Welcome back to a new series, everyone! We are so excited to share with our employers (and employees) what some of our different generational professionals prefer in their work environments. So, if you are recruiting, thinking about starting up a company, or working within HR on company culture or corporate policy, this is a great article for you. Keep reading to stay up to date with how to best cater to employees of different ages and life stages!

Let’s…Recruit Gen Z!

Workplace and Office Environment: The environment is key to workplace satisfaction for this generation! So, what do we mean by a positive working environment? Consider natural lighting, open space, updated furniture, and an office that feels “light.” Gone are the days of dark cubicles and grey, and welcome are the days of color. The more enjoyable the physical environment is, the most enjoyable your employees are likely to be. Especially with companies hosting full-remote or hybrid work schedules, now is a fantastic time to evaluate how your office is perceived. When is the last time you made updates? How do you upkeep the space? Have you looked around at other comparable companies’ workspaces?
Hybrid Flexibility: That’s right, the pandemic created a permanent shift in the way that employees are considering their day-to-day in-person expectations. So, if able, we highly consider that your office integrates a flexible and hybrid working environment into your daily expectations. Whether this looks like 3 in-person/2 virtually enforced days per week, 5-day flexibility, 1-day per week requirement, etc., every formation looks different! Allowing and embedding trust into your employees by affording them the chance to guide their own daily routine is a phenomenal way to retain talent. We also encourage you to incentivize this type of benefit! Maybe this looks like meeting a sales quota, a deliverable, an outcome, etc., but creating rewards in the form of flexibility for performance is also a great means of positive reinforcement.
Well-being Benefits and Focus: What does this mean to your employment package? Mental health days, rewards for completing tasks, flexibility on Fridays, well-being checks, and resources (like online learning) are all great manifestations of a focus on your employee’s well-being. Remember, the happier that you can make your employees each day, the more elongated motivation and consideration they will feel to stay with your company. Gen Z is cognizant of the way that their employers show “care” for their professional development, and the best part is, you can do this in numerous ways. So make sure you’re staying up to date with employee satisfaction surveys, insight, suggestions, and the voice of your company.
Teamwork and Management Transparency: In the same way the Corporate influence (in terms of charity, volunteer, environmental, and social impact work) influences how Gen Z perceives companies, so does their leadership. Gen Z expects to be guided by honest, open, and approachable leaders that are motivated by and dedicated to their company. Instilling a clear mission and vision that is focused on positive change for the environment and world, and instilling a sense of care in employee well-being, is a crucial way that companies can ensure their Gen Z employees trust their intent and stick with them for the long haul.

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