Get Ready for Generation Z

While we are currently in the middle of trying to figure out Generation Y, also called the millennials, there is another cohort of people in the people pipeline called Gen Z. Perhaps the oldest of this generation is just entering college.  

What first caught my attention today was this list of topical advice (see below) to parents of Gen Z kids, which came from Matt Stewart. He is co-founder of College Works Painting (www.collegeworks.com/about), which provides business experience for thousands of college students each year. The award-winning program also offers high-quality house-painting services for homeowners.

When it comes to raising children to lead their lives with an entrepreneurial spirit:

1) Land the Helicopter … [meaning stop being a "hovering parent" trying to protect your kid]
a. Your children need to experience stress to learn how to overcome stress.
b. Your children need to learn to solve their own problems.
c. Your children need to learn to overcome obstacles by themselves.

2) Help them learn to love work …
a. Entrance into university and entrance into the job market do not require the same resume.
b. Unemployment rates for 20-somethings are high because they have no work experience.
c. Waiting tables, folding clothing, flipping burgers … teach time management, interpersonal skills and communication skills.

3) They know what you have been through …
a. Generation Z saw 40% of their parents' wealth disappear in the recession. They witnessed job loss. They are afraid. They want to work hard to keep their jobs.
b. Generation Z knows that we live in a society that awards contribution. They want to prove themselves.
c. Generation Z appreciates parental input and guidance. They know they do not know everything. [This would be refreshing!!!]

For more on Gen Z, read this article from last year, Move Over, Millennials, Here Comes Generation Z.

Perhaps none of the above is of interest to you if you are planning to be out of the workforce before this generation starts applying for jobs in emergency management. What I found interesting was the chart in the article that compared Gen Y to Gen Z. There were aspects of Gen Z that I had no recognition of. Guess I'm getting old. They are growing up in a different era, even different from Gen Y.

And as noted in another posting, Gen Y and Gen Z are likely to not have had part-time or summer jobs, thus — no work experiences. This is radically different than our lives, so they enter the workforce with very little experience with accountability.