As workplaces get a hold of communication with Millennials, they are now beginning to deal with the younger generation too. And in the ever-changing landscape, adaptation to the younger workers is needed as well.
In this blog post, we’ll be taking a look at the reasons why you should seek to improve communication with Gen Z workers. We’ll discuss their tendencies and the strategies you should incorporate.
Who are Gen Z?
Before you dive into what communication strategies to use, you should know who it is for. More importantly, why they should be used.
Treating Gen Z employees like millennials can be a mistake. This is because they grew up in a much faster and different environment. People born in 1996 and onwards mainly constitute Gen Z.
Here are some important facts to take into account:
- These people witnessed the growth of technology at a rapid pace.
- Plus, they have a shorter attention span than the previous generation.
- One of the main reasons behind this is the popularity and advancement of social media during their youth.
So, you’ll need to update your onboarding process to be tailored to them. One way to do so is delivering training content in short bites. Focusing on one or two main concepts at a time will maximize efficiency and learning for your new employees.
Communication Strategies to Get Through to Gen Z
1. Meet Them Where They’re Already At
An important point to consider is where your new employees are spending most of their time. If you haven’t figured it out already, it’s their phones!
Making communication accessible and easy is pivotal to a successful working relationship. Using communication apps that they’re already frequenting such as WhatsApp could be a great option. This way, they have a smooth onboarding process.
And later on, you can take the communication to the company app, if you have one.
2. Be Transparent and Concise
Gen Z’ers are direct and to the point. And they expect the same from the people they are talking to. They’ll often make it clear how they want to be communicated to.
These traits take all the guesswork out, so there isn’t any misunderstanding. Long e-mails, extra app downloads and texts that are paragraphs long are all big no-no’s. Keep the message short and to-the-point, and you’re good to go.
3. Encourage Feedback
69% of Gen Z workers want their superiors to give them regular feedback. This is a 20% increase from millenials, who don’t prioritise it as much.
The annual performance reviews are not enough when it comes to these employees. A lack of engagement will lead to them feeling left out and unmotivated. So, you’ll need to provide them with regular updates about their performance.
You can use technology to achieve this, such as performance management systems and learn management systems.
4. Leverage Face-to-Face Communication
Given the amount of time GenZ’ers spend on their phones, it is easy to misconceive that they don’t value in-person interactions. On the contrary, 72% of GenZ’ers prefer to have an interaction in person than digitally.
One of the reasons behind this is that they want to be taken seriously by their seniors. The use of abbreviations and emojis in instant messaging might prevent this. There remains a fear that their seniors might see them as childish.
As a result, consistent in-person interactions and regular feedback can help build their confidence.
5. Use Visual Media
To put things into perspective, Gen Z has an attention span of eight seconds. This means that important information could be lost if you don’t deliver it properly. As a result, keeping things to-the-point is very important.
Delivering less important details can be saved for later. You can also use bullet points and bold texts to convey extra information that they need to know. However, the preference of visual content is clear for the younger workers.
Most GenZ’ers clearly prefer learning from video outlets like YouTube. And it’s crucial to note the popularity of short form content like TikTok and Instagram Reels too. Hence, using short videos for communication is one of the best new hire orientation ideas.
You can also use it for GenZ employees that have been at the company for a while. This way, there will be little to no gap in communication and understanding.
In Conclusion
Integrating new talent into the workplace is vital for sustained success. An innovative training program, and a well thought out orientation process can help achieve this.
The importance of communication using visual media and short form content can’t be understated. For a generation that prefers receiving quick bits of info at a go, it is best that training material is also delivered in the same way.
Bites enables companies to have a quick and effective onboarding process. This is achieved by focusing on only one big idea at a time. And the video content is often not longer than a few seconds or a minute.
Are you eady to get started with the best communication and training practices for your GenZ employees? Contact us today!