Millennials and Gen Z at work – what are the differences in their communication?
Our world is constantly changing and each generation experiences different times that shape and define the mentality of a given group of people. Recently, more and more research has been carried out in the area of generations Z and Y. It is of great significance because there is now a noticeable generation gap in workplaces. This has a direct impact on the atmosphere of the workplace and the well-being of employees.
Each employer should consider the differences between Millennials and Gen Z at work to enable them the best working conditions. So how to effectively communicate in a workplace with a different generation?
Millennials and Gen Z at work – comparison
Firstly, one needs to be aware of the differences between both generations. Millennials are people who grew up at the turn of the millennium, hence the name of their generation. Although scientists do not specify a particular period, many sources say that the date assigned to this generation is between 1980 and the mid-1990s.
Generation Z is usually dated between 1997 and 2010. It means that the oldest are now about 25 and are just entering the world of work. Gen Zers, as people of this generation are called, were born and grew up in the age of smartphones and universal access to the Internet.
Although both generations are relatively close in time, there are still many differences between them. The biggest one is that Millennials are idealists and Gen Zers are pragmatists. As a result, both groups have a different approach to life – from shopping to the way they behave and work. Millennials grew up during the economic boom and Gen Zers during the recession. The former focus on experience; as idealists, they want to make their dreams come true, while Gen Zers are more restrained. They save money and prefer genuine brands, unlike Millennials who trust the most popular ones. All this means that the two generations have slightly different mentalities and behavior.
Communication with Millenials and Gen Z at work
The differences between the two generations also influence people’s behavior in the workplace. Their preferences differ, which translates into the atmosphere. The important thing is to sense what people from both groups need. They should be given the best possible conditions, taking into account their differences. Only then efficient communication between both Millennials and Gen Z at work will be able to exist.
Millennials were until recently one of the largest groups in the workplace but this is slowly changing because of the next generation. One of the main principles every employer should follow with Millennials and Gen Z at work is to treat everyone equally. Moreover, both generations grew up in times of enormous information and technical development, which is why regular feedback and genuine care for their activities are important.
How to communicate with Gen Z at work
It may be a surprise but the best idea for having a good relationship with Gen Z at work is to provide them with daily face-to-face communication. Although this generation grew up on smartphone contact and spends a great amount of time online as you can learn more about it here, people from this group prefer live conversations. According to statistics, 72% of Gen Z at work expect face-to-face feedback. In-person communication is of high significance.
Moreover, people of Gen Z at work like to compete. They prefer to work alone and to be assessed for their actions, not the whole group. For this reason, employee recognition along with gratification is a good idea for employers. Also, CX solutions are common for Gen Zers so it would be nice to provide them with such communicative tools that they know and will improve their work.
How to communicate with Millennials in the workplace
Millennials as idealists focus mainly on personal development. For this reason, they expect honest and reliable feedback that will enable them to improve and broaden their horizons. Born in times of tremendous development, they are also success-driven, so they are not afraid of effort and do their best to achieve it. They do not prefer face-to-face contact, so the employer needs to give them business communication tools such as internal social media. Better tools mean a better internal communication strategy as the article 7 ways intranet personalization improves employee experience explains.
Enable effective communication between generations
Effective communication between employees belonging to different generations is based on a multi-channel way of working. The employer has to take care of their communication preferences, collect their feedback through analytical tools such as Workai, and provide them with multi-channel tools or internal social media. Only this way will employees be guaranteed work comfort.