In today’s multigenerational workplaces, there can be some pretty big gaps between workers of different ages in how they:
- Carry out their work.
- Communicate.
- Meet and collaborate.
- Approach hierarchy and authority.
- View their role and career, and the place it occupies in their life.
When it comes to Gen Z and leadership, the gap can seem more like a yawning chasm. How can leaders from older generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X, and sometimes even Millennials) relate to the workforce’s youngest members: Generation Z?
In this blog, we’ll discuss:
- Who Gen Z is in the workplace.
- The main qualities Gen Z wants to see in leadership.
- How older leaders can engage and build trust with their Gen Z direct reports.
Gen Z: An overview
Members of Gen Z were born between 1996 and 2012, so this group comprises employees under 30 – the newest entrants to the workforce.
General characteristics of this group in the workplace:
- They grew up with technology (computer, smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices) and social media, and are highly adept at using them. They’re usually the first adopters of any new technology.
- Because of their comfort with and reliance on technology, they tend to avoid face-to-face conversations or phone calls as their primary, regular form of communication. They often default to quick forms of electronic communication, such as IM or text.
- For many Gen Zers, their entrance into the workplace was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of them have never experienced the traditional, fully on-site workplace pre-pandemic.
- Building on the idea that their company is a force for good, for Gen Z a career is about more than money. They want to understand their personal impact.
- They tend to view work as part of their life, rather than their whole life, and value work-life balance and mental health and wellbeing.
- They expect a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits right out of the gate.
- They are eager to learn and want to make their mark quickly – and see forward momentum in their career sooner rather than later. If they can’t grow and develop and have a voice at their current workplace, they’ll seek opportunities elsewhere. Gen Z doesn’t view job hopping negatively.
- It’s important to them that they can be their authentic selves at work.
11 things Gen Z wants from leadership
With all this mind, how does Gen Z want to be managed? How do they view authority? What are they looking for in their leaders at work? And, knowing this, what actions can leaders take to build effective working relationships with Gen Z and improve retention?
What follows are the leadership traits that define the modern workplace and will continue to grow in importance as Gen Z’s share of the workforce increasingly grows.
1. A coach
By and large, Gen Z rejects the idea of a traditional boss – an authoritarian figure who exerts power and control over them.
What does Gen Z want instead? A coach, or human leader.
What leaders can do right now:
- Support team members by helping to facilitate new opportunities and their career growth.
- Help to remove obstacles to getting work done.
- Focus on creating a positive culture to inspire better productivity and performance.
- Seek to build trust.
- Check in with employees regularly to ask how they’re doing and what they need from you.
- Take the time to get to know employees as individuals – for example, what motivates them, how they prefer to work, what they want to learn and what opportunities they want.
- Ask them if they have any feedback for you about the culture or employee experience.
2. Transparency
Gen Z wants their leaders to practice transparency. This means a commitment to:
- Open, honest communication.
- Ongoing, two-way dialogue.
- Keeping them informed in a timely manner of any news or developments that could impact them.
What leaders can do right now:
- Be upfront with employees about what types of company information you commit to sharing with them. If you can’t discuss a certain topic with them, explain why.
- Ask employees how they like to receive company news and announcements.
- Maintain ongoing check-ins with employees, including exchanging feedback and questions.
3. Accessibility
A 2024 LinkedIn study reports that one in five Gen Zers hasn’t had a single direct conversation with anyone over 50 in their workplace. Clearly, there’s hesitation to engage with more tenured workers, whether it’s a lack of confidence, fear of rejection or simply a feeling that they don’t relate.
What does this mean for management? The ball’s in your court. You can say your office door’s open all day long, but the fact remains that many Gen Zers won’t ever cross the threshold on their own. However, they do wish their leaders would be accessible and present, rather than some distant figure. This is especially important given the prevalence of remote/hybrid workplaces.
What leaders can do right now:
- Go out and talk to your people.
- Each day, let them know what your day looks like, including when you’ll be in or out of the office.
- Tell them how to reach and engage with you.
- Share calendars.
4. Authenticity
As we mentioned earlier, Gen Z wants to be their authentic selves at work. As such, they prize leaders who are genuine, too. They don’t want their work relationships to feel overly formal and stiff, nor do they want work to be a place in which they feel like everyone has adopted a fake persona in the name of being “professional.”
What leaders can do right now:
- Be open about your values and consistently act in alignment with them.
- Don’t be afraid to share your own imperfections and vulnerabilities – acknowledge that we all have something we want to work on and we can all learn from each other.
