The oldest members of Generation Z are entering the workforce. Members of this generation, born roughly between 1995 and 2010, have never lived without the Internet and are accustomed to constant technological change. In general, they are also more ethnically and ideologically diverse than the generations that came before them. Gen Z offers future employers technological skills and adaptability, yet demands a workplace suited to their needs.
In this video, Ira Wolfe, president of Success Performance Solutions, explains that to welcome Gen Z, organizations will have to be open to change. These young workers, he says, are "experts at understanding how to live in a world of fast change."
And while they will bring the change, they will also offer strategies to navigate it. As a result, the traditional mentor-mentee relationship must dissolve and be replaced by something much more fluid. While older employees will have specific expertise and experience to share with Gen Z, the newcomers will help the old guard adapt to changes in the workplace. This revision of the corporate hierarchy, Wolfe says, is crucial if an organization expects to succeed in the future.
Photo: Creative Commons