With Gen Z making a forceful entrance into the workforce, the workplace is about to undergo a radical change. This set of individuals born between 1996 and 2010 are coming into the workforce with their own unique set of values, priorities, and needs. They are the first generation of digital natives which means their perception of life is different from previous generations. And guess what! They are about to surpass the millennials as the earth’s most populous generation.
Currently, Gen Z makes up 24% of the global workforce and that figure will keep increasing in the coming years. This means very soon, the larger percentage of your employees will be Gen Z. And asides from being digital natives, they are the most diverse group to enter the workforce. Employers are now faced with the task of managing this new crop of the workforce to keep business running.
For you as an employer to efficiently manage Gen Z, you have to understand their needs and values and how to meet them. It will also help you prepare your workplace to receive the incoming influx of Gen Z. Let’s find out what Gen Z expects from the workplace.
How to Manage the Gen Z in the Workplace
Amongst all the generations of the workforce, Gen Z is the least concerned with salary. They are more concerned with working in areas of interest and with businesses and employers that align to their ideals and values. They care a lot about their personal well-being and work-life balance. This means they will gravitate more towards organizations that offer flexible work hours and wellbeing initiatives. If your company does not have an employee wellbeing program, it might just be time to create one.
Because Gen Z is a very diverse group, issues of social inclusion and sustainability are top on their priority list. Racial and gender equality as well as carbon footprint reduction are a major concern to them. A typical Gen Z will not take up a job in a company if he/she finds out that the company does not consider these issues important. Gen Z essentially expects companies to operate as global entities and do their part in promoting sustainability, social justice, and environmental justice.
Being the first generation of digital natives, the Gen Z workforce is very tech-savvy. They grew up staring at computer screens and mobile devices, the younger ones cannot even remember a time without smartphones. They are already very familiar with office productivity tools, most are social media experts, and they are very comfortable learning high-level programs needed in their roles.
The Gen Z workforce will be highly disappointed if their organizations’ use of technology is not up-to-date. To attract and keep the Gen Z workforce, your company must fully adopt current technological workspace tools. This will not only attract Gen Z, but it will optimize their productivity and give them desired job satisfaction.
Transparency and clearly spelled out roles/job descriptions are more important to the Gen Z workforce than all other previous generations. Gen Z wants to know exactly what’s expected of them in their work roles so they can pour their energy into it. They want their work to count and expect feedback from their employers during and after every project. The great thing about this is that they are less afraid of failures than the millennials. Gen Z largely sees failure as an opportunity to learn and so they embrace it as part of the growth process.
Growing up in the wake of the Great Recession, global climate, and health crisis, and social media scandals, Gen Z are not as trusting as preceding generations. They are very skeptical and question everything and anything without fear, including their bosses. They are very cautious and can easily spot pretense. The Gen Z workforce expects employers to be transparent in their communication with them. They want to know what’s going on and how they can be part of it. Keeping your Gen Z in the loop shows them that you care and makes them feel heard and included.
Top Flexispot Product for Creatively Flexible Office Space
Away from the traditional employee benefits, mental health and wellbeing have become the most sort after employee benefits, particularly for the Gen Z workforce. They are continuously on the lookout for organizations that offer flexible work hours, creatively flexible workspace, and hybrid office design.
Although it might take a while to meet up with the expectations of Gen Z, adopting a creatively flexible design office workspace is a good place to start. Ergonomic furniture is a key component of a creatively designed workspace. It enhances employee wellbeing while boosting productivity and creativity. Here are some top Flexispot products that you will find useful in designing your flexible office space.
Home Office All-in-One Desk Bike
The home office all-in-one desk bike is perfect for Gen Z who are always concerned about keeping fit. The desk bike helps workers stay active even when carrying out tasks that are usually sedentary. It merges exercise and works so seamlessly to enable employees to work long hours without compromising on their health. And the best part is that it does this noiselessly. Your Gen Z employees will love you for this desk bike.
The pneumatic adjustment lever allows employees to adjust the seat to the most comfortable height. Employees working from home are more tempted to ignore exercise, but this desk bike eliminates all their excuses. Because it is a little expensive, subsidizing the purchase of the desk bike shows your employees that you care about their wellbeing.
Vici Duplex Standing Desk
This electric height adjustable standing desk gives your employees the choice of seating or standing to work. Its two-tier design makes it suitable for all kinds of office work. In single-tier mode gives the desk a larger desktop working area for tasks that require a large surface area e.g writing or drawing.
In double-tier mode, the desk gives a versatile dual desktop; one for your monitor and the other for your other accessories. The upper tier can also be used as a mini-library to keep books, art supplies, and photos e.t.c.
