Here they are – coming to a workplace near you soon. Born from the mid 1990s through the 2000s, they are typically the children of the youngest Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Though this image depicts the oldest of the group – 14 years old or so - (the youngest is nine) – dress them up a bit, wave frantically to get them to look up from those digital devices and voila – look into their eyes to see the future of your business.
In strategy sessions with company executives to define their sabbatical programs, meeting the needs of the four generations in the workplace – Veterans, Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y - is obviously the driving focus. But will business sabbaticals continue their appeal to history’s most technologically adept generation? Will careers with business sabbaticals as a part of professional development be of any importance to Gen Z? Will these kids with all the toys even want work?
While the differing start and end points are fuzzy, (some say Z’s are now 17, while others say they are 7) determining what kind of adults Gen Z grow up to be is being banged about. If your company’s considering a sabbatical program, keeping these “digital natives” in mind in the initial stages can prevent your strategy from taking on “flavor-of-the-day.” More important, looking into the future allows you to snatch a glimpse of how offering “career breaks” is a business strategy for talent.
1. How important will “flexibility” in the workplace be for Gen Z? Well, ho hum to the company that hasn’t embraced much of anything; there will be huge expectations from these kids, The roster of flexibility offered to their parents – maternity and paternity leave, childcare options, flex-time – will be expected and yes, they HAVE to have MORE. Why?
Expect Gen Z to shake business culture to its core when it comes to their passion - namely, the environment and making the world/communities better places to life. While sabbatical programs give them the time to step out of their careers, companies offering sabbatical opportunities of the “planet earth” and “third world” type will create stronger connections with more lasting effects than just “applauding when they climb Kili.”
While Boomers came late in life to a commitment to save the world (many still don’t recycle), these kids skipped Sesame Street, went straight to the Discovery Channel and their passion is as deep as that Great Blue Hole in Belize. Early on, they’ll want time to act on their passions.
2. Do they really need high-test for creativity?
Smaller families, less smacking and tons of structured after school activities translate into employees who will be “demanding AND high achieving.” As first graders, they use computers and talk about whether they are traveling to school “in sustainable ways.” And if they are not, they look for new ways to do it. Companies who fuel an individual’s creative force will want to offer sabbaticals as a “break from the rhythm of work” to sustain their creativity and allow innovation to flourish.
They value speed and problem-solving. Their capacity to absorb information is breathtaking and yeah, they need super-super fuel all the time while other generations may be content with a hit now and then. Sabbatical programs are a part of the high-octane strategy.
3. What models of sabbatical programs will juice this group? Answer: the model we don’t know about yet. While General Mills’ mulit-model offers an Innovation Sabbatical – 6 months paid, by application – and has a wow factor now, it will be old news for this generation. These children are over-indulged and have towering self esteem. The sabbatical programs that will perk their little ears (and get them to come to your company and be the high performers they are expected to be) will be more than outside the box – these programs will break the box.
Businesses are being told to get ready for high productivity from these ultimate “plugged in” employees, used to multi-tasking. But you’ll get high performance ONLY if you keep them motivated and stimulated.
While this sounds a little like the needs of the four generations in the workplace, be aware of the difference. Boredom in the workplace will kill the Gen Zs….and then kill your business. Will a program offering a “career break” help you stand out in the competition and foster inspiration? Well, yeah.
But it better be a program with one or two super-fantastic offerings that develop the careers and ignite this group. While the auto industry executives are under pressure to re-invent themselves, executives looking at their sabbatical programs or just developing still have time to plan for attracting and keeping these free agents of the future.
With old-fashioned notions such as work ethic, etiquette, resilience, fortitude and taking responsibility for oneself – Gen Z is different. A generation of highly educated, technological savvy,innovative thinkers strolls the mall today but will soar into your workplace soon.
Start your engines for the race to get them. VVrrRR00000000MMMMM. Got that high-test in the tank?
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