News of the Day

It’s 2020 and Generation Z is the new generation of young professionals now joining the workforce. Members of Generation Z were born between 1996 and 2010, which means the oldest of them are now 24 years old and started to swell the lower ranks of the workforce in 2018. Currently, Generation Z makes up more than 61 million people in the United States. By next year, Generation Z will make up about one-fifth of the workforce.

As more Baby Boomers retire, Generation Z will be needed to fill in the gaps. But what does this new generation of young workers value? What are their motivations and career expectations? How is Generation Z the same or different from Millennials? Companies that want to recruit the best and brightest of the next generation will need to understand them.

GETTING TO KNOW GENERATION Z

First, let’s talk about what we know about Generation Z career expectations. Generation Z are “Digital Natives”. They were the first generation to grow up in a world where digital technology permeates every aspect of our lives. They are the generation that was raised watching videos on tablets, who learned how to swipe to their favorite app by the time they were five-years-old, and who expect to get all their questions answered on the Internet. According to the Huffington Post, 92 percent of Generation Z have a digital footprint, meaning they have some sort of online presence.

Generation Z also grew up during the Great Recession. They saw their parents, grandparents and other adults lose jobs and struggle to find work. They may have been directly impacted by the housing crisis.