Attracting and retaining the workplace’s youngest talent

With Gen Z candidates entering the workforce in 2018, businesses naturally want to understand what it takes to attract and retain the country’s brightest, talent - whilst ensuring that no generation in the workforce is forgotten.

Our 2018 nationwide study of office workers reveals that Gen Z are social creatures; 65% state a social environment is essential for a good company culture compared with only 22% of Baby Boomers (aged 55+) and half of employees (50%) nationally.

Gen Z want to work in an office environment - only 8% think they work best from home vs 20% nationally - and 81% think social and communal areas are important workplace facilities compared with only 64% of all employees.

The majority (60%) of Gen Zs also expect to be able to listen to music in the office compared with 24% of Baby Boomers and 38% of employees nationally, blurring the lines between work and play more than ever before.

Assessing and updating the office environment is an important first initiative for businesses that want to recruit and retain the best young talent, while ensuring the needs of the entire multi-generational workforce are met. Based on Peldon Rose’s expertise as workplace consultants and feedback from the survey, the company has created four key initiatives for businesses.

Consult staff

Over half (54%) of employees expect to have a say in the way the workplace is designed so businesses should ask the views of all their people if planning an office relocation or refurbishment. This will ensure that employees feel they have been listened to, helping with staff retention and productivity.

Social and communal areas

Nearly all employees (95%) say that a good company culture is important to them, and creating spaces where staff can get together can help foster this. Create workplaces that bring people together and encourage workplace friendships to generate a positive company culture, boost staff loyalty and improve employee wellbeing.

Quiet settings

To ensure everyone’s needs are supported in the office and to support mental health, businesses should create a range of spaces which staff can enjoy according to their personality type, mood and work. Quiet areas are particularly important as even Gen Zs don’t want to be social all the time.

Leverage experience

Four generations now work alongside each other in the office so it is important that businesses cater for every demographic whilst avoiding the trap of stereotyping any generation. A truly multi-generational office will enable the different generations to work in the way they want to as well as interact effectively and learn from each other - create lots of opportunities for people to come together or bump into each other and have conversations.

Businesses that can cater to the needs of each generation, and the full range of individual’s needs, will be most successful in boosting productivity and recruiting and retaining the best and brightest from each cohort.