Private Drivers, Spa Days, and More Independence: How Companies Can Deal with Gen Z Employees… by a Gen Z Boss

Our newest and youngest crop of workers, Gen Z – born between 1997 and 2012 – have found themselves in a lot of mud, with accusations of entitlement and throwing their toys out of the stroller if certain demands aren’t met.

But young entrepreneur Tim Armoo ​​has a different experience with younger workers and believes it’s old-fashioned management techniques that need to change, not the attitudes of Generation Z…

At 21, I started a company to help brands reach Generation Z through influencers.

By the age of 27, I had grown the company to 80 people, with more than half of the company under the age of 25.

This gave me unique insight into not only how to reach them, but also how to hire and retain the best talent.

The truth is, there are countless misconceptions about Gen Z:

In my experience that is not true. What is true is that the old way of working and management does not translate nearly as well.

Here are my tips for managing and understanding Generation Z so you can get the most out of it.

1. Expect them to be demanding

Gen Z grew up with everything at their fingertips.

Amazon delivers within a day; Uber taxis within minutes; Deliveroo delivers food in 20 minutes, all with a few clicks on a smartphone.

This ‘on demand’ nature of life means that their sense of speed and urgency is vastly different from that of most people.

They constantly think that things need to be done faster and this attitude can spill over into their work environment.

Furthermore, growing up in a world ruled by social media has exposed them to much more than previous generations did at that age.

While some may think this is a problem, there are benefits: one of them is that they can respond insanely quickly to news, issues and changes.

Quick adaptation is in their blood. They grew up with change, if only through the memes they consumed and the YouTube channels they watched.

This also means that they can respond exceptionally well to criticism and praise. So if you have feedback, don’t save it for the performance review.

Tell them and make them change now. Chances are they can change and adjust 3, 4, 5 times before the performance conversation arrives, and then it’s a completely different conversation.

I know it can be easy to say, “These guys have to wait their turn because you had to,” but understanding the need for speed is key. Without this, they will move on or stop trying.

How to put it into practice

You can take advantage of mini promotions through a job that do not entail a pay increase.

An example is giving responsibility for small things such as a Christmas party, work for small clients or organizing a team building day.

It fulfills the desire for change and challenge that otherwise monotonous tasks do not satisfy.

2. They grew up with a “why” mentality

‘Because I say so.’ doesn’t work on Gen Z. They don’t accept orders without a justified ‘why’.

You would have to explain ‘why’ a lot more.

When you have so much information at your fingertips, you’re used to figuring out why things should be that way.

Based on the information you have, you set frameworks in your head and justify why certain decisions are made.

Take that away from someone with this mentality and you’re greeted with endless curiosity and answers to demanding questions – not ideal.

An example of this is when I explained why we had to do certain reports a certain way and that they couldn’t just figure it out on their own before sending it to customers.

This seems logical to most other people, but for Gen Z it’s not a question of ‘how do I do it’, but ‘why do we have to do it this way?’

Very different questions that require very different management styles.

How to put this into practice

Try to explain two layers deep.

For example, we’re making this sales pitch in person because Mr. Smith is a more traditional businessman who values ​​the person he’s buying from and his handshake, not the product he or she is selling.

This is important because without going that extra mile, he will never agree to do business with us, no matter how good our offer is.

This is something Gen Z can understand.

Would they act the same way? No.

Do they have any justification for their actions? Yes.

3. Reward with autonomy

The conventional world of work was based on seniority and experience.

That’s no longer the case, because Gen Z believes that the more money they create, the more money they should make.

To some extent this is a wonderful thing. It means they believe in working for a living, but it can be a bad thing because it disrupts the typical pecking order.

“You have to wait three years to become a senior and make this money because that’s what everyone else did” is not a path Gen Z wants to embark on. In fact, following this path will only drive away the top talent.

Things have to change.

How to put it into practice

Bonus schemes that can give them some benefit.

Perhaps their bonuses are based primarily on their contribution to the company and not just a group.

Performance-related bonuses were critical to the success of my last company, and the Gen Z workforce loved them.

They thought it was a fair deal and were happy to go the extra mile for extra pay.

Simple really.

4. Really give it to them

They grew up in a world of fakeness.

Instagram is fake, emails are fake, politicians are fake and influencers are fake.

Everything requires them to be skeptical, otherwise they run the risk of mindless consumption and manipulation. There are already far too many examples of this, and Gen Z is fully aware of it.

There is a deep desire for authenticity and transparency. This is good because it means you can reach the end goal faster.

If someone is underperforming, don’t try to hold back; the team knows it and they know it. Instead, tell them and explain why. They all respect you more for that.

If you say you’re going to do something, do it and if you can’t do it, say so. False promises are a very quick way to lose Gen Z’s trust.

Likewise, you can create a culture of transparency in your workplace.

This doesn’t mean belittling them, publicly shaming them and embarrassing the team. That’s a terrible idea.

All you have to do is give them feedback directly and privately.

The culture is one of not covering up for feedback, and not for public criticism.

How to put it into practice

Practice being more transparent during your next meeting or review.

Be clear and objective about performance and if someone is negligent, make a point of talking to them about it.

5. Public social rewards are stronger than private financial rewards

When you have a generation that grew up with social media, their rewards aren’t just financial. The more external it is, the better.

They have to edit it on Instagram and show it to their friends.

This is good for employers because it means that the motivation doesn’t just come from more money, but from things that actually cost less.

For example, consider having a driver pick you up every day for a week; Sending them on a spa day; vouchers for a fancy, in-demand restaurant, and so on.

These are things they post on their social media that make the company look good and can also reduce your recruitment costs.

Their friends will see the rewards and think, ‘I should work there’; it really is an action with multiple benefits.

Some of our best employees came through these types of methods. So we doubled the amount, and even more employees came through this method.

It’s a self-fulfilling cycle.

How to put it into practice

Name some social rewards that make them look good and are cheaper than giving the person a raise.

Focus on the virality and shareability of the reward.

Always ask yourself, “Will this be shared on Instagram?”

If the answer is yes, write it down.