. To engage Gen Z employees, companies need to be ready to take real action to promote a healthier society and world.
4. Gen Z faces an unprecedented mental health crisis
As Hannah Grady Williams mentioned toward the end of her virtual session, there are many negative impacts of being a “native digital.” A major issue for Gen Z is mental health. 46% of Gen Z-ers feel anxious or stressed most of the time, and Gen Z have the least positive outlook on life than any other generation. 75% of Gen Z are depressed, stressed out, and anxious about gun violence threats in the United States. Many are also still negatively affected by the trauma brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. While only 11% of people over 35 state that they feel lonely all the time, ask students at a college campus, and it’s 65%. While many factors affecting Gen Z’s mental health are external, they are all on constant view in the place Gen Z spends the most time– online.
Social media is known to have a detrimental effect on young people. As Williams explained, social media creates a constant flood of comparison and “FOMO,” or “fear of missing out,” that drives Gen Z to hustle out of anxiety and fear of falling behind. With impossible standards to reach, it’s no wonder Gen Z are so stressed. There are real, devastating consequences to this mental health crisis– including self-inflicted harm and suicide, and given that this is a societal problem, answers need to be at scale.
As Gen Z transitions into the workplace, companies need to take responsibility for caring for their employees’ mental well-being. Gen Z needs to know that they are understood by their managers and leaders– this involves training and structures to help leaders understand how to deal with mental health conversations in the workplace. Even above salary, Gen Z employees want mental health and wellness benefits and a robust, empowering work culture. Gen Z do not see mental health benefits, such as therapy, meditation, and “wellness days” as optional– they are a necessity.
Staying relevant: 5 simple ways to start engaging your Gen Z workforce
Now that you know a little more about Gen Z, it might be time to reflect as a company on how their experience might be different from the top decision-makers’ experiences. As Hannah Grady Williams said at the end of her talk,
“You must understand that you are coming from a different native vantage point. It's so important to recognize that. Because you come from a different experience, you must ask Gen Z to help expose you to what it means to be native digital.”
This might sound easier than it is to actually execute.
Luckily, we’re here to help. Here’s what you can start doing today to better engage your Gen Z employees.
1. Promote your Gen Z talent
The reality is, promoting Your Gen Z talent can help you connect with more Gen Z talent. As the workplace transitions into Gen Z territory, having Gen Z leaders will be necessary. Gen Z leaders can understand and advocate for Gen Z employees, thus building a more empowering work culture from within. We know that promoting internally is much less expensive than sourcing talent elsewhere– so why not promote your top Gen Z talent if they are producing excellent results to drive business outcomes? When hiring for new talent, some companies are also making the move toward skills and experience-based hiring, not just looking at degrees. This move will be essential for native digitals to enter the workforce, many of whom, like Hannah Grady Williams, learned their skills through the University of the internet.
2. Immerse yourself in the world of Gen Z
If you are a digital analog, you might be asking yourself, how can we relate better? The answer is immersive research. Reading up on Gen Z is important, but listening to Gen Z stories and experiences first hand is even better. Research can involve simply watching, listening, and engaging. Ask some of your Gen Z workforce– what communities are you a part of right now? Then expose yourself to some of these communities! Maybe you download TikTok, watch their favorite YouTubers, or check out their current video game obsessions. This practice will enlighten their daily experience and help you understand the world they are living in. Plus, you might find a new community for yourself!
3. Create opportunities for Gen Z thought leadership
Your Gen Z employees are ambassadors for Gen Z in the workplace. They represent an important customer base as well as a growing portion of the workforce, so allowing Gen Z employees to be thought leaders is a great way for companies to check the pulse on the younger generations. Perhaps you save a place for Gen Z in the boardroom as a generation consultant, or create Gen Z leadership committees and ERG’s within your organization. Gen Z’s have endless entrepreneurial spirit and creative ways of thinking about technology– so give them a chance to share their experiences!
4. Think of the whole person first
With Gen Z’s fierce independence and mental health struggles, it is imperative that companies operate with a flexible, person-first mentality if they want to retain these younger employees. Along with extensive health and wellness benefits, creating trusting, whole-person relationships between managers and their Gen Z employees is a great way to support Gen Z’s mental wellbeing. Additionally, Gen Z are passionate, and are often using their passions to make money in other ways outside of work hours. As leaders, you can ask yourself, how can I engage the passions of my Gen Z workforce? Maybe allowing flexibility or creative freedom on projects is one way to accomplish this, or creating spaces for Gen Z to share what skills and insights they have acquired from their side hustles.
5. Aim for the human element even in digital interactions
As we all know, getting to that human level can be hard when you’re operating digitally. Hannah Grady Williams suggests implementing tech to make check-ins and wellness prompts easier and still create human connection for Gen Z employees. For example, download a Slack app extension for wellness check-ins— this can help you understand how everyone is doing on any given day. Perhaps introduce a prompt that asks about your mental health / daily needs digitally. Then, you can give some extra love to those who are struggling that day. If in person, of course these check-ins can take place face-to-face. Company-sponsored lunch outings between friends and teams, collective wellness breaks, an external service provider offering handmade coffee or massages or skincare advice– you name it, these human connections create the work experience that Gen Z craves.
So don’t be so quick to judge– let Gen Z show you what they’re made of.
How do you engage Gen Z in the workplace? Let us know at ccwomen@cmpteam.com.
Our CCWomen Digital Membership Platform launches next month! Networking, book clubs, mentorship, exclusive content at your fingertips– we are bringing community to you, all day, every day. Interested? Click here to be first in line.
