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How to attract and retain new marketing talents? Top 3 Values of Generation Z and what to do about it
Generation Z will account for 27 percent of the workforce by 2025 and, if managed well, can bring unique benefits and value to your company. Read on to discover the three main workplace values of Gen Z c and concrete tips on how to attract and retain the best marketing talent of the future.
People have been concerned about newer generations, their values, and workplace fit, for, well … generations. Evidently, more often than not, such concerns turn out to be unwarranted. Research shows that Gen Z is no exception. A bibliometric analysis on Generation Z Within the Workforce and in the Workplace finds that this generation is uniquely focused on meaningful work, their impact in the workplace as well as in society as a whole and has high expectations when it comes to career & skill development, and honest, transparent communication.
As for the tiktok campaigns – Gen Zs digital native skills could help you advance the marketing efforts and get even better results with experimentation across different relevant channels 😉. Furthermore, beyond the practical aspect of GenZ becoming a significant part of the workforce, they also bring a unique and much needed set of skills to the table. Research by Oxford Economics shows that the new generation is more agile, having an enhanced ability to absorb information and react to new challenges; more creative, particularly in digital; and more curious, making them more open to learning new skills and subjects. In a world that’s changing faster than ever and isn’t going to slow down, these are critical to help workplaces not just keep their market positions, but even get a chance to gain a competitive edge.
When their values are not aligned with the workplace, though, Gen Z don’t hesitate to switch – much quicker than their predecessors. According to McKinsey, young people are 82% more likely to keep an eye out for new opportunities. So, given the value they add, how can you better understand, attract, and manage to retain Gen Z – soon to be the third of your workforce?
1. Career development: high expectations and ambitions
Gen Z-erse are ambitious and have high expectations when it comes to their careers. Unlike for some earlier generations, stability of a job isn’t as important as being sure it’s the right choice. They are looking for their dream job and are, as mentioned above, not afraid to switch employers quickly if they feel the values aren’t aligned. It’s also important for the new generation of marketers to continuously grow and expand skills in multidisciplinary domains. At the same time, growing up during turbulent times and being more financially savvy, advancing financially is a major consideration too.
What to do about this?
- Show that there’s room to grow within the company and offer clear pathways for them to develop. Provide diverse development opportunities, such as switching roles within the company, attending trainings, setting up multidisciplinary teams with agile techniques, and being involved in diverse.
For example, besides typical digital marketing trainings, you can offer opportunities to learn about behavioral change, neuroscience, and automation – which would help employees expand their skills and at the same time keep you ahead of competition.
- Offer entrepreneurial opportunities, such as mentorship programs and the chance to work on side projects that align with their passions. For example, you can encourage your employees to participate in hackathons or collaborate on a social media campaign for a cause they care about.
- Provide competitive compensation packages that go beyond just money. Let your employees choose the benefits they care most about. For example, extra holidays or deferred income programs that rewards employees for their loyalty and hard work.
2. Openness, Balance, and Diversity
Openness, work-life balance, and diversity in the workplace are key for GenZ marketers. Many have never worked in a pre-pandemic set-up of daily 9-5s in the office. They want to work for a company that offers flexibility, respects work-life, and has a diverse environment both when it comes to employees and their collaboration as well as the projects you can take on. Additionally, the new generation embraces a culture where openness and freedom of expression are non-negotiable. At the same time, they sometimes distrust companies to truly care about them and be fully transparent.
What to do:
- Offer a balanced work schedule, combining collaboration in person and opportunity to work remotely. While Gen Z like the ability to work from home, it’s important to have mentoring and training opportunities face-to-face. Flexible hours can also help employees achieve a better work-life balance and feel more in control of their schedule.
- Recruit a more diverse workforce and create generationally and disciplinary diverse teams. For example, set up processes to drive collaboration between marketers, sales, and technical profiles. In addition to retaining talent, this can also help your company better understand your customers and offer more marketing innovative solutions.
- Create a culture of openness and transparency. For example, you could start by setting up transparent Q&A sessions with organizational leaders and providing more information on average compensation and benefits by level within the company.
3. Meaningful work which makes an impact
Growing up during various crises, focus on self-development, and deep concern for global issues all lead GenZ employees to want to work on projects and tasks that have a clear positive impact. They are much more aware of the critical global issues and aspire to be part of the solutions.
What to do:
- Offer employee recognition programs and help track and recognize their impact. This can help them feel valued and motivated to continue making a difference. For example, by analyzing marketing results and setting up attribution models, you can help Gen Z talent understand what tangible contributions their work is providing.
- Use marketing automation tools and trainings to reduce “busy” work and engage people in more impactful tasks. This can help employees feel more connected to the company’s mission and goals.
- Give employees the ability to dedicate some time to more socially oriented projects. For example, offer a possibility to, from time to time, gather an internal team and help create a pro-bono marketing campaign for a cause they care about. This could also help strengthen team spirit and help the company reputation overall.
To sum up, Generation Z and their unique skills of adaptability, digital native mindset, and openness to learn are crucial for companies who want to future proof their teams and stay ahead in the market. Attracting and retaining Gen Z marketers, on the other hand, requires understanding their unique values and adapting the workplace to meet their expectations. By highlighting clear development opportunities, balance, diversity & transparency, as well as opportunities for meaningful and impactful work, you can strengthen your EVP (employer value proposition) towards the best talent and foster a healthy and productive workplace at the same time. Ready to take on the challenge? Read our recent article with concrete tips on targeting Gen Z prospects here.
Gen Z is, of course, not the last generation with new preferences and radically different work attitudes. It won’t be long till Gen Alpha, who are starting their teenage years, will influence the work and marketing landscapes even further. To be well-prepared in advance and make your talent strategy future-proof, with our organizational design expert – Sophie Van Orden.