Generation Z in the Workforce (Part 1)
An article from LinkedIn Talent Solutions titled “Does Gen Z Need Fixing? Or Just a Little Understanding?” sparked conversations within the walls of the Millenilink office. We spoke to three Millenilink Gen Z employees and tried to better understand the assumed ‘generation gap’ in the workforce, and how attracting Gen Z talent differs from the generations preceding it.
Meet our Gen Z interviewees:
Ayesha, Technical Recruiter: Ayesha recently graduated from York University where she attained a Bachelor of Human Resource Management degree. Ayesha had multiple student jobs and industry-specific work experiences prior to graduation related to her career goals. As Ayesha continues to work in Tech Recruitment, she has plans to pursue a CHRP certification.
Bolu, Web Marketing Intern: Bolu is entering her third year in Human-Computer Interaction at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Bolu has held 3 developer roles, as well as extra-curricular positions and activities in Social Media Marketing and Hackathon achievements that support her future career goals.
Madison, Tech Labor Market Research Intern: Madison is a 4th year student from Western University, pursuing a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies with a specialization in Consumer Behavior. Madison held an industry-related job while in school, and multiple extra-curricular roles related to specific career goals varying from sponsorship to journal review.
Our first topic, “Early Tech Exposure”, how early exposure affects Gen Z’s working process, work environment preferences and communication styles.
Tech Natives and Early Tech Exposure
Ayesha, Bolu and Madison noted having experienced a significant integration of technology in their lives growing up. Bolu and Madison shared having ‘Computer Literacy’ curriculums in elementary school to teach proper typing techniques and to integrate technology into learning. Madison reflected on having been provided laptops in her elementary school class for a short time to teach students how to find reputable sources for assignments through search engines.
Through discussion with our interviewees, they agreed that technology was much faster adopted by them, than by the preceding generations. Gen Z growing up with new tech innovations since birth, allowed for tech to be applied to vast areas of their life including, social life, educational experiences and most other personal and educational aspects of their formative years. Their history of tech use makes Gen Z and those coming into the workforce behind them, their bare minimum threshold for technology usage higher than those that precede them.
Additionally, they are used to using technology and are more adaptable to learning and properly utilizing new tech integrations as they have been working alongside it for educational purposes and a large part of their social life for years.
These conclusions and opinions show that technology adoption is an expected tool driving the methods in which they like to work and communicate in a professional environment. From choosing to incorporate digital communications (email, text and instant chat) to face-to-face working environment, to previewing new technology to assess its capabilities to enhance their work, Gen Z is an unmatched player in driving the adoption of new technologies in the workplace.
Maybe Gen Z is just more trusting of technology as they have been surrounded by it for the large majority of their life, but it is clear that they are more in tune to adapt to new technologies and innovations in the workplace.
It’s easy to understand why Gen Z would be resistant to workplaces not adapting to technology innovations - Because imagine if the people who fought against the implementation of the World Wide Web, won…
There are three more parts to this series: Workforce Preparedness, Flexibility and Work Environment, and Learning and Growth in the Workplace.
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