Prior to the pandemic, companies boasted posh offices and fancy perks. These included prime locations in business districts, international travel, and state-of-the-art facilities. Back then, these perks were in place to attract top talent.
Now, it seems that people are after different perks, namely blended and remote work and companies are obliging. Rather than invest in yet another fancy office, companies are offering flexible arrangements as the new signing bonus.
According to a handful of studies, this move is proving to be effective, with 80 percent of current workers taking the bait: a hybrid and/or remote work set-up over a traditional office job.
But can we say the same thing for Gen Z workers?
Enter Gen Z
Move over, millennials. Generation Z workers are now the latest crop of employees joining the workforce. Born between 1997-2012, this generation currently comprises the youngest segment of the working class.
Fittingly, these digital natives have started their careers in remote settings, largely due to the pandemic kicking in when most of them entered the workplace.
However, some are concerned that the remote setup “doesn’t work for young people” who usually crave purpose and belonging.
This is understandable, of course. After all, all the previous generations honed their interpersonal skills in the office through years of coaching, mentoring, and building relationships.
But who says the same isn’t possible in a remote setting?
Handling the Next Generation of Workers
Ninety percent of employers are already planning to adopt either a hybrid or a fully remote setup. Thus, they also have to figure out different ways to help younger workers manage career growth and learning opportunities along with work expectations.
Younger employees don’t have enough experience to form their own career goals. Thus, it’s imperative for managers to provide direction and support – even in the absence of personal interaction.
Just like other employees, Gen Z prefers a flexible work environment. Moreover, they crave for meaningful work experiences more than the traditional free snacks and happy hours offered as perks at work.
So, how do you effectively engage with and motivate Gen Z workers to get them to flourish in a remote environment? Here are four useful strategies:
Be Proactive in Coaching
Many Gen Z employees are working their first jobs. Hence, it’s normal for them to ask questions. Meet them halfway and institute a virtual open-door policy where they can consult with their senior counterparts whenever appropriate.
More importantly, always provide constructive feedback so they’ll know what to improve on moving forward. This will also help build their confidence and give them a better grasp of the bigger picture.
Once they understand how to do their job properly (and where their output fits in the grand scheme of things), they’re more likely to stay -and grow- with your company.
Establish Clear Goals and Metrics
As with your older employees, provide clear guidelines and performance metrics. These will provide them with direction, which is especially important since everyone is working remotely.
They’ll also serve as a blueprint they can refer to in case you can’t attend to their questions right away, or if they need to figure things out by themselves.
Be Transparent About How They Rank Among Peers
Many young professionals are competitive since they feel that they have a lot to prove. And this is a good thing. A bit of healthy competition can be a good motivating factor – if managed properly.
If your Gen Z workers would like to know how their performance ranks against that of their peers, make it transparent and impartial with real-time data and standard metrics. This way, they’ll also get an idea of what it’ll take to differentiate themselves from their contemporaries.
Introduce a Mentorship Program
You can never go wrong with a mentorship program. Have your employees buddy up with a Gen Z hire – whether that’s through traditional or reverse mentoring. This way, the senior colleagues can help newbies get better acquainted with company processes.
Conversely, if you have a skilled and talented Gen Z employee adept with the latest technology and software, you can partner them with someone who needs to brush up on their tech savvy.
Having a holistic approach is key to giving your younger employees more opportunities to improve their performance and careers. Fortunately, it doesn’t take fancy offices and expensive parties anymore.
But you do need to create an inclusive working environment where all generations feel safe and heard.
Remote Staff has been assisting Australian SMEs and entrepreneurs like you find and hire remote workers from the Philippines for the last 15 years and counting. Whether you need experienced remote employees or flexible Gen Z workers, we have all of them on our roster.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
