A new generation of workers
As Generation Z begins to trickle into the workplace, a Waterloobased researcher says that besides their youth, they’re also bringing along with them a wish list of new wants and needs from their employers.
Director of University of Waterloo’s Work-Learn Institute AnneMarie Fannon told The Spectator that based on a 2022 survey conducted with co-op students at the university, the ability to have worklife balance is at the top of the ranks.
But it’s not enough for organizations to just say that it’s valued and move on, she noted.
“They want a clear plan for how an employer will live their values,” said Fannon. “As in what mechanisms and structures are in place that allow employees to maintain that balance.”
Fannon said Gen Z workers are also scanning job postings for employment security, a focus on diversity and inclusion as well as the promotion of lifelong learning and opportunities for career growth.
And when it comes to the type of work environments they’re looking for, a hybrid system tends to “bubble up” to the top as the “most appealing” — as opposed to strictly remote work.
Fannon said networking “really matters” for younger workers, noting that they look to in-person work as a space that allows them to build relationships with colleagues and learn from others.
Meanwhile, it also ties into job satisfaction and commitment as well as understanding how their work fits into their overall organization, she added.
But aside from wants and needs, Gen Z are also bringing their own distinctive qualities to the workplace.
Fannon said they are often seen as digital natives, having grown up immersed in social media and technology as well as being relatively flexible and independent.
Still in their youth, they’re also considered to be more entrepreneurial, better problem solvers and bigger thinkers — all things those employers facing worker shortages need to start tapping into.
“There is just so much innovation and creativity that simply comes from the fact that they’re young and their brains are still developing,” said Fannon. “It’s huge.”
‘‘ There is just so much innovation and creativity that simply comes from the fact that they’re young.
ANNE-MARIE FANNON UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO