This generation of employees will soon take over a third of the labour market: experts give advice how to attract them

More and more members of Generation Z (people born from the end of the 1990s to the beginning of the current decade) are entering the labour market. According to estimates, they will comprise 27% of the total workforce in the countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by 2025. For employers competing for talent this means the need to understand the expectations, priorities, and values of such people.

Oriented towards self-realization and personal goals

Ruta Braziene, Assoc. Prof. at Vilnius University Faculty of Philosophy, says that probably the main exclusive feature of Gen Z is the focus on individualism. According to her, research shows, that these people also really value self-realization and the pursuit of goals.

“The individualism of Gen Z exudes in various aspects of life. For example, people born between 1997 and 2012 tend to postpone having partner and starting a family for later stages of life, they aren’t quick to commit. At work, this trait mostly manifests via the pursuit of personal results and career goals. The representatives of this generation can be reasonably called careerists.

Professional achievements and promotions are really important to them,” Braziene said.

Stereotypes don’t fit reality

Personnel Director at YIT Lietuva, a sustainable city and infrastructure development company, Nerile Napriene also indicates professional growth as one the most important elements among young employees. She has noticed that young people don’t just have career-related ambitions and dreams about certain goals – they are actually trying to make them true.

“Young employees often get labels that are based on stereotypes, i.e. they want to achieve everything without too much effort. Our company’s experience is contrary. We see that young employees are single-mindedly pursuing their goals, are interested in the exact actions they should take, what skills and traits to obtain or strengthen to get the desired result,” Napriene said.

According to the personnel director, she has not noticed the so-called quiet quitting trend, which is supposedly common among young professionals, either. This term is used to describe the unwillingness of employees to put additional effort and the aim to work as little as possible.

Napriene thinks that young employees, on the contrary, try to be as effective as possible at work and look for new ways to complete tasks faster and better, and want the organization to feel their impact.

Boundaries have been erased

Mindaugas Sestilo, Personnel Director at Telia Global Services Lithuania competence centre, says that today young people are very motivated by interesting and meaningful work, additional activities, and the ability to engage in them. According to him, the young generation has brought a unique outlook into the market that the current activities and personal life may overlap.

“They don’t have limiting experiences and prejudice. Older employees often have strict boundaries or even create a particular image that differs from the actual person. However, the young professionals who are just entering the labour market, are much more relaxed. Sometimes this can be seen from such simple details ass clothing – the work outfit is indistinguishable from the leisure one. If they feel good at home wearing slippers, they will go to work wearing slippers,” Sestilo noticed.

Not afraid to voice opinions

Personnel experts see that career is not the only thing that matters to young employees. They also attach great importance to such areas as sustainability. According to Napriene, the youth value the workplace’s commitments and efforts to decrease its environmental impact and contribute to positive changes. Young employees care about the company’s they work at reputation.

“We also notice that young employees are not afraid to voice their opinion, offer ideas, and often are more open than their older colleagues. Also, they expect feedback and an objective and honest evaluation of their efforts. The current generation is very social – they get into groups and have fun together,” Napriene said.

According to Sestilo, there’s another trend – members of Gen Z change jobs and positions easier and more often. This behaviour stems from the desire to reach their goals or realize ambitions.

“Younger professionals often challenge the old-established order of companies, which is very beneficial because that’s how new solutions and ideas are born. These are the people who stimulate the other employees – older or more experienced,” Sestilo added.

Napriene points out that with members of Gen Z entering the labour market more and more actively, executives and companies have to adapt, learn new things, and consider the needs of young people better. What is more, members of younger generations are less loyal, that is why more effort is needed to retain them.

Social justice matters

The head of personnel management company Emplonet, Violeta Jakute, says that members of Gen Z value companies that cherish diversity, stress transparency, honesty and equal rights and opportunities. They also value frequent and open conversations with managers when resolving conflicts. It has been noticed that the productivity of Gen Z employees is higher when they are paired with members of Gen Y (LinkedIn data), who are all about communication and empowerment.

Therefore, the employers who want to attract and retain such people should focus more on the company’s image and prevailing information on social media. Members of Gen Z actively read news, and the opinions of society and peers matter to them.

The majority of them choose companies that care about diversity and have a strong social justice culture. For them, it is important that the trademark acknowledges individuality, conveys only the authentic truth and supports free self-expression, meaningful and noble goals, and sustainability.

Equality, diversity, inclusion – these buzzwords will definitely catch the attention of Gen Z when choosing an employer. Quite often they are interested more in company culture, not job functions.

For 38% of Gen Zers, the work-life balance is the most important criteria when deciding to join a company. This generation is used to remote work and thinks that it is a natural thing that contributes to the work-life balance and the ability to coordinate several professional activities at the same time.