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Transcript

Gen Z at Work · The Science of Leading

• 0:00
  Hey everyone-welcome back to The Science of Leading.
• 0:02
  I'm Claire Monroe, and I've got Edwin Carrington here with me.
• 0:05
  Edwin, how are you today?
• 0:05
  I'm doing well,
• 0:08
  Claire.
• 0:09
  Always good to be here-especially for this topic.
• 0:11
  Gen Z.
• 0:13
  This isn't a generation that's coming-they're already here.
• 0:16
  And they're changing the game.
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  Right?
• 0:19
  And it's kind of wild-by 2025,
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  Gen Z's gonna be almost a third of the workforce.
• 0:23
  Like... that's huge.
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  I remember when I started out,
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  and even back then, I was already craving something deeper.
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  Not just the, you know, the free LaCroix or the ping-pong table,
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  but like-does this job actually matter?
• 0:33
  And now?
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  Gen Z is basically saying, "That's the starting point."Exactly.
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  They're not dabbling in these ideas-they're demanding them.
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  Purpose, flexibility, transparency,
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  inclusion-these aren't perks.
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  They're expectations.
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  And what's more, Gen Z is highly diverse and fully digital.
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  They grew up Googling everything.
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  They'll see right through the fluff.
• 0:57
  If your culture or hiring feels performative or stuck in the past... they
• 1:01
  won't stick around to give you feedback.
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  They'll just move on.
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  Totally.
• 1:05
  Like, older generations might've tolerated a clunky application portal
• 1:09
  or a vague mission statement.
• 1:10
  Gen Z?
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  They'll just-what's the phrase?-swipe left.
• 1:14
  They want clarity.
• 1:14
  They want alignment.
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  And if you're not showing who you really are,
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  they're gone.
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  And it's not just about getting them through the door-it's
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  about keeping them.
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  If your hiring playbook hasn't changed since 2010,
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  you're playing the wrong game.
• 1:28
  Gen Z is forcing organizations to evolve-how they recruit,
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  how they build teams, how they communicate values.
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  It's not a disruption-it's a recalibration.
• 1:35
  Okay,
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  so let's break it down.
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  What does Gen Z actually want-from that first click on a job ad,
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  all the way through onboarding?
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  Because the real challenge isn't finding talent.
• 1:48
  It's building a place where they want to stay.
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  So,
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  first up-the application process.
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  Gen Z is the first generation that's fully digital-native.
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  They expect everything to just... work.
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  Seamlessly.
• 2:00
  If your site's slow or the form takes forever,
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  they're out before they even apply.
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  And it's not just about tech,
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  it's about trust.
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  They're not evaluating you only on design-they're reading your vibe.
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  Are you transparent?
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  Are you human?
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  If your site looks like it's from 2006 and still asks for a fax number...
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  that sends a message.
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  Ha-seriously.
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  And you know what really lands with them?
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  Realness.
• 2:24
  Like, I've seen companies let employees take over their Instagram for
• 2:27
  a day, or post unfiltered behind-the-scenes stories.
• 2:30
  That kind of authenticity?
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  It speaks louder than any list of perks.
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  It does.
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  Because authenticity builds connection.
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  And once they're in the process,
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  communication becomes critical.
• 2:42
  Gen Z expects fast feedback.
• 2:46
  Silence doesn't just feel rude-it feels like disorganization.
• 2:50
  Even a quick "We're still reviewing your CV" can keep them engaged.
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  Totally.
• 2:55
  And hey, just text them.
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  I mean, email's great, but a lot of Gen Z sees email the way we saw voicemail.
• 3:01
  They don't love it.
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  Keep it frictionless, and you'll stand out.
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  Now,
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  post-offer is where it really counts.
• 3:06
  Gen Z isn't playing around when it comes to mental health and balance.
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  It's not a nice-to-have-it's non-negotiable.
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  That's right.
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  Things like mental health days,
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  flexible schedules, setting boundaries with after-hours emails-these
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  aren't radical ideas anymore.
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  They're signals.
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  And those signals tell Gen Z whether you actually live your values.
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  Exactly.
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  And one of the biggest signals?
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  Career growth.
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  If they can't see how they're going to develop with you-they're not staying.
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  Vague lines like "we invest in our people" won't cut it.
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  Show them the map.
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  Mentorship, upskilling, internal mobility-give it structure.
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  We touched
• 3:43
  on this in our episode on retention-how the real driver isn't just perks.
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  It's progress.
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  Gen Z is just turning up the volume on that truth.
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  They're not afraid to leave if they feel stuck.
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  And here's a big one:
• 3:55
  inclusion.
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  For Gen Z, if your leadership team looks like a copy-paste of the same
• 4:00
  profile-and your DEI efforts feel like a checkbox-they'll notice.
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  And they won't just be disappointed.
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  They'll disengage.
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  Right.
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  Diversity isn't a trend.
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  It's foundational.
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  And not just at the entry level-representation and voice need to
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  show
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  up at every layer of the organization.
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  Okay,
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  if you're sitting there thinking,
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  "Wow, we've got a long way to go"-you're not alone.
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  But honestly, small things matter.
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  Even just cleaning up your careers page,
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  or being more transparent in interviews-it creates momentum.
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  It's not
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  about overhauling everything overnight.
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  It's about meeting Gen Z where they are.
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  Understanding what matters to them.
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  And then proving-consistently-that you mean it.
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  So how do you keep Gen
• 4:42
  Z engaged long-term?
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  It's not about adding more perks.
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  It's about living your values.
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  Feedback, inclusion, purpose-that's the baseline now.
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  And here's the catch-Gen
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  Z can spot surface-level change from a mile away.
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  A diversity statement on your site won't impress them if it's not backed
• 4:58
  by action.
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  They want real mentorship.
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  Real development.
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  Real impact.
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  Like, think Patagonia.
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  Or Salesforce.
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  They're not just saying they care about purpose-they're baking it into
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  their hiring, their culture, everything.
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  And sure, they're big brands, but any company can start where they are.
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  Listen.
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  Invest.
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  Make diversity visible.
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  Exactly.
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  And sometimes the most powerful shifts aren't splashy-they're personal.
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  Leaders creating safe spaces, giving honest feedback,
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  showing they actually care.
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  That's how trust gets built.
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  And that trust?
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  That's how you keep people.
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  Because when someone feels seen,
• 5:36
  heard, and challenged to grow-they stay.
• 5:36
  We've seen it time and again.
• 5:40
  When you build an inclusive, values-driven culture-you don't just hire
• 5:44
  better.
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  You build a team that's aligned,
• 5:47
  agile, and ready for whatever's next.
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  So if you're serious about staying
• 5:51
  ahead-start with this: real purpose,
• 5:54
  real growth, real inclusion.
• 5:56
  Gen Z isn't a disruption.
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  They're a wake-up call.
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  And honestly... I think they're exactly what we need.
• 5:59
  Couldn't agree more.
• 6:04
  And if you're wondering how to actually do this-how to assess fit,
• 6:08
  hire smarter, or align your team-we've made it easy to test out OAD's
• 6:12
  behavioral tools.
• 6:13
  You can try them for free at o-a-d-dot-a-i.
• 6:13
  Such a great resource.
• 6:18
  And that's it for today-thank you,
• 6:20
  Edwin!
• 6:20
  And thanks to all of you for joining us on The Science of Leading.
• 6:23
  We'll be back soon with more on building smarter teams and better workplaces.
• 6:23
  Always
• 6:28
  a pleasure, Claire.
• 6:29
  Take care, everyone.
• 6:29
  Bye for now!