A couple of months ago, we discussed accommodating a multi-generational workforce that primarily contains baby boomers, gen x, and millennials. While those three generations will continue to take up the majority of the workforce for several more years, Gen Z is starting to make its entrance, and their needs are unique. Understanding how they communicate and operate is important and timely because each year for the foreseeable future, we’ll see more and more of Gen Z in our workplaces.
Who is Gen Z?
People born in the years 1997-2012. Making them ages 9-24 in 2021. This generation is younger than Google, which launched in 1996. This generation has grown up with accessible technology and has never known life without the internet or instant access to information.
Communicating and Reaching Gen Z
Whether this demographic is your target audience, your customer base, your employees, or your peers, communication with them is unique due to their digital savviness and ability to consistently be online, as they have most of their lives. Here are a few key points to help you better reach and communicate with Gen Z.
Make it Personal
While Gen Z is tech-savvy and probably has multiple communication tools open at one time, like texting, instant messaging, and social media, they prefer a personal touch. Their attention spans are shorter since they navigate so much at one time. Personalizing and getting vital information to them upfront will yield better results in reaching them as they move about their day.
Meet in person
While they may be digital natives, as employees, Gen Z appreciates meeting in person. 51% of Gen Z professionals said they preferred 1:1 face-to-face (or video) meetings instead of instant messages or emails. Getting time with managers and peers to get feedback and direction is a high priority for this group. Save your digital communication for providing deadlines, factual or essential information, and quick updates. Utilize your meeting time for everything else.
Ask for their input
In addition to Google and Smartphones being around since early childhood for this group, Gen Z also grew up with social media. Sharing their opinions and input is second nature. Allow them to offer their feedback and opinions. When appropriate, ask them to create communications and brainstorm new ideas. They’re ready and willing to provide fresh insight to your organization.
Foster Independence
Gen Z is classified as independent workers. They like to get to know people and communicate but prefer a bit of space when it comes to business matters. Most Gen Z workers only know remote or hybrid work since they started entering the workforce around the same time as the start of the pandemic and as trends in flexible working arrangements gained momentum. They’ve learned how to be self-sufficient and work well on their own. Empower them by allowing them to work wherever they want confidently by providing the right technology that keeps them connected to their team and organization.
If we wanted to do a TL;DR on Gen Z, it would be this: Personalize your messages and make it easy for them to receive and reply.
While we continue to move forward and the workforce demographics continue to change, it’s more alarmingly apparent that each generation communicates very differently. Trying to navigate communication with everyone in the easiest way possible can seem daunting. It doesn’t need to be.
Using the Appspace platform can allow you to push your communications via digital signage, enterprise messaging applications, the Employee App, company intranet, and email. Confidently know that your entire team, no matter their preferred communications method, is being reached when you use a complete platform solution like Appspace. Learn more here about reaching your team no matter where or how they work.