The height can be preset to four programmable heights for sitting and standing and activated at the touch of a button. It also features a LED display that shows the desk height at any given time. It helps improve employee wellbeing by cutting off long hours of sedentary work.
Portable Laptop Stand Docking Station
Flexispot portable laptop stand docking station brings a new level of productivity by expanding laptop connectivity. It comes with a single full-featured type-C cord. The foldable and portable device employee connect their laptops to as many devices as they need to complete their works. The laptop can be connected to Ethernet network data, optical disk drive, external hard drives, speakers, mouse, and many other USB devices.
The ergonomic tiltable angle of this device makes it suitable for every posture. It can be tilted to any angle suitable to the user reducing back and neck pain related to bad posture. It is also designed to keep the laptop base exposed for fast cooling. And the best part is that it is very portable. It can be folded and carried about easily without any additional weight impact.
Monitor Stand Workstation
Clutter does not go hand in hand with productivity. An organized space makes for more productive work. Although this device looks like a large and somewhat unnecessary monitor stand at face value, it is in reality a large beautifully designed, partitioned storage space. It helps you keep the workstation well organized and your accessories safely stored.
It is easy to install and features a USP charging port for charging USB devices while you work. Small beautiful cutouts can also be added at the sides for holding stationery and other small desk accessories. These cutouts are however sold separately.
The highlight of the monitor stand workstation is its integrated UV sterilization. Employees can completely sanitize phones, stationery, keyboard, mouse, and all other accessories in 10 minutes. It keeps the workplace germ-free and healthy; drastically reducing the chances of employee ill-health. There’s no better monitor stand workstation to keep your Gen Z workforce happy and productive.
Soutein Ergonomic Office Chair
The Soutein ergonomic office chair is the ideal chair for your creatively flexible workspace. This chair eliminates backache by providing lumbar support to the body, thus reducing the pressure in the lower back. And almost everything about it is adjustable. The 3 D lumbar support system, 4D cushioned armrest, and seat depth are all adjustable. This means it can be set up to meet the needs of specific employees.
Soutein ergonomic chair is made of flexible, durable, and breathable mesh. The backrest can be tilted 45o backward. This enables you to recline comfortably on your seat when taking a break. The chair provides a comfortable ultimate seating experience.
FAQ
In the bid to understand the upcoming changes in the global workforce, employers are asking so many questions about Generation Z. Let’s take a look at some.
What does Gen Z Want in a Workplace?
They value physical and mental wellbeing so much that their topmost priority is work-life balance. Gen Z wants flexible working conditions, they often do not want to be confined in a place and prefer working on the go, all thanks to their digitally inclined lifestyles.
Gen Z wants a positive, collaborative work environment. Although tech-savvy and cynical, Gen Z values a sense of community. They thrive most when working with like-minded people in a friendly environment.
A typically Gen Z wants to know exactly what is expected of him. In a work environment where roles are increasingly undefined and boundaries are fast disappearing, Gen Z wants clear-cut details of their job description.
Gen Z wants authenticity and transparency from their employers. They want to see authenticity in the way their employer relates with them. They want communication and want to be kept in the loop on happenings within the organization.
They want career growth and development. They want to work with an organization that encourages their growth. Things like internal and external pieces of training, workshops, seminars, etc matter a lot to them.
Gen Z loves tech. They were born into it. They want to work in an environment that maximizes technological tools in achieving company goals and objectives.
How to Attract Gen Z in a Workplace
Over 90% of Gen Z are active on social media. Social media should be integrated into the recruitment channel.
Provide career growth opportunities. Gen Z wants stability and career development. They want to work with companies that provide a career growth plan for employees. They are going to be attracted to such companies above others. Now’s the time to start drawing a development plan for your business if you do not already have one.
Gen Z values mental wellbeing and will naturally gravitate towards organizations that take employee wellbeing seriously.
Build a mentoring system within your organization such that the Gen Z employees are paired with millennials and preceding generations. These older employees in your company can serve as mentors to the younger generation and guide them in their career development.
By all means, incorporate current workplace technological software into your processing system. Gen Z are digital natives and won’t function optimally in a place that’s technological out of date
Wrapping up: Cultivate a Millennial-Friendly Workplace
Although the values and expectations of the new workforce might not align with yours, there’s no cause for worry. As an employer, you should be more concerned with creating an environment that’s welcoming to the new members of the workforce.
Make collaboration easy for your workers to work as a team. Create work meetings and brainstorming sessions just for the sake of interaction. It creates a bond amongst your team and makes collaboration easy for them. Also, remember to update your workspace with relevant technology to enhance productivity and save time.
