The challenges of training and managing Generation Z

The challenges of training and managing Generation Z

Generation Z - formed by those born between 1995 and 2010 - arrives in the job market demanding changes in training and management models, altering corporate processes and professional relationships, impacting the organizational culture of companies..

Born in an entirely technological and digital environment, generation Z dispensed with teachings to deal with informatics and computers. Socialized through the internet, she grew up playing video games and learned to relate through the networks, creating new behaviors, needs and consumption habits. Also called digital natives, its members are usually practical, realistic, self-taught, logical and averse to labels. They like to study, value quality of life and entrepreneurship. They value individuality, transparency, autonomy and authenticity. The diversity of media, the speed of information and interactivity gave this generation versatility and curiosity.

Generation Z, education, empowerment and training

In recent years, educators and researchers around the world have been concerned about the impact that the use of smartphones and different media could have on young people's ability to concentrate, especially in reading activities, so important for learning and consolidating knowledge. knowledge in memory. Methodologies to teach the new generations have not yet been fully addressed in the training of teachers, unanimous in pointing out a certain resistance of students in the face of long texts and their difficulty in interpreting and drawing conclusions. However, while some condemn the technology, there is recognition that learning platforms, video sharing and other tools empower students in unexpected and unusual ways, even repairing any damage caused by it. In summary, today, it is believed that the use of technology mediated by teachers who know how to make the most of it, mixing it with traditional didactics, bring very positive results.

Generation Z and the job market

Attracting and managing Generation Z in the job market requires the reformulation of standards ranging from selection and recruitment, through career plans, leadership models, work routines, salary policies, among others. Gen Z people are proactive and want to make rapid progress. They seek interactivity, ethics, social commitment and a vertical management that preserves autonomy in the business environment. When choosing a job, they analyze their development opportunities, the level of technology they will have access to, the quality of the environment and personal communication, as well as the purpose of the organization, the so-called “purpose-driven”, aiming to act in something beneficial to the society. Seeking security, they prefer to work in medium and large companies and, among the benefits, they value the offer of good health plans. They support diverse and multidisciplinary teams as they understand that diversity generates creativity, innovation and inclusion. They associate hierarchy more with knowledge than with positions of power, as they believe that a leader should be defined by the legitimacy of his knowledge and that it should be shared.

Generation Z and the future

For all its characteristics and in the face of the new context, the educational system and the job market have been called upon to rethink the way of educating and directing these young people. The great challenge is to bring technology into schools and companies, -respecting the particularities and goals of each sector -, channeling the time of educators and managers to what is fundamental in our days: information. It is necessary to teach to learn. And learn all your life, life long learning that requires not only learning, but the updating and deepening of continuous knowledge on the part of everyone – students, teachers, young professionals and managers – as the digital age requires agility and connection at all times.

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