Managing the Generation Z Workforce | Talent Management

Managing the Generation Z Workforce | Talent Management

Managing the Generation Z Workforce | Talent Management  

Generation Z is the freshest generation to join the business world. This generation is well-known for being born in the age of mobile technology starting in the mid-1990s. There are varying precise years from different sources, but they agree that the generation starts in the middle of 1990s to 2000s. The generation is expected to be more flexible due to the influence of technology.

Recruiting these new talents is the latest challenge for talent management. To handle this impending issue, getting information about the generation will help you get prepared. There are notable personalities that can be commonly found among Generation Z.


Their sense of responsibility comes from being born in the age where technology is simply at the tap of a finger. Independence is learned at an early age and education is not extremely hard to access with the help of an internet connection. Learning through their efforts, even if it is as simple as a key press, is a step towards responsibility. They would not ask too many questions. Instead, they would be finding the answers for themselves.

Gives Importance to Relationship

Unlike the days where most of the families are classified as the nuclear type or extended type, families can be in the form of different sorts. It can be the single-parent, same-sex parent, or even grandparents who bring up their grandchildren. This variety of family orientation does not undermine the importance of the relationship; rather, it enables it to be stronger. Living in a different household that is different from the usual in older times makes the people born from generation z more mature at an early age. This maturity teaches them that prioritizing relationship is crucial to living a happy life. Despite being born in with the easy access to technology, this enhances the importance of relationships and how being physically available for the other person is meaningful.


The generation learned and grew up in a period of economic distress and hardship, leading them to become more realistic when it comes to setting up goals. This makes them pursue careers that are more obtainable than dreaming big. In the age of digital information, they are aware of how data can be easily bent to your benefits. This makes them cautious, and it will influence them to form their conclusions.


They are aware of financial issues that take up most of the time for everyone. This awareness leads the generation to take up choices to avoid financial slavery from a young age. To achieve this, they will invest in themselves to become the boss and not an employee.

Sensibly Radical

They are incredibly different from the previous generations in a sensible way. They do not take issues lightly, but they also do not make a big deal out of it in the social media. Most would choose a better way of action to solve the problem rather than voicing out their reactions.

Comparing them to their predecessor, the Millennials, Generation Z is less impulsive in decision making and will be focusing on achieving great things while keeping their feet rooted on the floor. These traits are merely a look of what the Generation Z can be capable of. Still, it would serve us best to be prepared on how they will be changing our world.



    The success of an organization would greatly rely on constant change and innovation. An organization to become trendy should always seek and research for something unique and innovative. Generation Z can play a great role on this. Generation Z is the generation who grew up with technology where internet can be accessed anytime, anywhere. This is one of the benefits of those who belong in generation Z working in a company. Aside from being computer literate, they can work in a multi-tasking way. They can manipulate computers while talking to costumers. They can quickly and efficiently shift work and play. Research would be very easy for them because of their literacy to computers. And most importantly, they’re good with marketing strategies and advertising by just simply talking to their friends on Skype or Facebook and letting their followers know about something by posting it on their Twitter and Instagram.
    On the other hand, the challenges about those who belong in Generation Z is that they lack of focus and has a very short attention span. They don’t want to be weary for just a short time. This can be addressed by constantly reminding them about their duties and responsibilities. The talent manager should remind them always that time management is very important, that they should know when to work and when to party. To achieve this further, talent managers would know how to gradually change this negativities of Generation Z by exposing them to trainings and seminars where they could gain awareness about their negative behaviors. These are just the things that the talent managers should mulled up into their minds.

  2. Frances Anne Amantillo

    All of the traits of generation Z are useful in the organization. The best two traits for me is being responsible and being realistic. Being responsible is an asset to the company because company needs employees that require minimum supervision. Being realistic is also good because ideal goals are not achievable and it would just tire the person who set it up.

    On the other hand, being prepared is the most challenging aspect of generation Z because their superiors might get intimidated to them because they are bossy at times.

  3. Lemon Grace Ratone

    As the business world finally understand the millennials, here comes another generation with distinct and unique traits, the generation Z who were born 1995 onwards. In today’s time, their generation is very important for the economy and marketers as they influenced the household purchases. This generation is raced in a diversified environment where they believe in equality and a non-discriminating society. They are driven by their personal ambition and are very optimistic. They grew up in a diverse family structure which made them value their relationship without prejudice and become empowered to strive hard and reach their goals independently. These traits are very ideal in today’s generation of industry where employees come and go. An organization needs this kind of employees where loyalty and relationship is valued. They are highly motivated and innovative which will contribute a lot in the global war of industry.

    The challenged to every organization is that they must cope up with this ever changing world through redesigning its organizational structures that will adapt to the new traits of their employees. Generation Z is highly motivated and independent which leaders must implement self-manage teams which will give them empowerment and practice their innovations.

