Q: How can members of Generation X attract, hire and retain the new millennium generation workforce and prepare for Gen Z?
Wayne Roye, CEO Troinet
A: When addressing generational values and preferences, it is important to remember that these are generalizations. An individual person within a generation may not have these exact characteristics, so be cautious to avoid stereotyping someone.
To briefly address hiring, millennials are known for their aspirations to advance in their jobs quickly and work for an organization that is making a difference in the world. When recruiting, be sure to outline advancement opportunities and the typical timeline for promotion. Highlight your company's mission and values, providing examples of how these are impacting the internal and external environment.
In terms of preparing to hire Gen Z, organizations are in for a surprise, because the newest generation to enter the workforce is very different from millennials. Make sure your digital presence is in top form; Gen Z wants to work for an organization that is tech-savvy. Gen Z is known to be an independent, do-it-yourself generation, and it will appreciate a job with autonomy. It does not want to follow a traditional career path, so highlight the varied jobs your organization provides, whether that be across business units, client groups or examples of how one might take on new roles in another functional area.
Retention is an even more challenging matter to address concisely; there are many factors that play into this. Millennials like working in team-oriented settings, want to contribute to decisionmaking and empower managers to exhibit more participative leadership. Affirmation is a key value for millennials, so it is important to keep an open, honest dialogue about their career advancement potential. Gen Z is more pragmatic, but its members will also up the game on innovation. They will likely desire more autonomy and flexibility in the way they do their work and more choice in what that work is and even what their job title should be. Create opportunities for Gen Z members to take on new or expanding roles to satisfy their creative cravings and leverage their ability to easily embrace change.
Erica Diehn is an assistant professor of management at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business
