7 Key Expectations of Gen Z Employees That Must be Addressed

It was just a couple of years back that the corporate world saw a massive surge in the number of millennial employees joining the workforce. These were the individuals born between 1980-95 and were fresh new additions to the workforce. The one thing that millennials took seriously was getting recognized for their efforts. To hire and retain the top talents, organizations had to revamp their work culture and reframe their goals to fit in with the changing global financial system. As these changes were taking the desired shape, there has now emerged a new generation of job seekers, the Gen Z'ers or the iGen's.

Who are these Gen Z'ers?

Individuals belonging to Generation Z are those who are born between the mid-’90s and early 2000. Unlike their predecessors, i.e. the millennials, Gen Z’ers are raised in the lap of technological advancements. This is one of the reasons why they are often referred to as iGens.

Many people put the millennials and Gen Z'ers in the same category because of the skinny layer of differences between them. However, the latter is more demanding and far more ahead when it comes to adopting new technology.

Having an inclusive mindset that is willing to learn new things and the constant search for challenges makes Gen Z more unique and impressive. For this reason, they have higher expectations compared to the former generations, especially when it comes to their career. That is why, as an employer, if you can understand and act on their expectations, you can harness the best out of this tech-savvy generation of workers to achieve goals together.

In this blog, I’ll be discussing a few expectations with you that these Gen Z’s usually have in mind whenever they look for jobs or join an organization.

7 Expectations of Gen Z’s That They Have From Their Employers

1. Freedom of Thoughts

Gen Z's possess a unique point of view regarding everything they come across. Being born and brought up amidst technological advancements, they always think ahead while taking any major step.

Employers often make the mistake of neglecting their ideas owing to their young age and inexperience. However, the same could help the organization excel in the long run and probably stay competitive. The individuals belonging to Gen Z are constantly flooded with the latest information from around the world. This thing, combined with their high enthusiasm, gives them an ample opportunity to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to various problems.

Suppose you have employees belonging to Generation Z. In that case, you must encourage them to open up and always acknowledge their views with a positive note.

2. Flexibility at Work

The advent of cloud computing has now made it possible for everyone to work from anywhere and anytime. This is something that the previous generations of the workforce didn't enjoy much, but now it tops the list of expectations of Gen Z's.

Gen Z’s value their personal lives as much as their professional lives. They look forward to opportunities where they can truly perform without compromising their freedom. And as an employer, you can address this by implementing flexible work schedules at the workplace or by allowing them to work from home whenever they desire.

Further, you should allow them to take up their own project or get involved in an ongoing project if they’re interested to learn more about it. I believe this is probably one of the best ways to keep your Gen Z employees engaged and make them feel connected to their organization.

3. Transparent Work Culture

Gen Zs are highly intuitive and observant about the circumstances around them. They are also those who don't refrain from standing up against the situations they feel strongly for.

Gen Zs act on genuine validation. They can verify themselves and expect the same from everyone else, including their employers. They crave transparency everywhere, which helps them make the right decisions and correct their course if they deviate from their end goals.

Having a transparent work culture hence becomes very crucial when you have Gen Z employees as it increases their confidence over the employers and boosts their productivity in the workplace.

4. Scope of Learning and Development

Gen Zs always stay curious and are very young, which feeds their willingness to keep learning.

For Gen Zs, learning and development will always be a top priority. They expect to learn from their experiences and apply them whenever the need arises. Even in your organization, it would be wrong to think that Gen Z employees are only there for doing their jobs. These employees are always looking out for opportunities to learn and grow professionally.

Therefore, as a responsible employer, you should facilitate them with various learning materials and support their will to learn while working for your organization.

Related: Growing Need for Upskilling and Reskilling Employees: Covid-19 Issue

5. Access to the Latest Technologies

The productivity of Gen Z'ers is directly related to technology. They are bought up in an environment where they have been in constant touch with the latest technologies since their early days.

They are so reliant on technology that they often find it challenging to cope with a work environment that operates using traditional methods instead of automation.

That is why after joining an organization, they always desire to have the latest tools and technologies required for the job at their disposal. This not only satisfies them but at the same time positively impacts the workflow within the organization.

Furthermore, Gen Z employees can also act as great consultants when their employers desire to implement new technologies at the workplace for optimizing their overall performance.

6. Less Bureaucracy

It won't be wrong to term Gen Z'ers as rule-breakers who wish to work on their own terms to give the best. Gen Zs like to enjoy their freedom and have their own space whenever they are upto doing something. They highly disregard any action aimed towards controlling their thoughts. And they wouldn't mind changing their jobs if they face anything similar in the workplace.

The energy and motivation levels within the Gen Zs are unmatchable compared to their seniors. So, instead of limiting the Gen Zs through bureaucracy, the employers should try to channel their enthusiasm towards the mutual goals by nurturing them through constructive feedback from time to time.

7. Support for Social Causes

The individuals belonging to Generation Z are always involved in various social activities more than anyone else. They are the new advocates of change worldwide, and they like to associate themselves with organizations that address various issues in their own way. This could be like reducing carbon footprint in the workplace or uplifting the underprivileged by encouraging the employees to take up voluntary classes at least once a week.

Gen Zs feel proud working for such organizations and are motivated to give their best performance even if there aren’t any extra incentives in the process.

Related: Foster Your Business With Corporate Social Responsibility

The Bottomline

Gen Zs are the future of the workforce capable of taking things into their own hands and bringing innovation. Employers can benefit a lot by recruiting these young talents who are self-motivated and are always eager to take up challenges. The only way to attract and retain these talented individuals is to provide them with a good wage while addressing some of their expectations, as I have mentioned above. So, it is now up to employers to make Gen Z'ers an integral part of their organization and move upwards in the future.

Working as a SEO Analyst and Content Marketer at Vantage Circle, Angshuman always stays curious and is passionate about learning new things. Got any question? Drop a mail at editor@vantagecircle.com