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Millennials and their work style have been the most sought-after research topic for HR leaders. Although it has been three decades since the millennials entered the workplace, understanding them still remained dubious. While the research continues to go deep into the millennials, the HR leaders are faced with another cohort group known as Generation Z. An attempt is being made to build strategies for developing Generation Z, which can be compelling propositions that continue to generate a pipeline of future talent.
Generation Z consists of people who are born after 1995 (Lanier, 2017). A study by the American Psychological Association (2017) states that 77 per cent of this cohort group are college-going students, who are just entering the workforce. Research indicates that the majority of Generation Z are children of millennials, and hence, they possess the qualities of millennials like being loyal, thoughtful, responsible, and determined. However, they differ from the millennial generation as this cohort group is considered to be more entrepreneurial, and strive for their own identity. Having said that, Generation Z throws challenges to other cohort groups, as they behave differently from earlier generations, thus bringing potential changes in the organizational landscape. The generational differences in the workplace cannot be overlooked but only has to be welcomed, and hence, an attempt is being made to understand Generation Z characteristics, and a growing need for HR to reinvent the workplace to accommodate this cohort group.
Early starters
The higher education system has gone through a paradigm shift with the advancement of technology challenging the traditional system of learning. With technology making inroads into the academic world, students have access to all the information they need. Further, Generation Z is active on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, etc., which help them to gain various facets of knowledge with a sense of responsibility. As students, they are encouraged to debate and participate in discussions providing them with an opportunity to present their point of view (Cameron and Pagnattaro, 2017). They continue to exhibit these traits as they enter the corporate world, thereby questioning the conventional way of doing things. Thus, it is essential for HR leaders to conduct new hire orientation sessions addressing basic questions and helping them to embrace organizational values...