Are you failing your Gen Z employees?

Let's face it: if your workforce management software were a person, it wouldn’t be Gen Z. It might be hopelessly trying to be ‘inter-generational’ but the down with the kids flip-phone just isn’t cutting it. In other words, it’s pretty out of touch with the needs of your youngest employees, and yet they’re comprising more of the workforce than ever, expected to make up 25% of the global workforce by 2025, according to McKinsey. Companies are facing a challenge that they’re ill-equipped to handle. Their traditional workforce management approach might not be sending faxes, but they definitely don’t know much about TikTok.

Sweeping generalisations aside, this isn’t a minor annoyance or a generational gap we can ignore, or band-aid with the latest trends - if we’re not serious about our most discerning and influential subset of our profession, then how can we expect them to be serious about their jobs, or their experiences? This has become a critical factor that’s impacting employee satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, the quality of your customer service.  As someone who's been in the trenches of customer support technology, I've seen firsthand how this misalignment can wreak havoc on a company's operations.

So, who exactly are these Gen Z employees, and what makes them so different? Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, Gen Z is the first truly digital native generation. They've never known a world without smartphones, social media, or on-demand services. This has shaped their expectations in profound ways.

First and foremost, Gen Z craves flexibility and autonomy. A staggering 50% say they want to quit corporate life to start their own business, indicating a strong desire for entrepreneurship. The idea of being chained to a desk from 9 to 5 is as alien to them as the concept of a world without Google.

Secondly, they're tech-savvy and expect their work tools to be just as advanced as their personal devices. They're often referred to as the "Slack Generation" due to their need for quick and instant interaction. For Gen Z, WiFi and 4G are the running water and electricity of considered basic needs.

Thirdly, Gen Z places a high value on work-life balance and mental health. In fact, a recent Deloitte survey suggests that work-life balance is the top consideration when Gen Z and millennials choose an employer. In addition, 75% of Gen Z employees are reported to have advocated for benefits inclusive of better mental health support and flexibility. They're not willing to sacrifice their wellbeing for a job, and they expect their employers to respect their boundaries.

Lastly, they crave meaning in their work. They want to understand how their role contributes to the bigger picture and makes a difference. Companies need to go beyond offering monetary benefits when integrating Gen Z into the workforce. Providing challenging opportunities and addressing global issues like diversity and sustainability are crucial for attracting and retaining Gen Z talent.

With today’s workforce management systems based on rigid schedules, one-size-fits-all approaches and outdated notions of what constitutes productivity, we’re failing our employees and the lack of understanding is pretty loud and clear.

Often, these systems fail to account for individual preferences or skills. They can't handle the complexity of a workforce that might be spread across multiple time zones, working flexible hours, part-time and full-time employees. They struggle to integrate with the modern tools that Gen Z employees expect to use.

The consequences of using these outdated systems are severe. For starters, you're likely to see decreased productivity. When employees are forced to work in ways that don't align with their natural rhythms or preferences, they're simply not going to perform at their best.

Turnover is another major issue. Gen Z employees won't hesitate to jump ship if they feel their needs aren't being met. In customer support roles, high turnover is particularly damaging. It leads to a constant, costly cycle of training new employees, which is resource-heavy and negatively impacts the quality of your customer service.

There’s an opportunity here to embrace true flexibility, instead. That means creating systems that can handle complex, individualised schedules. Always-available self-service capabilities and real-time adaptive intraday management are essential for revamping workforce management culture for new generations.

It comes as no surprise that technology plays a big role in creating more engaging, meaningful work experiences. Whether it’s using AI to handle routine queries, freeing up agents to tackle more complex, interesting problems, or just ensuring that you have the mechanisms in place for work to be done at the optimal time for an employee, it all drives back to employee satisfaction and, in hand, the end-customer. Now it’s also possible to more intelligently manage skill inventories and make sure that employees have the opportunities to acquire new skills, satisfying the desire for growth, challenge and fulfilment.

We also need to prioritise transparency and communication. Gen Z employees want to understand why they're being scheduled in certain ways, how their performance is being measured, and how their work contributes to larger goals. Finally, we need to shift our focus from pure efficiency to a balance of efficiency and employee experience, acknowledging one can’t exist without the other. Yes, we need to meet business needs, but an environment where employees can thrive is more likely to help you to reach that end point than a potentially toxic, unproductive environment.

I'll be honest – making these changes isn't easy. It requires a significant shift in mindset and change management. But the long-term alternative is far costlier. Companies that fail to adapt will find themselves struggling to attract and retain talent, particularly in customer support roles where the human touch is still crucial. Where there has long been a reputation for high employee turnover, maybe some of these customers need to take more of an inward look at the ‘why’ - it’s not just ‘the industry’ - it’s the lack of recognition for a fundamental change in human behaviour.

Here's a provocative thought: maybe the problem isn't Gen Z. Maybe they're just the canary in the coal mine, pointing out issues that have existed for a long time but that previous generations were more willing to tolerate. By addressing the needs of Gen Z, we might just create better workplaces for everyone.

The future of workforce management, particularly in customer support, isn't about finding new ways to control employees' time. It's about understanding and creating environments where employees can do their best work, in ways that work for them. That’s more than rinse and repeat - not replacing or moulding but understanding and nurturing existing talent.

Really, this isn’t just a technology conversation. It’s one about understanding and appreciating the way the world, and the workforce, is growing up. But ultimately it’s also tech, let’s be honest. If it’s failing your Gen Z, it’s failing your business. If it’s failing your business, you’re falling behind. Your competitors might not be.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Aimiable.

‍