Written by Industrial Stores Staff 05/26/2024
What do Greta Thunberg, Simone Biles, Max Verstappen, Malala, and David Hogg all have in common?
They are some of the most famous members of Gen Z and embody the radical, entrepreneurial, pragmatic, and inclusive attitude you can expect from your youngest apprentices.
The Gen Z workforce will soon make up a third of the workforce. This generation of digital natives and identity nomads is also on track to become the most educated generation ahead of their predecessors, the millennials.
If you’re a contractor or a manager with a multi-generational crew, you’re looking at either potential anarchy or an opportunity to revitalize your workforce by tapping into the values of Gen Z.
We discuss 3 practical tips for motivating and managing Gen Z built around their value system.
1 - Prioritize the Human Touch in Workplace Communications
It seems like a paradox that the true digital natives of today prioritize face-to-face communication at work above any other type of communication.
Not only do 75% of Gen Z employees prefer in-person workplace communication, but they also want to work collaboratively within small groups.
Gen Z also wants to be on a continuous feedback loop about their performance at work. The annual or quarterly performance review just doesn’t cut it for them.
So what does this look like in practice?
Share Visible Net Progress Frequently
The crux of sharing and celebrating net wins is getting your team to the goal through consistent and sustainable effort.
For example, of the two teams that embarked on the first human trip to the South Pole, only the Norwegian team made it there and back. They did so with moderate—but regular and consistent—effort, rather than bursts of extraordinary effort and performance that causes burnout.
Gen Z have watched their millennial predecessors burn out and are more keen on pacing themselves with frequent feedback rather than going out in a blaze of glory.
With Gen Z apprentices in the workplace:
Make frequent feedback sessions habitual by holding status meetings daily or on alternate days.
Keep the sessions brief (15 - 30 minutes) unless they’re involved in a big project.
Strive for openness and less formality.
Encourage older workers to be more open to receiving feedback from their younger, less experienced colleagues.
Use collaborative tools such as Asana, Notion, and Airtable to keep abreast of their small net wins, which will build up to the ultimate result.
Pair the Gen Z apprentices with older mentors at work whom they can shadow and connect with for strength and guidance.
Set Clear Deadlines and Boundaries
Get ‘as soon as possible’ out of your vocabulary. Clear deadlines communicate time and date.
To stagger the deadline, you could say:
“The task is due on Thursday at noon, but I’ll reach out on Wednesday at 3PM to review your progress and troubleshoot any sticky points.”
Similarly, communicate work boundaries clearly from the get go. Gen Zs get distracted easily, and this can cause deadlines to pass them by.
For example, consider the stereotype that a Gen Z has no discipline and will use phones and tech at work or takes seemingly unnecessary time off.
To this, your managerial response should be to create clear boundaries:
Train Gen Z apprentices and the other staff on acceptable phone use etiquette at work. The training can be through monthly or quarterly screen casts and internal videos designed as behavioral code refreshers.
Designate clear break times and spaces which don’t encroach on other staffers’ work spaces and sensibilities.
Create systems that allow both Gen Z and older workers to have flexible schedules for life and health demands.
2 - Create Career Growth Opportunities for Gen Z Apprentices
51% of Gen Z find motivation to do their best work when assigned projects they care about and enjoy.
As a manager, you can leverage their zest for work and self-improvement to increase your productivity and profitability and to help build a highly skilled workforce.
Give Them Problem-Solving Tasks
As the youngest workers, Gen Z has the benefit of being outside the primary societal discourse driven by their seniors.
They have:
A fresh and totally different perspective to offer
Radical openness in communication
A digital-first expectation for workplace and societal solutions
Natural flexibility and adaptability to challenges of the moment
It almost seems like they’re designed for problem-solving.
Provide a clear picture of the problem (the why) and let them take the lead on ‘the how.’ Their ability to push back and ask questions will yield better ideas and results for your business.
Assign Them Asynchronous Projects
Asynchronous projects don’t mean pointless busy work; instead, they refer to tasks that are not strictly time-bound.
It’s hard to picture any task happening on site that isn’t time bound, but let’s try.
