52
July | 2023
Business
MANAGING
GEN Z
EMPLOYEES
THE YOUNGEST GENERATION
ENTERING THE WORKFORCE
COMES WITH UNIQUE
CHARACTERISTICS AND
TRAITS—SOME WONDERFUL,
SOME CHALLENGING—THAT
REQUIRE BUSINESSES TO
ADOPT NEW MANAGEMENT
TECHNIQUES AND
RESTRUCTURE THEIR
WORKPLACES.
By Phillip M. Perry
Generation Z—people born from 1997 through 2012
(ages 11 to 26 in 2023)—composes the fastest-growing
portion of today's workforce (in the U.S., the working-
age population is defi ned as those ages 16 to 64).
Also known the post-millennial generation and the
iGeneration, this youngest group of workers is having a
major impact on businesses everywhere. "Gen Zers are
the new workforce—whether management from previous
generations likes it or not," says Zachary Ginder, PsyD,
MSW, executive director at Pine Siskin Consulting in
Cherry Valley, Calif.
To deal eff ectively with Gen Zers, employers will likely
have to retool their work environments to meet the needs
of this generation, which sees the world in radically new
ways. is can include emphasizing stability, prioritizing
communication, encouraging autonomy and connecting
business activities to larger social concerns. In addition,
while Gen Zers are typically bright, eager to please and
technology savvy, they often need coaching to improve
their performance in personal communications and
team environments.
Natalie Griffi th, director of Product & Content at Collage
Group in Bethesda, Md., points out that the most visible
change is racial and ethnic diversity, which is also
apparent in the nation's customer pool.
