The Edge for May 2024
How do employers embrace, motivate and manage younger workers? We asked New Jersey executives that question, and we got a wide range of answers, including embracing work-life balance, providing mentorship, and staying aware that many younger workers prefer good opportunities over money. Read more below.
Gen Z Values Purpose-Driven Work
Gen Z will make up 30% of our workforce by 2030. When you think about the drivers and motivators of Gen Z, it’s about purpose-driven work. This involves the type of job, the values of the company, the way the organization cares about the employee, and the opportunities. The pandemic changed the world. We saw people leave the industry and change careers after COVID. So employers have to be adaptable and agile when working to attract and retain different generations. It is not one-size-fits-all.
– Lynn Spence, Chief People Officer, T&M Associates
Younger Employees Want to Be Inspired Mentored and Coached
Younger employees have to be inspired, mentored and coached. They want that. That generation self seeks. We just have to provide them with the mentorship and the guidance. Flexibility is part of that. Life things happen between the traditional 9-to-5, and work things happen outside the 9-to-5. Companies that can embrace that reality have an edge. That flexibility, in some cases, can be more valuable than compensation.
– Amanda Dominguez, Chief Operating Officer, Wiss
Younger Jobs Seekers are Looking For Companies that Match Their Values
Young job seekers look for a cultural fit. They look for the social values of the organization – like whether they support environmental causes. They don’t want it to be just a check mark. The want to actually see that your industry or your sector or your organization is committed to it. And if it’s not authentic, they’ll recognize that. Also, young candidates are highly educated job seekers. They read reviews on line. They see salaries on line. They access so much more information then there was years ago. Employers must be aware of that when hiring.
– Michael Iris, Associate VP of Alumni Relations and Career Services, Berkeley College
In the Wake of the Pandemic, Work-Life Balance is More Vital Than Ever
It’s about mission. It’s about mentoring. It’s also meeting them where they are at. COVID raised a lot of serious conversations about work-life balance. It requires employers to be a bit more creative and embrace the things that make the job more interesting, and the benefits that make it more attractive, like flexible scheduling, or creating-your-own schedule. Money is definitely an aspect but it is not the only aspect.
– Cathy Bennett, President & CEO, New Jersey Hospital Association
