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Gen Zers — those born between approximately 1997 and 2012 — make up about 30% of the world’s population. The most diverse generation, this cohort of global citizens was the first to be born into a world where the internet, satellite TV and mobile phones already existed.
By 2025, they will form about a quarter of the global workforce. This comes at a time when AI and technology are transforming the workplace, climate change is impacting everything from supply chains to government regulations, and most major economies are under stress.
Meanwhile, companies are continuing to experiment with remote and hybrid models, enabling shorter work weeks and trying to figure out what will make the best talent stay and be most productive.
In this disruptive and dynamic environment, HR leaders are rightly more focused than ever on keeping their diverse, distributed teams connected, aligned and on a common path — and effective communication and collaboration are key to doing that.
The challenge for HR, in this context, is to avoid falling into the trap of focusing solely on the needs of the Gen Z generation to instead build the workplace of the future, where everybody — irrespective of age, location or function — is able to collaborate and communicate effectively and purposefully, even in the most disruptive times. Or especially in the most disruptive times.
Unpacking the Generation Gap at the Workplace
When it comes to facilitating seamless connections and collaborations between inter-generational workforces, it’s necessary to start by understanding where the generations differ.
In a post on the Zurich Insurance Group’s website, Sally Henderson, the company’s group head of talent, called Gen Z employees “the future of our company” and stressed the importance of understanding and meeting their expectations, which differ significantly from other generations.
And according to Deloitte, Gen Zers are distinct because they prioritize a good work-life balance even over a high salary. They value a positive work environment that allows them to communicate, co-create and connect with colleagues — both digitally and in person. This means HR needs to create both the culture and the infrastructure to facilitate collaboration in new ways.
Roberta Katz, a senior research scholar at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS), said HR leaders should recognize that “our newest colleagues are used to working collaboratively and flexibly, but also seek to be efficient and get the job done. They are pragmatic and value direct communication, authenticity and relevance.”
Taking that pragmatism a step further, Jonah Stillman, Gen Z worker and co-author of the book “Gen Z @ Work: How the Next Generation Is Transforming the Workplace,” said his generation brings an unprecedented entrepreneurial spirit to work, constantly looking for ways to streamline processes and procedures.
“A lot of Gen Zers think that other generations overcomplicate things. We have grown up in a time where often the middleman has been eliminated, so we will look for ways to do things more efficiently when we show up at the office. We truly are a DIY generation and will bring this mentality with us to work,” said Stillman.
The 2021 book Gen Z, Explained: The Art of Living in a Digital Age says Gen Z workers can get frustrated by what appears to them as outdated and often irrelevant ways of doing things. For instance, rigid or long-drawn processes to arrive at a consensus do not find favor, and age no longer translates into authority. A truly collaborative culture means anyone can be in a position of influence within the group dynamic and that inclusive collaboration is important to solve challenges.
Katz’s research at Stanford found that Gen Z would be more likely to question rules and authority because they are so used to finding what they need on their own and being in control. These factors, she suggests, should be woven into the collaboration and communication culture of modern, hybrid workplaces.
Related Article: Want Your Organization to Collaborate More? Social Psychology Can Help
Building a Universal Collaboration Culture
While agreeing that all of these differences do impact traditional command-and-control models for communication and collaboration, Amol Pawar, founder of HR tech advisory Nuest Consulting, stressed that the concept is not universally applicable.
“To a great extent, the culture and norms around collaboration still depend on the organizational culture and acceptable behavioral standards,” he said.
The other practitioners I spoke with agreed that despite the differences and key traits of Gen Z, HR’s focus should be on creating a universal — not generation specific — collaborative culture.
Nadia Vitalidis, head of people and culture at pre-employment testing platform TestGorilla, says creating the right culture of collaboration and communication is less about someone's generation and more about their personal preferences.
As the leader of an all-remote, inter-generational team spread across more than 30 countries, her recommendation is HR should avoid making assumptions about people’s preferences based on age, culture or demographics. Instead, she recommends relying on factual data, insight and direct feedback about what works or doesn't work — for both individuals and groups — to create an environment that relies on efficiency, sustainability, belonging and trust for all workers.
Similarly, Mike Lamm, VP of people, Americas at workplace productivity platform Monday.com, also finds that when it comes to collaborating and communicating at the workplace, age really is just a number. Across all generations, he said, workers want to be productive in a way that makes sense for them. Instead of dividing the workforce by age, organizations should provide all workers with seamless and intuitive tools to streamline work processes.
“However,” he adds, “don’t be surprised if a Gen Z employee is the first to point out an inefficient process or tool that’s becoming a bottleneck in their productivity.”
Related Article: Explosion of Apps Stymying, Not Streamlining, Productivity
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Building a Next-Gen Collaboration Infrastructure
Gen Z’s “digital nativity” may mislead some companies into believing digital tools are enough to foster a culture of collaboration and productivity. But here, too, the data shows otherwise.
While Gen Z is far more used to switching between multiple teams, groups, devices, channels, platforms and tasks than other generations, Katz’s 2,000-participant Gen Z Stanford study found that instead of digital communications (e.g, text, email, chat group, DM, video calls), “in person” was the favorite form of communication for nearly every single respondent.
Additionally, despite the rise of the hybrid workplace, 40% of Gen Z employees believe that if they don’t have daily interactions with their boss, they may have done something wrong.
This doesn’t mean, of course, that employers can get away with choppy communication tech or clunky collaboration tools. A recent global survey on employee sentiment in the workplace revealed that 76% of all workers want workflow automation to be a higher priority in their company. And more specifically, 91% of Gen Z workers say the speed, seamlessness and maturity of technology would influence their choice of employer, among similar offers.
Eran Helft, director of product management at Monday.com, says while there is no doubt younger workers bring an entirely new perspective to the workplace, both in terms of cultural expectations and technical know-how, most employees just want to approach work in the most efficient way possible.
The work experience is perhaps the largest part of the employee experience, and an efficient, connected tech stack and well-planned work processes help simplify and streamline it, he said. On average, workers use 10.5 technology tools monthly, which can easily lead to app fatigue, which may explain why approximately 3 in 4 workers agree consolidation of their company’s toolset should be a high priority. Robust systems that deliver security, privacy, mobility, speed, connectivity and convenience are especially important.
Related Article: When Building a High-Performance Product Team, Put Culture First
The Bottom Line: Simplicity With Efficiency for All
Ultimately, it’s important not to confuse tools with culture, said Pawar. Simply equipping the younger generation with popular technology tools does not guarantee that they will automatically communicate or collaborate better.
The tools, while important, have and will continue to change. However, the purpose of organizational communication and collaboration — higher productivity and innovation — remain unchanged.
High-touch is hard in a globally distributed environment. Not everyone likes to hear this, said Vitalidis, but simple solutions where you can iterate quickly, backed by a solid intention to include everyone is what makes nearly every generation happy.
At TestGorilla, she prioritizes async availability, remote first self-enablement and being able to get help when you need it. “For distributed and diverse teams, clear, direct and simple language is crucial for communication and collaboration to succeed.” She’s learned that sugar-coated or fluffy feedback can be highly confusing for many cultures and generations.
The biggest surprise, said Lamm, is that Gen Z workers don’t necessarily approach collaboration and communication differently from their Millennial or Gen X colleagues. Across all generations, employees want to be part of a work culture that prioritizes their needs and ensures they are given the correct tools to be engaged and productive. These factors transcend generations and should be the main focus of company leaders.
