Smith

It seems that everywhere we go there are “Help Wanted” signs. Worse yet are those flyers hung in the window that say, “We’ve had to reduce our hours because we are short-staffed.”

What’s going on?

There are a variety of answers, but perhaps a more pertinent question is, “Where can I find people who want to work?”

Of course, there are the traditional means like posting a job with the Employment Department or utilizing online platforms such as Indeed, but employers may want to take a closer look at their neighborhood community colleges, universities, and yes, even high schools to fill vacancies.

There are often stereotypes about this group of people regarding their perceived work ethic, difficulty with attendance, keeping them off their cellphones, etc. However, several employers have successfully utilized the skills of many college and high school students and have found them to be excellent employees.

Yes, there is a learning curve (for both the employer and employee) and time will need to be spent outlining expectations and perhaps teaching or reinforcing basic soft skills which, for whatever reason, are not always taught to students. But hiring any employee is an investment and Generation Z has important skill sets which can be beneficial to a company.

First, interns or recent graduates can bring energy and creative problem-solving techniques to your team. Certainly, their in-depth knowledge of technology is something nearly every company can benefit from. Perhaps most importantly, they can provide necessary insight into what young consumers are looking for and how they think.

The oldest of Generation Z is 25. According to an article in Business Insider, “Gen Z currently earns $7 trillion across its 2.5 billion-person cohort. By 2025, that income will grow to $17 trillion, and by 2030, it will reach $33 trillion, representing 27% of the world’s income and surpassing that of millennials (the oldest of whom are now 40) the following year.”

In short, they’ve got a lot of money to spend and knowing what they want no doubt can help a business’s bottom line.

Here is some interesting information about those in Generation Z shared in the same article from Business Insider:

According to a recent study, money isn’t the single most important way to attract them. They are interested in opportunities to advance. Valuable career experiences and even unpaid internships so they can build on their career can definitely pique their interest. Taking the time to mentor them and offering things like employee health and wellness programs as a reward for their dedication are important. They are seeking opportunities for growth.

While millennials thrive in teams and love collaboration, Gen Z’ers work more autonomously.

They grew up with technology and know how to access information quickly and because of this, they do not like to waste time. They are used to having information at their fingertips and for this reason, they may be found (and prefer) working at odd times.

They are highly efficient at multi-tasking.

Big projects are something they like to be a part of. While it’s understandable to task them with smaller duties at first, they will quickly lose interest as they are interested in being part of the bigger picture.

Regardless of whether employers choose to recruit individuals from Generation Z right now, they will soon be a major part of the global workforce. Understanding their strengths and preferences will be important for businesses to succeed.