Apprenticeship tasks often fall into quadrant III in the picture above. From offloading equipment to other grunt work, their menial tasks form the minutiae of site operations.
While these and specialized craft skills are necessary for the Gen Z apprentice to learn the flow of work, it’s equally formative to throw them a juicy bone from quadrant II—important but not urgent tasks.
You’ll be feeding two birds with one seed by:
Teaching the apprentice key business functions and skills.
Easing the young apprentice into workflow and deliverables without creating a boiler room situation.
Getting to those important tasks you haven’t had the time to plan out and execute.
What are some of these important but not urgent tasks?
Researching and compiling information on new suppliers
Collating contacts or resumé files of specialized subcontractors the business needs
Checking off the health and safety checklist or regulations
Following up on the action points of progress reports from the various departments
Ensuring vans and trucks are loaded with the correct materials
As you design and delegate these tasks to your Gen Z apprentices, ask yourself:
What are their career goals and what tasks in the business will best fit into their goals?
3 - Promote a Positive Work Culture
The world Gen Z grew up in swung from the financial crisis to the crippling student debt of their elders. Gen Z is very pragmatic about financial incentives at work. They want jobs with a future.
More importantly, they value being good global citizens and meaningful workers. Over 70% of Gen Z says that they would be open to a pay cut for a chance to work in a company whose mission they believe in.
Happy #InternationalWomensDay to all of the amazing women out there, including those working in skilled trades. ?
Let’s work together to improve workplaces for women in the trades and create a positive work environment for ALL. ???#HVACLife #BlueCollar #WomenInTheTrades pic.twitter.com/8eGis8nw2y
— Industrial Stores (@IndustriaIStore) March 8, 2022
What does this good citizenry look like?
Diversity and inclusion initiatives that go beyond buzzwords and form part of the DNA of the business - how it recruits and operates.
A clear stand on socio-political issues of the moment that feeds into tangible social initiatives.
An ecological conscience in the business aimed at reducing any negative impact on the environment.
In the table below, we compare the life contexts and value systems of the three generations at work: Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z.
Champion Work-Life Balance
Here is how you can establish boundaries at work:
1. Know what your own boundaries are.
2. Set expectations from the start.
3. Take time off (we mean it!).
What was the strangest/funniest work request you’ve ever received? ??#HVACLife #SkilledTrades #SettingBoundaries pic.twitter.com/zIZks5HZBj
— Industrial Stores (@IndustriaIStore) March 4, 2022
Those weekend emails and the unspoken expectation to work longer hours need to become history.
Gen Z is the most vocal generation regarding mental health challenges and mental health days.
Instead of treating mental health and wellness days as strictly rationed treats, consider them part of your productivity systems. A healthy apprentice will work harder and be more loyal to the business.
Build wellness and health practices into the culture of the company by introducing:
Clear work hours with little or no encroachment on personal time.
Work times and spaces for employees to take a break.
Easy processes for requesting time off.
Incentives for self improvement such as gym allowances, company-paid certifications, and mental health coverage.
Foster Transparency and Respect
Building trust isn’t limited to your customers alone. Your young apprentices need assurance that management is squarely in their corner.
Gen Z wants to be treated with respect and as adults with equal rights in the workplace. Transparency in communication is crucial to this generational group.
Let’s get into some action points:
Instead of stifling workplace banter, create opportunities to discuss those sensitive topics with all employees from a generational standpoint. Gen Z values discourse and would be open to seeing the good-natured side of workplace ribbing.
Uphold respectful communication and categorically speak against ageist jokes from any group.
Develop a Skilled, Diverse Workforce
Apprenticeships are key in building a diverse, highly skilled, and loyal workforce. Gen Z’s unique markers and values seem designed to create the perfect apprentice.
Gen Z apprentices are ambitious, career focused, open to feedback and communication, and passionate about social change. Aligning with these values would be the ace in any manager’s sleeve to harness and retain Gen Z talent.
Our team is younger than ever before. As you get your youngest workforce together, Industrial Stores genuinely cares about helping you provide your clients with good quality industrial equipment and products, affordably.
Contact us today.
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