What Employers Need to Know About Generation Z

What Employers Need to Know About in richtungeration ZWhat Employers Need to Know About Generation ZYou hear a lot about Millennials, but do you know who else is starting to hit the workforce? Generation Z.At over two billion people, Generation Z is the largest generational cohort of all time. They will rock your world- if not already- then very shortly.How can you use Gen Zs strengths while providing them with work that has meaning- a necessity to this new cohort of workers. Generation Z members were born starting in the mid-1990s. (Additional names suggested for this cohort include Post Millennials, Homeland Generation, Centennials, iGeneration, Gen Tech, Gen Wii, Net Gen, Digital Natives, and Plurals.) So far, Gen Z is winning the notoriety contest. The oldest members of Gen Z are just finishing up college. A few have graduated, and more are currently enrolled, and doing internships. They are just hitting the workforce, and a lot of them are currently doing their first summer inte rnship. How does this generation differ from preceding generations and what do they think about the workplace?LendEDU, a student loan corporation, surveyed interns- who are mostly Gen Z and found interesting information. Even in the Internet Age, Connections Are About Networking You might think that Gen Z found their internships by researching companies on the internet and applying directly- and a little more than 30 percent did. But, 43 percentfound their internships through family connections. This means that even as the internet has made contacts, ideas and information more accessible to everyone, who you know is totenstill more important than what you can Google. And who you are related to really makes a difference. Gen Z understands that its real life connections that make the big difference when it comes to finding an internship. 91 percent of the Gen Z cohort feel thatconnections outweigh grades when it comes to landing a job. That could mean that studying and actual lear ning isnt what they are focused on if they already have family and friend connections. It could also mean that people who dont have good connections may feel that they dont have much hope of finding a great internship. leid Everyone Gets an Internship Thirty-four percent of college seniors have had two or more internships, and 26 percent have had one internship, but that means 40 percent of seniors havent had a single internship. While internships arent required for graduation at most universities, they are extremely helpful for finding that first job. Without an internship, theres nothing to distinguish one student from another except for a grade point average. A student without an internship hasnt proven himself in any way other than in the classroom. Other jobs, of course, can provide evidence of surviving in a work environment, but retail and restaurants provide a different (albeit valuable) experience than a professional internship can provide. Gen Z thinks that connections are the way to find internships. So, its possible that some of these students who have not had any internships didnt apply for internships because they believed that they could only get one through family connections. Remember that 90 percent of Gen Z members surveyed believe connections are the most important factor- 60 percent of people found their internships through either applying online, help from their career counseling center or through extra-curricular activities. Internships arent limited to those with connections, even though connections certainly help. Its Not About the Money When faced with the choice between an internship that would open a lot of doors or one that pays better, Gen Z preferred to look at the long-term, and 93 percent opted for the one that would open doors, rather than the one attached to a bigger paycheck. Money is important, and many internships in tech and big business do offer pay and they pay quite well, but an internship is about gaining expe rience. Legally, unless the internship meets very strict guidelines, it is illegal not to pay interns if a company is for profit. That doesnt mean, however, that unpaid internships in the for-profit world dont exist. They do, largely because students are willing to work as interns for the experience and business owners dont understand the laws regarding interns. Those members of Gen Z who chase the internships are doing it for the experience, which also means there may be pressure on those who do not have internships to work for higher pay to support themselves. The students who believe that internships only come through connections and believe that its only about experience, may not seek an internship if it cant provide a big paycheck. What Is Generation Z Doing With Downtime? An internship, like almost all jobs, can have boring moments and some downtime. What do Generation Z interns do with that downtime? Well, the results probably wont surprise you 43% look at random websites .19% watch Netflix18% shop online20% do something else Clearly, this is a well-wired generation- or rather a wifi generation. As of 2015, 86% of college students owned a smartphone. So, you dont even have to give your intern a computer for them to find a way to waste time on the internet. What Does This Mean for Business Owners? If youre a manager or an owner and you want to help out a college student by providing an internship, what can you learn from this? The most important take away is that there are tons of college students out there who have not done an internship, even though they are in their senior year. You probably do not have to offer a high paycheck to attract an intern, as long as you provide meaningful work experiences. You may want to consider who you hire as interns- are you only looking at friends and relatives of your current employees? If not, are you giving preference to those people? If so, why? Lots of companies talk about increasing their diversity, but h iring interns out of the limited pool of friends and family of your current employees often excludes first-generation college students. If youre the first person in your family to go to college, you are less likely to have a parent or other relative in a white-collar job who can vouch for you. Consider placing more of an emphasis on online and career counseling center recruiting. You will find great candidates you would otherwise have overlooked- and youre giving a student an opportunity they wouldnt have had otherwise. If you find that your interns are spending too much time on their phones, you have a couple of options tell them to put it away, or keep them so busy that they have no time for goofing off. Because generation Z reports that they want internships for experience, theyll appreciate additional work responsibilities and challenges that can go on their resumes. Dont Complain About Generation Z The newest members of your workforce are (of course) the youngest members. E very new generation comes with the old fogies saying, When I was their age... The reality is that there are differences between a generation that was raised with an iPhone in their hand and a generation that rode in station wagons without seat belts. But, the biggest difference is simply age and a lack of experience. What you may blame on a generation is really the product of being new to the workforce. Give them a break and hire an intern or two. You may decide to keep them.