- Be honest and upfront if you’re having a bad day.
- Admit responsibility for any errors you make, rather than casting blame elsewhere.
- Show your real personality and engage in casual, informal conversation – each interaction doesn’t always have to be about work.
- Get to know Gen Z as people outside the office. Learn about their values and what they think is important.
- Find opportunities for connection outside the office, perhaps at lunches, happy hours or other social events.
5. Inclusion
Continuing on the concept of authenticity, Gen Z wants to feel recognized, accepted, understood and valued for who they are and what they bring to the table. So, make sure they feel like they belong.
What leaders can do right now:
- Ask Gen Z employees for their input and ideas, either one on one or in team meetings.
- Encourage them to use their voice.
- Don’t get defensive or act negatively when someone says something you disagree with. Be respectful and consider their thoughts.
- If you can’t implement their idea or feedback at this time, explain why.
6. Timely feedback
With Gen Z, the annual performance review may become a relic of the past. They don’t want to hear from managers once per year – they want to know immediately how they’re doing so they can make adjustments sooner and realize progress faster.
What leaders can do right now:
- Commit to meeting with direct reports at least once per week to check in, including sharing feedback.
- Ask them if they’re experiencing any challenges they need help with.
- Find out what they consider to be their strengths and weaknesses, and how they’d like to improve.
7. Commitment to their growth and development
Gen Z is always looking ahead at what’s next. They want to better themselves, enhance their credentials, move up in their organization and advance forward in their career. And they want results now.
You can’t just put them in a job, walk away and expect them to still be happy in a few years.
What leaders can do right now:
- Talk to employees about career pathing. What are their goals? What opportunities exist in the company to help these accomplish these goals? What skills and knowledge gaps do they need to overcome? What timeline is expected at each stage of their journey? Check in on this topic regularly.
- Connect Gen Z with mentorships. This not only helps them grow and develop, but also fosters much-needed connections with older employees.
- Promote a culture of continuous learning. Empower them to keep learning new things.
- Identify relevant training and development opportunities that align with their learning style and preferences.
8. Connection to the bigger picture
Remember, Gen Z isn’t solely in it for the money. They want to understand their impact and find purpose and meaning in what they do.
What leaders can do right now:
- Promote the company’s mission, vision and values.
- Explain to them how their role fits within the organization and supports the company’s goals and overall strategy.
- Highlight how the company supports the community and operates with social responsibility in mind.
9. Flexibility and autonomy
Most of Gen Z wants flexibility in their work arrangements. They may not all necessarily want to work remotely 100%, because many of them crave connection and community, but they do want a lifestyle that preserves their work-life balance and health – as well as the opportunity to exert more personal control over their work day.
What leaders can do right now:
- Offer hybrid/remote working arrangements.
- Explore the potential to offer flexible work schedules.
- Whenever employees need to come into the office, explain why.
10. Adaptability
Gen Z doesn’t just want flexibility for themselves – they also want flexibility in their managers. They prefer that leaders adapt some of their own practices to improve team cohesion.
A strong example of this is in communication practices. While older employees often like to hop on an impromptu phone call or walk down to the next cubicle to discuss an issue, Gen Z is largely adverse to cold calls and can find unscheduled in-person meetings annoying.
What leadership can do right now:
- Confirm employees’ communication style and preferences.
- If you want to have an in-person or phone discussion with a Gen Z employee, send an initial IM or text that lets them know what you want to discuss first. This lets them gather their thoughts along with any relevant materials, and prevents them from feeling like they’re in trouble or put on the spot.
- Keep in-person meetings and phone calls/videoconferences short and concise.
11. Recognition
Gen Z wants recognition from leaders for their talents and contributions. This not only ties into their need for development and growth, but also their desire for belonging and acceptance.
What leadership can do right now:
- Ask employees how they’d like to be recognized so that your reward for them is meaningful.
- Recognize employees in a timely manner, each time they perform outstanding work.
- Make sure that any accolades you give out are sincere and authentic.
- Encourage peer-to-peer recognition as well.
Summing it all up
Gen Z is a rising presence in the workforce – but there are real deficits in understanding between managers and these youngest employees. To build successful working relationships based on trust and retain Gen Z employees, Boomer and Gen X managers should know what Gen Z is looking for in a leader. Here, we covered 11 qualities most important to Gen Z and outlined clear steps that leaders can implement immediately to engage these team members and enhance team cohesion.
Want to learn more about how to be an effective leader for all employees, regardless of generation? Download our free magazine: The Insperity guide to leadership and management.