Personik — Blog — How to work with zoomers

How to work with zoomers?

Now millennials — people who were born in the 1980−1990s — occupy the largest part of the labor market, but very soon they will be pressed by zoomers — the generation born in the mid-1990s and later. These are fresh university graduates and seniors.

One can say that zoomers are a lost generation dependent on social media. They are scolded for being childish and overconfident, and many employers frankly admit that they prefer older employees over Gen Z.

We have young professionals in our team. For this editorial we’ve spoken with different generations, and it has turned out that Gen Zers are just as good as their older colleagues, if not ahead of them in some cases.

What is special in Gen Z?

Zoomers grew up surrounded by technology and they can’t imagine life without the Internet. They are independent, creative and inventive. They also highly value work-life balance.

While millennials consider money to be the main motivational factor, for Gen Z interest in the job is far more important. There is a huge variety of jobs and choices around them, and they were brought up with the attitude "do what you really like".

In the workplace they don’t want to take authority blindly and follow the orders they deem unreasonable. Gen Zers also want to work for a company that is truly changing the world for the better, so they feel that they are involved in this process.

Alexander, 38. Personik Master of Operations

«Companies, especially smaller ones, grow due to the efforts of their founders and often repeat the human life cycle in their development, from growth to aging. But one can avoid the aging of a company by involving younger people in administration processes. Experience is good, but there is nothing worse than being stuck in the past, so you always need a fresh perspective and new ideas that young people can bring».

What can one learn from Gen Z?

One of the most important skills of Gen Z is their ability to work with digital tools. Companies don’t need to spend a lot of time and money on training them — it is enough to provide zoomers with the necessary software tools and they will figure it out on their own.

Galina, 34. Performance Director in an advertising agency

"I work in a market with a great staff shortage, in a company which is focused on attracting young graduates and training them as specialists internally. In a new project working with young employees is more comfortable for me. Members of Gen Z are easier to teach and they don’t have any stop signs based on their previous experience, nor the pre-established idea of "the proper way" to do things. An investment in a trainee begins to pay off within a year of their work in the company".

The abundance of digital sources of information pushes zoomers to use a variety of methods to search for it — from queries to the search engines to posts on social networks. And, as a rule, they find the information much faster than their older colleagues.

Maxim, 21. Account manager in an advertising agency

"It’s obvious that an experienced employee can deal with any issue really fast, but zoomers get used to new tasks, schedules and demands easier and faster. I’ve changed three employers this year because of benefits and personal interests, but everywhere I’ve quickly delved into the process".

Mostly zoomers are extremely versatile people with a creative mindset. They have thousands of ideas that can be monetized and bring real business value.

What requirements do zoomers have?

It’s not hard to guess that zoomers’ motivation is different from their older colleagues, but their requirements for the workflow are quite understandable.

Work flexibility

Gen Z wants to be seen not just as employees, but as individuals with their own desires and needs. This primarily concerns freedom to choose work location and schedule, terms of employment and distribution of duties between employees.

Полина, 23. SMM manager in an advertising agency

"I think that almost none of my peers have just one job. Usually it’s a bunch of part-time jobs and a search for yourself. It is important for me to be able to balance all my part-time jobs, so there is no need to refuse any interesting offers because of my schedule. I’m also a creative person, so it’s hard for me to live within boundaries and limits".

Clear tasks

Zoomers prefer a short and comprehensible information delivery, and that is why they especially value the ability to clearly state the purpose of work and set the tasks according to it.

Transparent salary

It is especially important for Gen Z to understand how their work is paid. One of the most important requirements for an employer is to give regular feedback on salary issues and the formation of its bonus part. This increases the loyalty of zoomers to the company.

Yuri, 24. Targetologist in an education company

"There are certain things that I definitely will not tolerate: dress code, stress interviews and negative reviews of the employers. Pay transparency is also very important to me. I have absolutely no desire to do extra work and not get paid for it".

Independent decision making

Gen Zers want to feel that they are not just a cog in a machine. They want to influence the workflow and its outcome. They want to be able to make decisions for themselves — even if it starts small.

Andrew, 24. Big Data analyst in an advertising agency

"It is really important to me to make decisions by myself — this allows me to determine the path of my development and I am free from other people’s ignorance when working".

Use of digital technologies

Gen Zers not only knows how to use various digital tools, they want to apply in their work. Employers should make sure that the interaction with employees takes place mostly online, and the bureaucratic processes are automated as much as possible. This is not just about using messengers, it’s also about simplifying communication with employees — for example, using corporate chatbots.

How to manage the work of Gen Z?

It is important to remember that if you don’t take into account changes in your staff composition and psychology, you won’t be able to effectively manage it.

Do not restrain with a schedule

Millennials were the first employees who had a chance to choose between remote work and the office, so Gen Z knows that it’s not necessary to spend five days at the workplace. They want to have a job that doesn’t take up the whole day, so that they have enough time for hobbies. By listening to the zoomers' requests you will get highly motivated employees.

Kate, 22. Designer in a bank

"I want to have a flexible schedule. Work is not the main thing in life for me, and I try to embed it in such a way that I have free time, so I don’t have to work during the hours when I’m not productive".

Stimulate with interesting tasks

Compared to millennials, Gen Zers want to live for their own pleasure. Work should not only generate income, but also be really interesting. Zoomers enjoy unconventional tasks with a creative approach.

Don't be afraid of multitasking

A distinctive feature of zoomers is clip thinking, so they can learn something new from several channels at the same time and perceive information much faster. As a result, they can be safely entrusted with several tasks in a short time — even with the most diverse ones.

Give feedback

Gen Z are used to hundreds of likes and comments on social media, so they always expect praise. Lack of feedback unsettles them, so share your own experience with them more often, mentor and emphasize the uniqueness of their work.

Jane, 20. Assistant in international language school

«For me company image and HR-brand are really important. I always estimate mobility within the company and the work of the HR service. Company image is equal to the quality of work to me».

Care

Zoomers will be attracted by a comfortable office, corporate culture and a good social package. Establish an emotional connection with your employee and give them a chance to feel like they are a part of something bigger!

Share the article in your favorite social network: