The Gen Z population is fast entering the workforce. These youngsters are brimming with fresh zeal, passion, and lots of energy: every employer wants them on their team, but the downside, one a lot of employers contend with, is their volatility. Gen Z-ers are famous for being quick to walk away from jobs at the snap of a finger.
We had a discussion with Gen Z members of our community and a few of their employers, and we created a resourceful guide to help you hire, retain, and manage your Gen Z employees. You can get them here. But here’s a snippet.
The average Gen Z-er is selective when it comes to employers, refusing to put up with certain job standards the previous generations worked in. This causes a strain for employers and businesses who want to attract and retain the very best of young talent. In this article, you would learn 7 easy tips to get your Gen Z employees to stay.
How to retain your Gen Z employees
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Offer Flexibility
You may credit it to youthful exuberance but this generation wants to know that they are in charge, even while working for someone else! They want independence and control- over their lives, over work. Although the pandemic necessitated work flexibility in the form of remote work, a lot of businesses still offer remote work options to give employees flexibility and your company shouldn’t be an exception. You can even take it up a notch and give the option of choosing work hours. Job flexibility enables employees create work-life balance, it helps them plan their lives effectively, meet up with other commitments and basically live a fulfilled life whose rewards come as better job performance and satisfaction all which drives chances of employee retention.
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Upskill
Everything gets out-dated eventually, skills inclusive. Due to this, employees constantly seek avenues to upgrade and update their repertoire just to stay relevant in this fast changing world. Workplaces that enable upskilling have better chances of attracting and retaining Gen Z employees. Plus, the company reaps the benefit of very skilled workforce.
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Scale up company ethics and values
Company values are statements of the organization’s mission, vision and principles. It basically guides the functions of the company, it tells the world what the company is and what it stands for. As kids, we all had dreams, plans to improve the world and make it a better place to live in. Gen Z employees still have much of that childhood desire and are looking for enabling organizations whose values align with theirs. Scaling up and refining the company’s values will not only help attract the passionate, purpose driven employees, it retains them.
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Get personal
Even within a group, we all want to feel a sense of individuality. No one wants to be lost in the crowd. Take a personal approach and get to know individual employee needs and desires. This helps to create an efficient work system and also meet them at the point of their needs.
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Use Tech
Technology has intercepted almost all industries and is now making things easier and better. Gen Z-ers are tech-savvy, they grew up in an era where technology flourished, the last thing they want is to work in an environment that refuses to keep up with times. No Gen Z-er wants to walk into their office and feel like they just went a century back in time. In light of this, make room for systems and software that facilitate faster and more convenient work.
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Set up a leadership system not a bossy system
Proper leadership in the workplace points employees in the right direction, giving space for each employee to express themselves in carrying out tasks. Bossiness on the other hand is scrutinizing, it means stifling employees and being all up in their space. The result? Employees feel constrained, not allowed to express themselves and not being able to employ some level of creativity in completing tasks. This can plateau levels of job satisfaction and eventually push employees to seek employment elsewhere. In order to prevent this, coaching should take the place of micromanagement. This sends a signal to the employee that says “We trust you enough to deliver excellently”.
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Eliminate boredom
Routines gets old, work can be boring sometimes. This comes as bad news to energy filled youths who are still very much excited about life and are seeking a thrill out of work. To free them from the shackles of boredom, consider switching up work routines and giving challenges. Just inject some fun and excitement into work. Aside from eliminating boredom, you would also get their creative juices flowing which would largely benefit the company.
Final note
While getting getting Gen Z employees to stay requires a little bit of tact, it’s not a daunting task. Just a few adjustments and you’re well on your way to retaining your Gen Z workforce.