Who is Gen Z?

The Gen Z age range consists of those born from around 1995 to 2012. Millennials may be the generation most associated with up and coming technology but really it’s Gen Z who are native to new innovations.  For as long as they can remember, members of Gen Z have had some sort of smart device on them. It has become a natural habit and with this, Gen Zs’ possess developed traits that other generations don’t have as naturally.

Innovation through creativity

By living on the cutting edge of technology, Gen Z is keen on innovating the future of society. By growing up in a society where new video games are released every week or new smartphones every year, it is second nature to expect something new every so often. Gen Zs know what their peers want so who better than to make it happen.

Multitasking at its finest

Unlike older generations may think, Gen Z can look at 3 screens, holding a different conversation on each of them, AND still be able to converse with someone in person all at the same time. Generation Z is great at multitasking. By being connected online to events happening all around the world, Gen Z minds constantly process information from different inputs very quickly.

Influencing

One retweet, one Instagram post, or one Snapchat story from a Gen Z with 10,000 followers and something could go viral. Their opinion could make or break your company. Although Gen Z can use their power to promote something, more commonly if they promote a company online it is because they have a negative opinion. Generation Z will not hesitate to condemn any big company who’s brand does not align with their own values because at the end of the day it is just one retweet, one Instagram post, or one Snapchat story.

What does this mean for employers?

Senior leadership needs to embrace these qualities and use them to benefit the company. Large sums of money are constantly invested into finding out what consumers are looking for when what most realize is that Generation Z and Millennial employees make up most of the consumer demographic that the company is targeting themselves. So why not invest in them and their ideas instead?

Secondly, in the workplace if you catch a Gen Z employee taking a glance at their phone, do not assume that this will occupy them for ages. Generation Z is used to spending a couple seconds to check their phones every so often for updates before refocusing on the task at hand. It is a way for them to reset their mindset quickly in order to become more efficient.

Finally, listen to their opinions. They know how to create good publicity about the company. Do not underestimate the power of the internet. It could be key to spreading word about your company and Gen Z knows how to do it best.