Would Gen Z swipe right on you?
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Would Gen Z swipe right on you?

3 min read Feb 24, 2020

Born after 1995, this generation knows little of life without technology, they are the first true digital natives. This generation has grown up with Spotify, Netflix, YouTube, SnapChat etc, and they are used to having all the information they need, whenever they want. This means they want it right now, not in 24 hours.

Is the situation the same when we talk about their work? And more importantly, are we ready to meet their requirements? Do we even want to give them what they want?

Is Gen Z Really bad news for business?

Every time that a new generation enters the employment market, it is often described as being bad news for business.

It is said that Gen Z has a short attention span, about eight seconds to be more specific, which is 4 seconds less than that of Millennials. As a result, it is easy to assume that it might be challenging to hold the attention of Gen Z. However, here is the truth: “Gen Zers are multitaskers, hard workers, determined and empathetic“ says Meghan Grace, Generational Researcher. She continues “They want to make an impact on the world”.

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What do they want out of work?

The Wi-fi generation is looking for leaders who are authentic human beings, people who are both talented and credible in their jobs. They think that people who are true to their values and beliefs are cool.

So, how can your organisation empower Digital Natives?

Be authentic: They want to make connections and create a community – but only with people they perceive to be authentic. Keep your values as your guiding star!

Offer a hybrid work experience: They are not the traditional nine-to-five generation, and for them work isn’t just about making money, it is also about having a rich life. This means that they highly value their personal lives, as well as their professional lives. What should you do? Offer them three days of work, the opportunity to attend meetings etc, and then two days to finish the project(s). They are also more likely to prefer working in the morning, then take a midday class, and then finish their work in the evening.

Level up their people skills: More than a third of Gen Z admit that technology has weakened their ability to maintain strong interpersonal relationships and develop people skills. Offer them self-directed training sessions for better communication in the workplace.

Update your learning program: Organisations that are not willing to modify their learning programs to meet the needs of Gen Z will find it more difficult to hire and retain younger employees in the years to come. This generation expect streamlined, consumer-like learning experience at work. Gen Z understand that learning is never finished – that’s something we could adopt from them.

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Action!

In this era we ara flooded with innovations and constant change on a daily basis, but we are usually too slow to successfully take advantage for most of them. Therefore, we have decided to implement a Cornerstone OnDemand learning module for this year at BE-terna. Cornerstone Learning empowers talent with personalized training programs, collaborative learning initiatives and certification paths that actively address specific competence and skill gaps.

If you want to go an extra »Gen-Z mile«, Cornerstone has developed a new, original learning series called DNA: Digital Native Advancement that helps organizations develop digital natives with the required »people skills« they need to be successful at work. The series features 27 nanolearning courses that follow a 12 month learning path.

Sample courses available here.

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Über den Autor

Monika Verbič

Marketing Specialist