Over the years I have spent a lot of time working with young leaders. Whether in mentoring them, or managing them I have found both great growth and great heartache. The latest generation of leaders is creating quite a controversy. I can’t look through any leadership and business magazines and journals without hearing that they are being fired left and right. While some of the arguments may be valid, I think we are seriously making a mistake by in effect writing them off. In today’s multigenerational workplace, leadership strategies that worked for previous generations may fall flat with your Gen Z employees (those born between 1997 and 2012). As this generation becomes a larger part of the workforce, organizations must adapt their management approaches to engage and retain these valuable team members effectively. This is a multi-part series in which we will look at who the generation is, how they respond and what you and your company can do to bring the leaders on and grow them into successes for your company.

Understanding Gen Z: Beyond the Stereotypes

Before diving into leadership strategies, it’s crucial to understand what shapes Gen Z’s workplace expectations:

– Digital natives: They’ve never known a world without the internet and smartphones. While it makes me feel somewhat old, this is extraordinary. This is a generation who is not just comfortable with technology, they live and breathe it. I consider myself a bit of a techie, but with this generation, they all understand life with all of the world’s knowledge at their fingertips. They are more than just comfortable, they live and breathe off of the stuff. While this comes with some of it’s own struggles, (we’ll talk through this later), it makes them incredibly valuable in today’s world.

– Post-Great Recession mindset: Many saw their parents struggle through economic hardship. When I graduated high school, I was told that if I worked hard and applied myself, I would be rewarded with a good job and a comfortable life with housing, transportation, and more than my parents had. In the end, that did not turn out to be true, but for this generation, they have watched those classic American values come crashing down. owning a house, once a great possibility for everyone has dwindled to just a hope for most young adults. The prices and interest rates (if they can even get a loan), are really high compared to what I paid when I was their age.

– Highly educated but practical: Often carrying student debt and concerned about financial security. College has changed so drastically. When I took my oldest daughter to a State I was blown away to see all of the facilities and amenities they had added since I had attended their. I worked my way through college and paid most of my tuition on my own.

– Values-driven: Seeking purpose and meaning in their work. This values driven mindset pushes through every aspect of their lives both personal and professional. I asked several Genz leaders in a group the other day if the values they believe in really mattered and their reply was absolutely. They went further and told me that if their company fell out of line with those values, they would consider quitting their jobs.

– Mental health aware: More open about well being and work-life balance needs. Mental Health is still a stigma in some generations. I had a conversation with a millennial leader just today who told me he had quit going to therapy because of the stigma. I would say that also applies to a lot of my genx generation and most of the baby boomers. Genz’ers see mental health as priority and expect their employers to make it a priority.

Next blog, I’ll be looking at some of the effects of the events in their lives that help to shape these leaders and how that works out in their culture, personalities, and behavior.