  4. Mark Joseph N. Traje

    As mentioned and discussed in the article, Generation Z Workforce are more equipped, more ready and very aggressive in pushing for what they believed in. Also, it mentioned that they grew up were technology is simply at the tap of their fingers. Yes and I agree that these are good traits and very commendable especially in the time were the demands of our client and the business itself is at its peak. Though, if not objectively materialize then definitely this can harm the business and the organization.
    There a lot to mention if we discuss about the challenges of this Generation but for me it boils down to, this Generation put no more VALUES in what they were doing. Yes, they can give the result, but was that really out of passion? Or out of compliance? Was it really because they really put their hearts to what they were doing or more on, their just doing it to survive the fast growing economy. Very few of these Generation understands, that when they do a job, their output represents “them” and not the organization nor what pay they received after.

  5. Pearl Joy Ortiz

    Generation Z will soon enter the workforce that will incorporate new challenges and opportunities in the corporate world. Managers should correctly address how Gen Z behave and influence the workforce to ensure healthier working atmosphere within the organization.

    Gen Z is digital natives. They can be experts in digital technology for they know about the latest through the internet. Through this connection, it creates ways of opportunity for the business. They are flexible and can work multiple jobs. It exemplifies that the work will finish at any place, at any given time. They are creative and have better innovative ideas. Companies should invest in technology for this generation have a high interest in technology as a source of ceaseless information with just a tap from a finger.

    Gen Z prefers to work alone than as a group and expect credits for independent achievements. They have difficulty in engaging with others or superiors because they tend to have low emotional intelligence. This may be the biggest challenge that needs to be addressed. They use technology for communication such as Twitter and other social media thus, lack of voice intonation and eye contact when they interact. Managers should cultivate mentorship to encourage different generations for opportunities to interact and learn from one another. They appear to be less participative in their communities that could lead to poor leadership and social skills. This should be given emphasis on conflict management skills and public speaking for it is valuable in their development in the workplace and to the society as a whole. Promote service learning integration thru community awareness to develop socially conscious individuals.

  6. Analie Joy A. Soriaga

    Workers/employees who are observed to be technology-inclined, aggressive and always on the go are the so called Generation Z. The entrance of this generation in the organization actually has its own advantages and disadvantages (due to their different traits).

    For me, the traits (that they possess) that are useful in the company are the following:
    1. Responsible – every company needs an employee who is responsible and accountable for their work. Generation Z, being independent at an early age are mature individuals leading them to have a sense of responsility. They would always find ways to solve any problem that they are faced with.
    2. They give importance to relationship – this trait is very useful in a company because all employees and their respective task has a connection with each other. Having a good relationship with the co workers can greatly influence the performance of every employee and the company as a whole.
    3. Realistic – since Generation Z are mature individuals, they live their lives objectively and realistically. They know how to do “grounding” or reality checking. This trait can be beneficial to the company because it helps the Gen Z set up realistic goals leading to a realistic result.

    On the otherhand, they also havs traits that are considered threat to a company. For example, being “prepared”. According to this article, being prepared means that the Gen z are aware of financial issues which leads them to take up choices to avoid financial slavery. Basing from experience, most of the Gen z has the tendency to move out and look for other job which can offer them a lot more (monetary or non monetary). Moreover, they have the tendency to invest om becoming the boss/owner instead of being a simple employee only.

    With this, companies needs to address or deal with this generation properly. HR to be specific, needs to know or learn what their goals or plans are, how they feel and the like inorder to retain Gen Z employees.


    According to an article by James Scott, Generation Z are those people who were born after the mid 90’s, they are the latest or the freshest generation that are entering the business workforce today. And being born in the age of advanced technology, these employees are very valuable to the company especially when it comes to the latest trends that a certain company needs to compete in the business world. Generation Z has a great regard in receiving feedback to the work they have done. They often require or seek attention from their superior to acknowledge their effort. It may be a useful characteristic of a Gen Z employee but on a side note, they have a hard time focusing on a certain responsibility or task assigned to them, this may be because of too much activities that is happening around these generation. This is a challenge to the HR Personnel because training and teaching this generation can be tiresome and could be in a way repetitive only due to the lack of focus of an applicant during an orientation.
    Contrary to the challenges that were mentioned, Gen Z also have some traits that could be useful to the company like being optimistic and enthusiastic when it comes to their work. Maybe because this is the first ever job opportunity that they have and having their first career, being enthusiastic and optimistic is a natural characteristic that they all possess. It will be valuable to the company and HR’s should take advantage of this as after a few years, Gen Zers will be no longer be that much optimistic and enthusiastic when it comes to their work and would have a great tendency to seek better opportunities and move out of the company.

