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54 July | 2023 Business "Businesses must understand the massive demographic shift toward multiculturalism that Gen Zers represent," Griffi th instructs. " is is the fi rst American generation in which multicultural groups make up more than half the population, and that diversity is here to stay." is new diverse workforce is also demanding that employers take a stand on larger social and environmental issues. Collage Group found that Gen Zers are likely to patronize companies that support women, Blacks and people with disabilities. Wise employers will create a sense of larger purpose for their business activities and then emphasize how employee actions contribute to that initiative. "Management needs to regularly reinforce how each individual's work fi ts into the greater good," says Ginder. "How do businesses create positive social and environmental impact? at speaks to purpose, inclusion, social justice and concern for the environment." MEETING THE CHALLENGE While understanding the youngest generation can be diffi cult in any era, Gen Zers represent a particularly tough challenge. "I speak with a lot of managers who are scratching their heads trying to fi gure out how to connect eff ectively with post-millennial folks," Ginder says. One common error is to expect favorable results from communication styles that worked well in the past. "We're talking about group of people who grew up with totally diff erent infl uences, cultural values and norms." A good starting point, Ginder says, is to understand the anxiety experienced by people in their late teens and early 20s, largely due to their experiences with the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic. "In their early impressionable years, Gen Zers saw their parents get laid off , get upside down in their mortgages and even lose their homes." Little wonder that Gen Zers are more cautious than previous generations and view with skepticism the promises of prospective employers. "Driven by anxiety, Gen Zers mostly seek stable 9-to-5 jobs that pay the bills," Griffi th says. " is point was recently corroborated by survey data from Handshake, an employment site for Generation Z, which asked 1,800 new graduates what they wanted most from their future employers. e overwhelming majority—85 percent—answered 'stability.' Pay and benefi ts also ranked high, but both of those, in my estimation, are the same thing. e desire for 'a fast-growing company,' on the other hand, garnered only 29 percent of the vote." It makes sense, then, for prospective employers to accentuate the longevity of their businesses, as well as the dedication to career support that can go hand in hand with long-term employment. And this is all the more the case due to the unsettling tendency of the young generation to job hop. "Gen Zers are likely to switch jobs faster than previous generations, who would typically stick things out a lot longer before deciding to move on," Ginder points out. " is has a lot of fi nancial implications because the cost of turnover can exceed 20 percent of a position's annual costs." is tendency to job hop may seem to contradict a desire for stability, but the fact is that a series of aggressive career moves can provide more security than blind faith in the loyalty of a single company. "Gen Zers don't look at just the current job but also at the next job and the job after that," says Bob Verchota, owner and senior consultant at RPVerchota & Associates in Hastings, Minn. "And they have no problems with working in a gig environment; they're fi ne with that. ey may have six gigs going at once, and primary employers are going to have to become comfortable with that." BEING TRANSPARENT Employers can also reduce the incidence of job-hopping by being transparent about the nature of the positions being off ered. "Success is about managing expectations," Ginder says. "Be extremely transparent about job descriptions, what the hours are, the positives and negatives of the company, what advancement will look like, how feedback works and information about the business's communication styles." Transparency needs to begin long before a candidate even thinks of applying for work. "We're living in an information age, and this is the most technology-savvy workforce so far," Ginder continues. "Everything from a company's reputation to its organizational culture can be found online, so that is important for getting Gen Zers to apply for jobs." Companies must take pains to polish their images on social media and review sites such as GlassDoor.com.

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