How Gen Z is Changing the Workplace — and It Can Benefit Everyone
The Gen Z population (people born between 1997 and 2012) is now entering the workforce, and as employers race to cater to their expectations, the subsequent changes are challenging companies, shaping culture, and creating new opportunities for all.
As of 2020, this generation counted 67.06 million members in the United States — or 20.35% of the U.S. population. Worxbee took a look at what matters most to this influential cohort, and you might find the data surprising.
What Data Reveals About Gen Z
In a CloudBees survey, 35% of respondents named salary and benefits as the most important factor during their job search. Another 14% cited location, even during the pandemic, which provides an interesting contrast to the third-most important factor: the ability to work remotely, which mattered to 10% of respondents.
RELATED: Worxbee Insights: The Future of Work
So, how do you appeal to Gen Z? Here are a few highlights:
Salaries well above the minimum wage. Gen Z is significantly less willing to work for minimum wage, or slightly above it than other generations.
Robust benefits. A great employee benefits package is key to satisfying Gen Z employees. Offering health insurance should be just the start; you should also offer employee retirement plans, pre-tax commuter benefits, stock options, and more.
Provide free food. Gen Z employees often want more than what’s in their benefits packages. For instance, free workplace snacks and lunches where co-workers eat together can help keep Gen Z workers engaged.
Keep hours reasonable. Although certain times of year might inevitably call for overtime at your small business, Gen Z is less willing than millennials to sacrifice work-life balance. Frequently asking this demographic to work more than their usual hours can sap their motivation and lead to workplace burnout.
Avoid micromanagement and toxic work environments. Gen Z isn’t too fond of upper management. That means if you micromanage these workers, you’re likely to get on their nerves. You’ll also make them feel unwelcome if your work environment becomes toxic.
Be flexible. Even if you can’t quite keep your team remote all the time, it’s important to give Gen Z the option, even if only part of the week. That flexibility can keep them engaged daily, even from a distance.
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
“Gen Z is changing the way that we work and how we view work, including expectations around [employee] resources,” says Kenzie Biggins, Founder, and CEO of Worxbee. They don't care about the fancy break room. They care about working from a hybrid model. That demand will improve work for everyone. But here’s the truth: We have people in the workplace who could have benefited from this all along. Women and working moms.”
One of these in-demand perks: administrative support. Gen Z is vocal about avoiding burnout and having help with mundane tasks, time management, and more.
Providing a flexible, tailored level of administrative support to these employees can also help your Millennial and Gen X team members, particularly working parents, strike a better work-life balance — and bring their best selves to work.
Worxbee: A Natural Fit for Gen Z
“Everyone in a growing business has capacity issues and administrative burdens. Every single person can use virtual administrative support, whether it’s 10 hours a week or 30,” adds Biggins. “The Worxbee approach is a natural fit for that model; our approach solves that part of the equation perfectly. Having your team members complete our Discovery Call to see what they need—and then only paying for that exact level of support—is a lot cheaper than having to hire and rehire a salaried assistant every six months to a year.”
Worxbee has a proven, in-depth pairing process that values matching the right people with the right solution. We make it easy to build a longer-lasting, more productive relationship with a skilled Virtual Executive Assistant.
“As a leader, if you're taking bold steps to create a great culture and community, it’s important to remember that it’s not just the responsibility of someone working for you, it is also your responsibility to work with them to build an environment where you can both be successful together,” concludes Biggins.
If you are ready to get back the time you deserve as an executive, then contact Worxbee to schedule a complimentary consultation.