  8. GenZers are considered as true digital natives, since life is almost dependent on internet , technology and social media. They possess unique character traits that are considered beneficial and productive in the company.
    Since GenZers value training and development opportunities that help them expand their expertise. The company should strategize how to capture their talents as workers and create a workplace environment that will help them stay at the company longer while developing skillsets to do their job better, resulting for higher success in the company.
    Furthermore, GenZers had an ‘eight second attention span’, thus, managers should see to it that communication must be delivered in quick bites, rather than lengthy meetings.
    Inorder to answer the unique characteristics of GenZers, a tailored – made experience must be used as a strategic initiative that includes, digitise recruiting efforts, cross train, to create staffing models by providing ample opportunities to have business across functions without boundaries. Connecting the dots by giving performance and rewards through transparency on how effort, value system and compensation are aligned. Plan for growth to ensure full utilization of skills and coach for success where coaching and mentoring for incoming employees are recommended.

  9. Jenny Barros

    For the workplace Generation Z youngsters are the present staff, soon colleagues of present management and the future management of the company itself.
    As they are so internet savvy when coming to an interview they will already know everything there is to know about the company, including salaries (sites like Glassdoor gives such information on most well-known companies) therefore absolute truth and candidness is needed when interviewing them as possibly they may know more about the company than the interviewer. Should they feel the interviewer is not straight or honest with them they will not feel confident about having a long-term career with the company. It is important therefore from the outset if it is felt by the interviewer that the candidate is bright, have a vision and a good potential future with the company to bond with them rather than have a standard interview. As they have set their own goals which often are very realistic, it is vital to know these goals and show them how, within the company, they could actually increase these goals, firing their imagination and desire to improve themselves!
    This is the best ways to make them feel confident about their prospect and keep their loyalty! The company should have a presence in social media. They are an important addition to the company workforce because of their youth, enthusiasm, technical ability, and agility, deep knowledge of present-day technologies, good vision of the world we live in, are not usually involved in politics but are passionate about some causes and this passion can be channeled into a positive focus for the company! They are the fresh blood and fresh ideas every company needs and should not be scared of but on the contrary embrace it!

    As employees, to keep Generation Z staff will be harder than others because they are so tech savvy they’ll keep abreast of technological development and companies development, therefore, feeling another company with better technology and work environment may be better for them. The work environment is crucial to their development, rest and leisure areas should be provided during breaks with desktops and wifi access, confirmation seating/lounging facilities, coffee making etc…. Generation Z people are also thinkers and they need downtime to recharge and distill the most brilliant ideas. The best ideas and work is actually brain work and for them will not come at a work desk but in a comfy lounge with time to think. They usually do not work well under pressure but their intelligence and brilliance will shine through if properly nurtured. Basically, their minds contain more knowledge than any other generation’s staff and any “experience” can be gained at the tap of a finger albeit someone else’s experience which is nonetheless valuable. They must be encouraged to post thoughts and comments, even have blogs on the company social media pages so as to entice other Generation Z potential candidates. As the workforce gets older and retire Generation Z employees will be the future, and as for everything, the future needs to be prepared and managed.

  10. Iranne Teriz G. Chainani

    Digital natives were those people born during the birth of advance technology. Technology is a very changing trend in the society. People are more aware on how can they pace themselves in the midst of technology. Technologies have a lot benefits to younger generation but we all must consider the logical and rational way of consuming it. Preparedness is not an issue most especially when its for a purpose of educating minds and creating breakthroughs. Hence, we all must admit that we are living in a realistic world so technology is only an element but not a most rational way of achieving things.

  11. Mizpah A. Villamor

    When I listen to the older generation about their opinion of the younger ones, most often than not, they will see the negative rather than the positive. I would hear phrases like “When we were your age we already know how to do this.” or “People in the previous generation are better compared to the present.” Admittedly, I sometimes hear myself muttering these same phrases. If this is a general view, it is safe to assume that this attitude will somehow affect the culture of the institutions in how they treat the younger ones especially if the top management come from the same older generation, like the Baby Boomers or the Generation X. However, younger generation, the Generation Z is now an adult and has stepped into the working class or the corporate world. As Talent Managers, working with different generational traits is inevitable and so one should see beyond the negative bias of a given generation and focus on the positive characteristics instead.

    The Gen Z has many good characteristics that can be useful to the company. A responsible employee is a plus point. If a supervisor gives a task to an employee, he will expect that it will be done. That is a strength of a Gen Z worker. He will perform and will try to figure out things on his own because of his resourcefulness. He has a huge resource of creativity and imagination, brought about by his access to the world wide web. Giving a new project to him, will bring the company to fresh visions and new possibilities. The Gen Z, being sensibly radical, will pursue new and better way of implementing things. It is best to give Gen Z the liberty to do things his way as long as it is clear to him what output is required.

