2 Surprising Keys to Keep Generation Z on Your Team

It is not an overstatement to say—corporate cultures across the U.S. are about to experience a tsunami, a wave of change like we’ve not seen in our lifetime. Yeah, I recall when the personal computer entered the scene. I also recall when our phones became those personal computers, allowing us to work from anywhere and at any time. And I recall not long ago when AI began to perform many daily tasks that an organization needs.

Today, we face a new culture challenge in engaging young employees. 

I’ve written before about the labor shortage coming with Generation Z. This population is not only smaller than the millennials, but they are choosier about the jobs they’ll take. My question: Is your company’s culture adapting to the new job seeker? How about the way your hiring managers do their interviewing and onboarding? Just like parents began looking to schools to meet some of their child’s needs that used to be met around the dinner table (values, ethics, manners) decades ago, businesses are now needed by Gen Z staff to cultivate a culture that meets some of their employees’ intrinsic needs.

I just finished writing a book called, The Future Begins with Z: Nine Strategies to Lead Generation Z as They Disrupt the Workplace. In my research, I found two major elements these Gen Zers want that both attract them to a job and make them stay. 

A Culture of Belonging

My friend is a small business owner who just hired Tracy (not her real name). Tracy was 23 when she started and seemed to be a quick learner. A few weeks into the job, her boss saw her begin to disengage. When the two met, Tracy was aloof, even distant, almost like she had changed her mind about wanting to work there. Within a month, she left, sending a farewell email to everyone on the team. Poof! She was gone that day. 

Tracy’s boss later contacted her, asking for an exit interview. In it, Tracy admitted she didn’t feel like she belonged on the team. No one was reaching out to her; she saw cliques that felt closed and unavailable to her. So, the job wasn’t the problem—it was the culture. My focus groups revealed a strong Gen Z desire: a culture of belonging. Podcaster Dov Baron agrees: “Gen Z is leading the charge in demanding a workplace that prioritizes belonging, emotional intelligence, and human connection. The AI-driven changes (today) are inevitable, and (our) preparation is critical.” 

Consider this: More and more U.S. workplaces will be powered by artificial intelligence. That’s why our emotional intelligence is more vital than ever. It’s the human element that separates great cultures from average ones. It’s all about cultivating human connection. 

Further—people today are reporting higher levels of loneliness, among all generations. Gen Z, however, leads the way in this. Often, they forgo a rite of passage many of us enjoyed during our young adult years: close, personal relationships. In a YouGov poll from last year, about 50 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34 said they’d been in a “situationship,” or undefined relationship, but far less than half in a close relationship. Since full-time jobs involve forty hours each week, I believe work teams could be a place for them to find genuine, caring connections: mentors, buddies, and cheerleaders. The fact is, Gen Zers report wanting to be together in the office more than any other generation of staff.  Belonging is the new corporate, cultural currency and, it can happen on any team that proves to be as intentional about relationships as they are about revenue. 

A Culture of Purpose 

A new Gallup poll just revealed the primary source of happiness in the Gen Z cohort.

The survey, which included 2,271 young adults in the U.S. between ages 12 and 26, found that their most influential driver of happiness is a sense of purpose at work and at school. Sadly, millions of members from Generation Z don’t feel any sense of purpose on the job. “The challenge that we see from the research is that about 40% to 50% of Gen Zers say they don’t feel like what they do every day is interesting,” reports senior researcher Zach Hrynowski. In response, they can disengage at work. 

Our job? Managers and supervisors must connect the dots for a young team member between the job they’ve been given to do and the big picture purpose of the organization. Especially menial jobs require leaders to help a young person see how their task helps the cause in a meaningful way. Purpose is everything to a happy and fully engaged employee, especially a young one. 

Years ago, I recognized this need on our own team at Growing Leaders. Fresh graduates joined our team but appeared to merely do the bare minimum on the job. It felt like an early version of “quiet quitting.” So, I met with one of them and asked why he wasn’t giving 110 percent. He explained he was only working on small projects that didn’t require more than he was giving. Once I shared the “why” behind his tasks, however, things changed. In fact, I met with every team member under 25 years old and began to connect their job to our key result areas and overall mission. The light bulbs went on. The energy returned.

For Gen Z, work isn’t just about making a dollar; it’s about making a difference. They want meaning as much as money, if not more so.  Is your purpose clear enough to inspire them? The Gallup report can be summarized this way: They seek purpose in their roles and expect employers to share their desire for positive societal impact. Teams that don’t articulate a clear and meaningful purpose will struggle to retain young talent. Gen Z employees want to feel they’re contributing to something bigger than themselves — that their work matters beyond the bottom line. What difference is your organization making? Do they know? 

These ideas are from my new book releasing November 4^th called, The Future Begins with Z: 9 Strategies to Lead Gen Z as They Disrupt the Workplace. Pre-order HERE.