Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER November 16, 2015 16 NEWS that. ey're also much more into charity work than the millennials who came before them; over 25 per cent of today's older members of generation Z volunteer, and 60 per cent of them want their fu- ture career choices to change the world for good." ey are a particularly idealistic generation, said Angle — but part of that has to do with age as well, not just generational cohort. "A lot of generations in their late teens, university stages, are very idealistic — change-the-world type mentality — and then they get into the real world and that changes too," she said. Social connections are also very important, but in a diff erent way than millennials, said Wymer. "Even though there's a strong appreciation for that social con- nection… they're really looking for more order and predictability rather than kind of random appre- ciation that some of the millennals have at the moment." Up to 47 per cent of generation Z would consider alternatives to university, found Universum. "Gen Z have grown up in households with the most highly educated parents ever in an econ- omy that seems to be facing an insatiable skills gap. Earlier gen- erations favoured white-collar opportunities and degrees and looked down on trades — that's changing. Generation Z is also spooked by massive student loan debts saddling millennials, with 56 per cent of those aged 18 to 29 putting off major events like mar- riage, purchasing a home or sav- ing for retirement due to student debt," said Kipps. Parents who have grown up in the recession are pushing their kids toward employability, not just higher learning, he said. ey're encouraging their children to turn their greatest interests into viable careers. "While (17 per cent) of genera- tion Z has not yet picked an area to study, 16 per cent is leaning toward humanities and social studies, and 14 per cent toward business. Nearly 70 per cent of gen Zers opt for subjects because they're interested in them, while only 39 per cent agree that they're after the money that subject will one day bring them." Rethinking the workplace So how will generation Z reshape the workplace itself? Technology will be a key element we'll see evolving, said Angle, since gen Z are even more tech-savvy than millennials. "One diff erence is gen Y has liked to work with two screens at the same time; generation Z likes to have fi ve screens at the same time — computer, iPad, whatever it is. It's just totally integrated into how they behave, both socially and in work situations," she said. " ere are still some companies that are not technologically savvy or technologically advanced, and I think those companies would have a very hard time attracting this generation to work for them because they wouldn't be used to working at the same speed that this generation is used to work- ing in." Another key impact will be on communication, said Angle. " ere's an immediacy factor in there, so they want instant grati- fi cation, instant communication; they like to communicate more with images than with words. ey're not big phone people — a lot of them don't even have voice- mail set up on their phone. It's all text messaging, it's all social me- dia, that's how they communicate." Popularity and traction in their messaging are very impor- tant as well — everything re- volves around "likes," comments, "shares" and other indicators of engagement, she said. "It might have an impact on how they're able to make deci- sions, and how they expect deci- sions to be made as well, so that could have an impact on the workplace." e trend toward mobile work- places will certainly continue, said Kipps. " ese digital natives will not only expect this, but most of their parents have made the transition. ey have grown up in cultures and home environments where mobility is not as much of a choice as it is the norm," he said. "Given gen Z's comfort with online learning, and an increas- ing amount of skepticism about the usefulness of expensive, traditional four-year university programs, it is very likely that on-the-job training will become a more critical component of re- taining and developing this future workforce. Leading organizations will embrace this, off ering enough substance to replace traditional four-year degrees." Recruitment patterns will have to change as well, said Wymer, because there is some discomfort with too-direct advertising. " ere's a little bit of perceived distrust of conventional advertis- ing. ere's also this notion that they're really seeking sort of a destination. So, as they go through grade school, middle school or high school, they like the aspect of those places having a destination for them to come, to join, to have a community around," he said. Universum asked generation Z whether they would feel com- fortable being contacted in their social channels by a company re- garding work opportunities, said Kipps. "Eighty-three per cent say they are open to the idea. However, when asked how they feel about seeing advertisements from po- tential employers on social media, this number more than halves. ose companies that approach social with an understanding of what aspects of the career are important for them to talk about when working to attract this co- hort can engage these candidates like never before." So it's important for employers to be proactive when it comes to gen-Z talent, said Kipps. "By the time gen Z enters the workforce, they will have already been guided and infl uenced," he said. " e race for gen Z starts now, and anyone not thinking ahead will be behind." Mobile workplaces expected GEN Z < pg. 1 Gen Z values: According to Jason Kipps, managing director for Canada at Universum in Toronto, some of the most important gen-Z values identifi ed in the study are: • An optimistic spirit: Gen Z are "upside thinkers." Sixty- fi ve per cent are hopeful about the future. • Values at work: Nearly four in 10 fear they won't fi nd a job that matches their personality. • Entrepreneurial mindset: 55 per cent said they are interested in starting their own company. • Social selectivity: Social media seems an easy way to reach gen Z, but employers must proceed with care — 58 per cent said they don't like overt advertising from brands.

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