    Being known to have less focus, Gen Z’s working environment should have less distractions. A wide and spacious work space will be advantageous for him. Encourage Gen Z worker to take one task at a time. This will improve their attention span and concentration. It will also be helpful for Gen Z to have conventional face to face meeting rather than the use of digital gadgets. This will address their need for personal interaction and allow them to value relationships formed in the workplace that will result to better work productivity.

    A good Talent Manager will be able to work with any age group of workers and even produce better talents. He just has to observe the good traits and build up on these characteristics for the good of the company. He also must take note of the seemingly downside traits and find ways how to address these, so that eventually he will develop a remarkable workforce.

  12. For me the entrance of the Generation z in the world of business, cause big help in the business world. Being a Generation z they posse the traits of source minded persons. Being a source minded persons they know where to look, where to find solution. Because everything for them is one click, they can provide answered, solution to that problems or questions we ask. Being sources minded person they are persons that are exposed in the technology. As we all know everything in this world we can find it in the technology or internet.
    In the other face on the coin we all know that when we expose in the world of technology the dilemma of this is lack of interaction with the real people. And I one company is essential to have interaction with other co-worker because when we can interact we can get or share ideas in order to help our colleges not only colleges but somehow can help the company. With that interaction can build unit among co-workers, and without interacting with other co-worker we can’t build unit. That is the challenge of the Generation Z on how we can interact with other co-worker and build unity. Unity can help the company rich their goals.

  13. Rodolfh D. Doruelo

    As part of the Generarion Z, i can relate this statement of what are the traits that are useful in the company and what are the challenges that need to be addressed. Generation Z are born in technological advanced generation, in the worl of technology Generation Z are the users of internet and computers, they are expert and advance when it comes to technology, to make the company to have an easy work because of the technology, without technology our work will be on manual mode sometimes your work will get delay because we are not user of technology. It’s a big help to the organization to have Generation Z employee to make the work easier and productive and it will minimize the manpower because of tehcnology what they us.
    Some challenges that affect in the organizatio first is overusing of technology, they create a technology to help your work become easier but sometimes if the technology is overused it will affect the communities and also to the company. The Generation Z must maintain the standard of using the technology and realize them how it affects to the communities and organization if it used inappropriate manner. And most of Generation Z had been exposed to the many negative things through technology, like x rated movies are not prohibited to watch, neglecting the attention of others because they are focusing on technology. These challenges must given attention and addressed at home first.
    It’s challege to hire those belonging in Generation Z because they are technically advanced which is a big help to the organization but in contrary they also have an attitude that they don’t want to have a boss because they want to become a boss. These attitudes are very crucial to deal with. We must be careful to choose between the skills or the attitude. And i believed that if you have the good skills but you dont have a good attitude the organization will not hire you because the most important is the good attitude that you adapt in your environment and you will share to the community as well.

  14. Rustom M. Padios

    Dynamic, tech-savvy, free-spirited, and motivated- Generation Z is slowly taking over the workplace. With the presence of this generation in the office, the management is challenged to adapt with the needs of these group of people. Indeed, they make the workplace even more diverse as before.

    After reading the article about Generation Z, it comes to my senses that managing talent in the workplace will be a little more challenging for the company’s HR. This generation can either break or make the business. As for me, the traits that this generation have that will be useful to the organization is their knowledge and expertise in technology. It is not new to us that most if not all company right now are into the integration of technology in all their operations. Having this Generation Z in the workplace will give the company an edge over the others given the fact that they are tech savvy, training and development may not be necessary anymore, that means lesser expenses for the organization. Another, as stated they are radical. This means that Generation Z is much more creative and innovative. Having creative and innovative minds in the workplace is vital , this will allow the business to offer unique products and services to the target market, making them one step ahead of their adversaries. And lastly, Generation Z are ambitious. They wanted to travel the world, explore life, be on top- making them work hard to reach their goals. This is a good sign, these ambitions will serve as their drive in doing their job productively and excellently.

    On the contrary, there are also some negative traits that this generation have which may pose a threat to the company. One of which is their lack of focus, having too many goals which results into a disoriented function. This generation needs to slow things down, one step at a time until all the tasks are realized. Flexibility is good and so is knowing your priorities. Also, generation Z jumps from one job to another. Yes, employee loyalty is one of the challenges companies may face in having them. They are not easily contented, they do not settle for anything less that is why they are jumping from one employer to another until they find that one company where they see themselves retiring. Compensation may not be enough to make them stay and organizations needs to find other means of making them motivated all the time.

    Diversity seems to become normal in business, a composition of people from different generations. Businesses needs to embrace this openly, and instead of looking on the differences of the employees, they need to find ways on how employees will find home at work.

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