A New Generation of Workers: Preparing for Generation Z in the Workplace

A new generational wave has begun to enter the workforce. The oldest members of Generation Z, those approximately at the age of 25 and below, have recently begun their careers. In the past few years, some changes have been made to work environments, like constructing gyms and daycares at workplaces, expanding the options for work at home programs, and firms hosting social events to attract top, young talent. Some of these actions were to appease Generation Y (Millennials), but some, whether the intent was known or not, will be very pleasing and beneficial to Generation Z. However, Generation Y and Z have some key differences which can create new challenges for a firm’ managers and human resource departments. For example, Generation Z desires to complete their work in the correct way to please their managers, so exceptional training would be strongly recommended for Generation Z to be confident in their work. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how Generation Z functions in the workplace and how Generation Z’s desires and motivations related to their careers can affect the hiring and retaining process for firms. In this thesis, there is a survey that assessed the characteristics of Generation Z and their preferences for work environments, communications, and employee benefits. In addition to the results of this survey, a discussion of the characteristics of Generation Z will lead to suggestions for how firms should prepare for and accommodate millions of current and future Generation Z employees