Ah, Gen Z. The avocado-toast-loving, work-life-balance-demanding, TikTok-dancing generation that has been giving traditional workplaces a collective headache since they first clocked in. Just when you thought you’d figured out how to handle their “quiet quitting” and requests for mental health days, along comes their even-more-digital, hyper-aware, and socially-conscious successors: Gen Alpha. If your organisation is still reeling from the culture shock of Gen Z, buckle up, it is going to be a bumpy ride – because the next wave isn’t going to play by your rules either.
The Gen Z Effect: Why Traditional Workplaces Are Struggling
Gen Z (born between 1997-2010) came into the workforce like a hurricane, bringing with them a whole new playbook. Raised in the age of smartphones, social media, and instant information, they have little patience for outdated processes and rigid hierarchies. Here are a few of their most defining workplace traits:
- Purpose over Paycheck: They want to know their work matters. “Because I said so” just doesn’t cut it.
- Work-Life Integration: Forget the 9-to-5 grind; they expect flexibility and the ability to blend work with personal life seamlessly.
- Digital Natives: Email? Please. They communicate through memes, Slack channels, and voice notes.
- Feedback Fanatics: Annual reviews are ancient history. They crave regular, meaningful feedback.
- Boundaries? Firmly in Place: They prioritize mental health and aren’t afraid to call out toxic work cultures.
For many traditional organisations, this has been like trying to teach a cat to swim. Companies operating on Industrial Revolution-era models (think: butts in seats, rigid schedules, and hierarchical decision-making) find themselves bewildered by employees who value autonomy over authority and refuse to accept “that’s just the way we’ve always done it.” The result? Higher turnover, disengagement, and the creeping realization that trying to force-fit Gen Z into outdated systems is a losing battle.
If You Thought That Was Tough… Enter Gen Alpha
If Gen Z disrupted the workplace, Gen Alpha (born from 2010 onwards) will blow it up entirely. They’re the first fully digital generation—born with tablets in hand and AI in their back pocket. These kids are being raised on values of social justice, environmental sustainability, and personal empowerment. And while they’re still in school, they’ll be hitting your workplace faster than you think.
What can you expect?
- Hyper-Personalization: Gen Alpha expects everything tailored to their preferences, from their Netflix queue to their work environment.
- Seamless Tech Integration: If your systems aren’t intuitive, agile, and fast, you’ll lose them in a heartbeat.
- Unapologetic Values: They won’t just want ethical practices—they’ll demand them.
- Collaboration Without Borders: Raised in a globally connected world, they’ll expect diverse and inclusive workplaces where everyone’s voice counts.
And here’s the kicker: they will only amplify the traits that organisations are already struggling with in Gen Z. If you think handling one generation of digitally-savvy, purpose-driven employees is tough, imagine an entire workforce where those traits are the baseline.
Who Wins: Adapt or Die
The organisations that will win in the long run are the ones willing to adapt now. By embracing Gen Z and using them as a bridge to the future, these companies will be prepared to welcome Gen Alpha with open arms. Organisations that resist change, clinging to the relics of 20th-century business models, risk irrelevance and obsolescence.
Imagine trying to recruit a Gen Alpha employee while requiring them to commute to an office five days a week and conduct business via email. They’ll laugh you off their holographic Zoom call.
Forward-thinking businesses are already making moves: rethinking rigid hierarchies, embracing hybrid work models, prioritizing wellbeing, and weaving purpose into their mission. And while this might seem like an exhausting exercise in catering to generational whims, the payoff is enormous: higher retention, greater innovation, and a competitive edge in the future world of work.
Three Tips to Make Gen Z an Asset, Not a Burden
- Rethink Leadership: Gen Z doesn’t respond well to authoritarian leadership. Cultivate leaders who are coaches, not bosses. Prioritize transparency, empathy, and two-way communication.
- Embrace Flexibility: Whether it’s remote work, asynchronous hours, or project-based teams, find ways to offer autonomy. Give them the freedom to manage how and when they deliver results.
- Invest in Growth: Gen Z wants to learn and develop continuously. Offer regular feedback, career pathways, and opportunities for skill-building to keep them engaged and loyal.
In the battle between those who embrace the future and those who cling to the past, the choice is clear. Adapt now, and you’ll not only win over Gen Z – you’ll be ready when Gen Alpha arrives, bringing with them an entirely new era of work. And trust us, they won’t be taking your fax machines with them.
Stats about Gen z and Gen Alpha
To understand the impact that these generations will have on the workplace and the immense change that they will bring, here’s a few stats. These stats offer a glimpse into the future that businesses and leaders need to prepare for. Therefore, I recommend cirulating them (or even this article) to your peers…maybe you could post it on Slack…if you do, who knows, Gen Z might read it too!
- By 2035 Gen Z will be the largest generation in the workforce at 31%.
- They’re predicted to work 18 jobs across 6 careers in their lifetime.
- The oldest Gen Alphas will turn 18 in less than 3-years from now.
- Gen Alpha are the first generation born entirely in the 21st century. Broadly speaking, their parents are Millennials and their older siblings are Gen Zs.
- Around 2 in 3 Gen Alphas will work in jobs that don’t exist today.
- Generation Alpha is set up to be the most highly-educated generation in history.
- 74% of Gen Alphas go outside or reduce their technology usage in order to manage mental health.