Help them

Everyone is on the hunt for good workers who will stick around. The most likely source of new hires generally is young adults, but the challenge is these young adults may have some trouble adulting.

In The Wall Street Journal article “A New Lost Generation: Why Gen Z Is Unprepared for the Workplace,” Tessa West writes “ … 20-somethings have missed opportunities to develop the skills needed to navigate the complex world of work.”

West explains how Gen Z employees have been hamstrung by three things:

• Entering adulthood without having had a romantic relationship. West says this makes it difficult for Gen Z employees to know how to “express emotions, cooperate and forgive and how and when to compete—all skills we use at work.”
• Online education has removed the need to learn “how to collaborate with peers in teams, as well as how to network to form study groups and friendships.”
• Texting and instant messaging “makes them anxious when interactions are unplanned and spontaneous, when they have to participate in high-stakes meetings, and [when they] react to unexpected feedback and demands from the boss.”

All these challenges mean companies must adjust how they onboard Gen Z staff. West suggests companies be as explicit as possible about expectations and organizational norms and processes; create rules about how to communicate and when conflicts arise; and encourage new employees to ask questions.

By acknowledging new hires and established employees may have different comfort levels with different means of communication, creating and insisting on consistent ways to communicate will benefit your entire team.