As Boomers, Millennials and Xer’s age, the influence imposed by the wave of Gen Z is increasing quickly. These Zoomers, now outnumber Boomers in the workplace and are reshaping the world of work with greater expectations of collaboration, meaning and work-life balance. It is more than just being younger, these new entrants bring totally different backgrounds. You might expect the Big 4 Australian banks would be seeking out graduates from fields such as economics, finance and business, but you would be wrong. Having worked with graduate cohorts of major banks, a huge percentage are now brought in with degrees in computer science, engineering and cyber security.
These new graduates are nothing like the people who are tasked with managing them. They didn’t study the same subjects, don’t know the ‘way we do things’ and are demanding a new type of leadership to support them… one that many old-school managers are struggling to provide. Those hoping that the ‘youngsters will toughen up’ or ‘fall in line’ are in for a rude shock. It is time leaders stop hoping for them to change and instead adapt to the future of leadership.
Are zoomers worth the trouble?
There was a time when having a job was a privilege. Employees were patient and loyal, seeking stability in a long-term career. And when the boss said jump and the reply was… well you know the rest. Like it or not, this time is over. Gen Z are highly mobile, seeing each job as a partnership that should be mutually beneficial. They expect to be recognised and promoted quickly and won’t hesitate to change jobs to find what they want. They are more interested in doing meaningful work and reject the idea of being a loyal soldier. They have far less respect for hierarchy and bureaucracy, guided by their ethical values and social connections more than the antiquated rule books of the past.
It might sound like it is all downside, but these Zoomers are also some of the most sought after minds on the planet. Being excellent collaborators, digital natives and highly adaptive means many of the current and future software engineers, particularly AI specialists, are going to be Gen Z. With companies like Meta offering US$100m sign-on bonuses for these skills, the war for talent is hotter than ever before and attracting, supporting and retaining your Gen Z’s will become a critical role of all leaders.
Lead with empathy
We need Gen Z and they are different, this we must all accept. We’ve seen that the old methods lead to disengagement, quiet quitting and terrible retention rates. The next logical question is, how can the older generations best lead them? From my work with thousands of leaders across a range of industries, here are three simple tips leaders can implement with their Zoomers, and frankly any employee, to build engagement and performance.
1. Be Curious, Not Defensive
One thing you should expect from your Gen Z’s is disagreement. Unlike generations more accustomed to hierarchical compliance, the Zoomers aren’t afraid to speak their minds, even if it wasn’t requested or welcome. A natural tendency for some leaders will be to stamp their authority on the situation and put the plucky doubter in their place. Please, don’t do this.
Sure, you might be right and they might be wrong, but this isn’t point scoring. With Gen Z, it is critical you are building a trusted relationship based on values and principles. They won’t follow you because you are the boss, they want to be supported, guided and co-create a better future with you. Instead, take a moment to hear their comments with conscious curiosity. Withhold judgments and assumptions and instead explore for more information. A great phrase to use in this situation is: “That’s interesting, tell me more.” This curiosity is not only a step into more opportunities, it is a bridge that builds trust.
2. Always Explain Why
As a young kid, my grandfather would ask me to do something to which my initial response was: Why? His increasingly sharp return would be: Because I said so. This phrase is burnt so deep into my Gen X brain that I often catch myself saying it to my daughter when she repeats my childhood response. This just won’t fly in the world of the Zoomers. Gen Z are hungry to do meaningful, purposeful work that aligns with their values. Because you said so, even if it was said nicely, just doesn’t cut it anymore. Instead, it is incumbent on modern leaders to be clearer in their articulation of why tasks are being done. We need to join the dots between the activity and the impact it has on the bigger picture. Build a narrative to accompany the tasks that clearly link the activities to the impact they create. Most organisations do work that is important and useful for other people, animals or the environment, so don’t hide this behind an email of instructions. Get in the habit of telling the impact story any time you can, the Gen Z’s might even begin repeating it to others.
3. Care about them, I mean really care
Despite technology making them the most connected generation in history, Gen Z is also the loneliest. Yes, they are always on their devices and are quick to reply to direct messages, but almost 75% feel lonely at work and about the same number would prefer in-person manager interactions over digital communication. This is really the secret to managing Gen Z’s, invest the time to be with them. Whether it in one-on-one conversations, collaborative creations, coaching, mentoring or just being a sounding board, Zoomers want leaders who make them and their relationship a priority. Leaders who engage the person before the output will unlock trust, connection and loyalty. Get to know their story. Ask about their ambitions. Check in on their wellbeing. Gen Z wants to bring their whole selves to work and they expect their leaders to see them, support them and understand their world. It’s not coddling, it is caring about them. It’s not soft, it’s smart.
These tips will not only support your Zoomers, you will almost certainly see similar positive responses from all members of your team. Turns out we all like leaders who care about us. Your role as a leader is to unlock the incredible potential inside these amazing humans reporting to you. If you don’t care about them, you don’t deserve to lead them.
