The Rise of Generation Z

Generation Z are the subsequent demographic, born 1997 to 2012³ and comprised ten percent of the electorate in the recent US Presidential election.⁹ Generation Z are the first cohort to have the internet readily available since their early years; viewed as digital natives¹⁰ with little recollection of a world before smartphones. Comprising over 13 percent of the global workforce⁸ this demographic entered the workplace during low unemployment and stable economic growth, now dashed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as the 2008 financial crisis shaped the millennials, so too will the pandemic shape the ‘Gen Z’ cohort: loss of their first job, disruption to their education and the resulting repercussions of social distancing and lockdown.

There are certainly behavioural trends that are emerging within this demographic, which are key in the workplace:

• Human First: Despite the increasingly digital world, one survey indicated that 90 percent of Gen Z prefer a human element to their work.¹¹ This demographic had a clear preference towards working as part of a team either without technology, or as a hybrid of teams and technology, than they would working exclusively within a digital environment.
• Work/Life Balance is not binary: Achieving a balance of work and life is one of the top considerations for Gen Z but is less of a priority for them as it is for millennials that preceded them.¹² Whilst less of a priority by comparison, this generation understand how technology blurs the boundaries between work and life and are choosing to use it to their advantage in choosing when and where to complete work.
• Social Conscience is key: Across multiple studies, Gen Z are marked as highly socially conscious. Clearly this driving their consumer activity, with 76 percent of Gen Z saying they have purchased or would consider purchasing from a brand to show support for the issues that the company supported.13 It is also having a significant impact on the organisations they wish to join, with 94 percent of Gen Z believing that companies should help address social and environmental issues (in comparison to 87 percent of Millennials).¹⁴

The Emergence of Generation Alpha Generation Alpha are the most recent demographic, born from 2013 onwards³ the eldest are in primary education and the youngest are yet to be born. So why would I write about preparing for this generation?

• Purpose: The growing trends in social conscience will only become greater and Generation Alpha will be selective over working for, and purchasing from, those businesses with a purpose that goes beyond profits and increasing shareholder value. Redefining a business’s purpose and creating the necessary change that flows through to behaviours can take years, certainly until it translates through to the market and employer brand. Those organisations who have not yet re-examined their purpose in a post-Friedman¹⁵ light will need to make this a strategic imperative to be ready for the future workforce and consumer market.
• Technological difference: Although Gen Z are the first digital natives, it is Generation Alpha that have been born entirely into a digital world. Their early education is already being shaped by screens and voice-controlled devices. Whilst it has been the Millennials that eschewed voice for text, we can expect Alpha will reverse this trend. The speed and formality of email are likely to be seen as wasteful, despite its ubiquity, and there will be an expectation of communication channels within the workplace that add genuine value. At the same time, this level of digital dexterity from this generation will come at a time where automation and technological advances are expected to have replaced and augmented many roles. This will see Alpha perfectly placed to undertake the new higher value tasks within the workplace.
• Vital wellbeing: The proximity of information and brands will mean that Generation Alpha will likely make their career decisions earlier than their predecessors. These choices, combined with greater life expectancy, will mean that Alphas will spend longer working than current generations. With increased blurring between work and life, the impact of the workplace will be more pronounced on this generation than others. The current trend of higher mental health reporting by Gen Z¹⁶ will grow under Alpha who will both see less associated stigma and are more likely to require support as a result of increased pervasiveness of technology.¹⁷ Organisations that continue to ensure the prioritisation of wellbeing services will find this will continue to deliver an important return on investment.