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Generation-Z – those born between 1996 and 2010 – came into the workforce like a bull in a china shop. Some employers welcomed their new way of thinking, creative approach to work, and their attitude grounded in being principled. While other firms shied away from understanding this group they deemed to be opinionated, difficult to work with, and entitled.
This generation, like few before them, came into the working world with a clear idea of the company they want to work for and the life they want to have. Many employers echo this sentiment. Even those who have Gen-Z as a valued part of their staff say that this generation have expectations of their employer like they hadn’t seen before. Despite this, Gen-Z aren’t all the same, it’s just that these characteristics we are more likely to associate with extroversion are more likely to crop up in this group.
Grads have always felt they’re entitled, from every generation. There have been a few grads who haven’t worried about saying exactly what they think - I don’t know if that’s the individuals or the generation though
“The young people we recruit are incredibly driven and ambitious,” says Laura Hodges, Learning, Talent & Culture Lead at Santander Corporate Investment Bank. “Grads have always felt they’re entitled, from every generation. There have been a few grads who haven’t worried about saying exactly what they think - I don’t know if that’s the individuals or the generation though.”
Ultimately, Gen-Z is the embodiment of the cultural shift we’ve seen in recent years from the jobs market being employer-driven to being employee-driven – telling their employer what they want and how they want it. For this reason, those at the start of their career can be an essential tool in bolstering your organisation’s employee experience (EX) offering and can enable you to adequately understand your workforce and give them what they want.
Why is Gen-Z so demanding?
It’s worth cementing that Gen-Z is not a homogenous group. Like any generation, not everyone in one age group has the same life experiences, opinions or ideas about the world. Despite this, there is one experience that unites this age cohort – they were growing up, going through education, or graduating university during a pandemic and major shifts in the way we work.
Going through this experience, when there was such a focus on the employee and wellbeing, partnered with them growing up in an age of information and digitalisation, has given young people the confidence to express themselves in the workplace – but for some reason, we think this is a negative thing.
