You'll need new techniques to manage these employees.


For years employers have been working to better understand how to hire, train and employ young workers known as Generation Y.

But just when they thought they may be making some headway in understanding how best to develop and harness these young employees, along comes Generation Z. Its members are expected to turn the workplace upside down.

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Born in the decade from 1990 to 1999, statistics show this generation is already nearly 7% of the American workforce, 11 million people. By 2019, 30 million of them are expected to be employed.

Bruce Tulgan, founder of Rainmaker Thinking, has been studying young people for two decades, and says the Great Recession somewhat muted the effects of Generation Y because the economic doldrums kept many of them from getting jobs and replacing baby boomers.

But as the economy improves and baby boomers decide to retire, Generation Z will lead to profound changes in the workplace, he says. (Tulgan contends that the oft-cited "millenial" generation is really two generations, Generation Y and Generation Z.)

"Generation Z grew up with great uncertainty. They grew up in times of war, and it's much different than Generation Y that grew up with peace and prosperity," he says. "They've come out with radically different prospects of what they need to do in their work lives."

Based on in-depth interviews with young people, Tulgan has put together research that shows Generation Z, whose oldest members are just graduating from college, "grew up way too fast and never grew up at all."

Because they're able to connect with any information at any time via smartphones and other devices, Generation Z never lacks for a constant stream of data. Generations before them might not have been exposed to this information until adulthood or had it filtered from other sources.

But Generation Z's interpersonal skills often are lacking, and they may not have basic manners that were ingrained in other generations at a young age, he says.

"They have tremendous energy and enthusiasm, but there's a big gap in the old-fashioned basics like personal responsibility and work habits," Tulgan says.

Employers need to understand what they will be facing with Generation Z so managers can tap their intelligence and provide the support these young workers going to need as an entire generation.

"It's a mistake for employers to say they'll just find one of the good ones," he says. "You can't hire your way out of the issues you'll be facing. They're good workers but high maintenance."

Just what will employers need to do to bring along this next generation of workers? Tulgan suggests the following:

• Focus on high-intensity relationships. Members of this generation react best to small, highly defined work groups with a strong peer leader.

They need a well-defined chain of command and a leader that has a teaching style.

• Invest in teaching behavior. This generation is going to need ongoing guidance in customer service, interpersonal relationships, personal work habits and appropriate conduct.

"Employers need to remember they have every right to require certain conduct and behavior from them," Tulgan says. "They're very willing to understand, but you have to teach them."

• Keep work structured. The best way to get Generation Z workers assimilated in the workplace is to provide structured and defined roles.

"They're very accustomed to boundaries and protections," he says.

• Show them the prize. This generation has grown up with individual education plans, awards for everything they do and lots of do-overs.

That means to drive performance and maintain an ongoing relationship with them, employers will have to negotiate performance standards and rewards clearly and specifically on a continual basis.

• Create dream jobs. This generation will have highly valuable rising stars attracted to employers who can offer them jobs with elements that excite them while also making sense for the organization.

"What I tell people is that nowadays, 12 is the new 19 and 30 is the new 20," he says. "That's the best way of explaining what is happening."


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