Believe it or not, in 2023, Gen-Z employees began outnumbering Boomers in the workplace. As Gen Z now makes up 18 percent of the workforce, it’s becoming more important than ever to create a workplace that attracts this growing employable demographic.
Understanding Gen Z in the Workplace
A comprehensive report “Understanding Generation Z in the workplace” by Deloitte found that Gen Z cares less about salary than every other generation. What did the report reveal that Gen Z does care about? The report revealed a lot of them care about deep corporate social responsibility as well as representation in the workplace. “Diversity matters to them through many dimensions, not just isolated to race and gender but also related to identity and orientation. Companies that can better represent the spectrum of differences in their external branding/marketing are much more likely to diversify their talent pipelines.”
Another Deloitte report revealed what Gen Z desires in managers: empathy as well as bosses that help them maintain a healthy workload as it affects their mental health. According to their research, Gen Zers ranked empathy as the second most important trait in a boss, while bosses ranked it, on average, a distant fifth.
What Our Gen Zers Say
At Society Insurance, we interviewed a few of our Gen Z employees and interns on what they value in managers:
“From my managers I am constantly looking for feedback, whether good or bad. Growth and development starting off in the business world is not linear and may seem intimidating. Communication from management about my performance not only eases this process but gives me an opportunity to learn from the best. Keeping strong relationships with management and leaders has given me fantastic mentorship during the start of my career.” – Elizabeth Buck, Workers Compensation Claims Intern
“Gen Z looks for managers who are transparent, approachable, and supportive of career growth. They value work-life balance, frequent feedback, and recognition. They also expect leaders to have diversity, be adaptable, and provide purpose in their work.” – Mataya Welak, Human Resources Generalist
“An ideal manager, to me, is someone I can learn from both personally and professionally. They aren’t afraid to hold me accountable to my tasks, but also create an environment where I can connect with them on a personal level.” – Jack Kese, Underwriting Intern
Final Thoughts About Gen Z in the Workplace
It’s clear Gen Z wants to create a more understanding and supportive workplace environment, something that will likely benefit us all in the long run. Though there may be some growing pains adjusting to Gen Z’s desires, the pay off will be worth it to attract these ambitious early career professionals.
To learn more about how our people make the biggest difference, visit societyinsurance.com/careers/.
