We thought we knew Gen Z, but do we?

As strange as it may sound, Gen Z is head over heels for fashion in the 90s and early 2000s. But why do we talk about fashion trends anyway?

That is because fashion is not the only thing that comes full circle. Until recently, working for start-ups, as opposed to established corporations, is still desirable by Millennials. But according to this new study by Glassdoor, Gen Z prefers working for larger, long-established companies.

Getting started professionally during the pandemic and its subsequent turmoil, Gen Z understandably prefers job security and clearer career paths, which are not strong suits of start-ups.

This highlights probably the most crucial thing to know about Gen Z, they are not “the new Millennials.” In many ways, they can be seen as the opposite of Millennials.

Today, Gen Z constitutes 26% or roughly 2 billion people of the total global population. And, as a reminder, while some of them are still in school, many have already entered the labour force and may even hold leadership or management positions.

Another example is, contrary to popular belief, these zoomers do not like remote working. Yes, I was also stunned to know that.

Gen Z has modern technology at their fingertips—therapy via text, virtual doctor’s visits, and a portable search engine that can answer any question they’ve ever had.

Yet, they unexpectedly prefer face-to-face communication.

Thus, don’t be surprised to see your younger employees express they want to return to the office, and they might be very vocal about it.

So, what do we do with those employees that prefer to work remotely, in their own place, at their own pace? How about implementing a hybrid working policy to satisfy both?

Similar to remote working, each individual experiences and embraces hybrid working differently. Not everyone likes to come to work on the same day, and not everyone can be productive at the same level or at the same time. You need a structured hybrid work environment that can empower each of your employees to be the best version of themselves, or else you risk losing your best talent.

Do we at TRG International have our sleeves full of tips and tricks for you? Yes, we have some, however, the road to hybrid talent management requires constant learning and finetuning.

You may know that we launched our virtual internship programmes during the pandemic to create opportunities to meet fresh young minds and to gradually introduce Gen Z into our teams.

It was such a fun experience that we continued it and expanded it into a hybrid program when the situation was safe enough for us to reopen our physical offices. We’re still operating in hybrid mode today.

If I can boil down to just a few key elements that are crucial to a hybrid workplace, they would be:

• Onboarding
• Engagement
• And development

These three do not apply to just Gen Z but to everybody.

Why do I mention onboarding? Among the three, it is the most often overlooked process. Too often, we think we hire a candidate, get them to sign a contract, and then it’s done. And, showing the new hires around the office or informing them of a few housekeeping rules on their first day is woefully not enough.

Especially as we’re living in unprecedented times, we have yet to figure out the right balance between remote and hybrid work. These freshly minted Gen Z employees will enter the workforce with the expectation of finally being able to connect and find their community, only to perceive their teammates and supervisors hiding behind screens.

How long will they remain with the company if they feel disconnected and isolated like it’s the pandemic all over again? This makes it harder for today’s leaders to recognise and accept the unique challenges that come with onboarding young teams.

Onboarding Gen Z in particular and making them feel welcomed and supported beyond their first few days or weeks is critical for employer branding and retention in the long run.

What about engagement and development? Gen Z wants to grow quickly. Thus, they actively seek ways to expand their network and solid in-person mentorship to navigate workplace norms and establish meaningful bonds.

One support that we give our TRGers is the “Book a Coach” service. Its purpose is to help our teams embrace the coaching culture and be more efficient in transforming ourselves.

The service is exactly what it’s called. A TRGer registers their info along with some details on why they need coaching, and then they’ll get 1-on-1 coaching.

The reason can be anything, work-related or totally about the individual. What matters is that they’ve made the first move – they booked a coach.

As managers and employers of these soon-to-be leaders of the future workforce, we need to equip them with the necessary skills, a personalised toolkit, and mentorship instead of commanding them what to do.

And if you ask me whether a multigenerational workforce will pose a threat, I would answer, “What threat?”

Isn’t it awesome if the new generation proposed a better idea of how we could improve the way we work? If you’re resisting the idea, thinking it too naïve, you’re not seeing a threat; you’re resisting the opportunity to change.

And if you’re not ready for change, are you ready for Gen Z?