The generation that expects more than a pay cheque

Generation Z expects more than a pay cheque and to succeed with a new generation of employees and customers, they need to do good as well.

Gen Z employees demand more from their employers across every global issue, from diversity to equity, inclusion to belonging, a commitment to environmental, social and governance investing, social causes and beyond.

The working world has changed and not just because of artificial intelligence (AI), Covid-19 or remote work. The change has been driven by the workforce, with Gen Z at the helm.

“Amidst the growing digitisation of work and the workforce, ManpowerGroup’s 2023 Workforce Trends Report reveals that, although technology may be the great enabler, humans remain the catalyst to the future and we call it ‘The New Human Age’,” says Lyndy van den Barselaar, MD of ManpowerGroup South Africa.

“AI and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can help employees work smarter and remove repetitive tasks to allow human creativity and problem-solving to run free, but the technology is (currently) still unable to perform these latter tasks.

“The New Human Age is a time when people who are established in their careers or just starting out use technology and digital tools to enhance human connections, be more productive and live more meaningful lives.”

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This is important for Generation Z

Understanding the next generation of employees means understanding the next generation of people. A global Nielsen study discovered that Generation Z (the generation born between 1995 and 2010) are surprisingly traditional regarding their aspirations, entertainment pursuits and media consumption.

The study showed that 21% of Generation Z respondents considered buying a house and 19% considered having a baby among their top three aspirations for the future. Over 37% of Generation Z respondents picked listening to music as one of their top spare-time activities, ahead of reading (27%).

Van den Barselaar says they are true digital natives, having been exposed to the internet, social networks and mobile technology from a young age. “With access to vast amounts of information, they are more pragmatic and analytical in their decision-making than any previous generation. This generation of ‘self-learners’ is also more comfortable learning online from trusted sources than at traditional learning institutions.”

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Generation Z in the workplace

“What this generational shift in employees means in the workplace is that employers must work proactively to meet them in areas which are important to them to incorporate, develop and retain them. Organisations must have a clear and genuine purpose if they want to attract, develop and retain Gen Z talent, as this generation will make up 27% of the workforce by 2025,” she says.

In the survey, 52% of Gen Z employees say companies are not doing enough to protect the environment. Since 68% of Gen Z workers are not satisfied with their organisation’s progress in creating a diverse and inclusive work environment and 56% would not accept a role without diverse leadership, employers need to demonstrate their social and environmental impact with a more science-based approach.

“They must focus on creating ‘net positive employment’ that broadens diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, increase individual employability and give workers greater control of their prosperity so that they can feel confident they have the skills for today and the future,” Van den Barselaar says.

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Work has become give-and-take

The pandemic made flexible work a reality for many employees, causing a paradigm shift in how people balance their work and personal lives, with 88% saying the pandemic affected what they want from their jobs compared to 65% of workers older than 55.

They want more choices about when, where and how they do their jobs, without work-from-home becoming endless work, while they value things like personal fulfilment, learning and growth over simple career advancement.

“The reality is that employers must be more flexible, transparent and engaged than ever before to speak to the new generation of employees in more meaningful ways. The shift required is enormous, but embracing all of these aspects can only have a net positive impact on the company, its clients, its employees and the world where it operates.”