December 08, 2021

3 skills Gen Z can bring to the workplace (that the rest of the office doesn't have)

Carolyn Taylor – Assistant Account Executive

Generation Z (or Gen Z) — the largest generation in American history — grew up in a world surrounded by gizmos, gadgets, tablets and touch screens. Raised by the internet and social media, Gen Zers are known for being naturally tech-savvy and adapt quickly to new technology and, compared to Millennials, they communicate primarily through social media and texts, and spend as much time on their phones as older generations do watching television.

As Gen Zers begin to enter the workforce, what skills are they bringing to your team and how will they be essential in keeping your company not only modern, but continuously growing and adapting?

Gen Zers are natural content creators

The average Gen Z got their first smartphone ahead of their 12^th birthday. This means that as social media continued to expand from Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and TikTok — Gen Z was there to capture and welcome the changes with a fierce, all-in attitude as they saw an opportunity to learn.

As this relates to business, many Millennials and older generations haven’t had time to catch up with all the newest changes in the digital space, and many of them don’t want to. As Gen Z enters office doors, find value in trusting Gen Z with creating content for your brand to ensure you’re growing with innovative ideas rather than letting your business mindlessly collect dust. Give them projects like creating TikToks, YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels (so long as it fits your brand and target audience) to show that even though you don’t know all the buttons to press — you’re investing your time and effort into the future of your company by trusting the younger tech-pros to do it for you.

Pro tip: As much as you want to avoid doing it, download TikTok and interact with Instagram Reels. Commit to spending 15-30 minutes a day scrolling through videos to learn more about the platform interface for each. Who knows? You may come across a rising trend that can become a potential opportunity for you or your clients’ digital space.

They are diversity-driven

Within their childhood years, the post-Millennial generation saw the country elect its first Black president and legalize gay marriage. They are more likely to have grown up in a diverse household and have been exposed to a more racially and ethnically diverse landscape within their schools, organizations and now, offices, making them less fazed by differences in race, sexual orientation or religion than previous generations.

With diversity as their norm, Gen Z will provide support in the continued growth of your business by bringing different characteristics to the table that may not have been as commonly found in Millennials or Gen X. By welcoming additional perspectives to support you and your clients, you will create a culture that is not only exceptionally well-rounded, but offers a true foundational role in the future growth of your employees and overall business structure.

They’re quick to adapt and are learners by nature

While some argue that technology hinders Gen Z’s ability to communicate well, they’re actually learning and growing more than you think. Technology is constantly changing – whether it’s a shift in a device’s interface, a minor or major app update or a new tool that will support how Gen Z functions in life or at work, the evolving technological age has been at their fingertips since they could talk, making it natural for them to learn about and pick up skills at a quicker rate than previous generations.

Change is good, especially in business. It teaches employees how to adapt – which can be beneficial when stressful projects become overwhelming or a crisis is on the line. Additionally, change helps develop skills, encourage innovation, lead to better business opportunities and improves staff culture to be a more flexible and low-stress environment.

As Gen Z continues to take on a more prominent role in your office, learn how you can identify these strengths and trust them to make a positive impact on your business, office culture and client success.

Share: