Meet the Expectations of the Millennial and Gen Z Workforce
“It’s crucial for school leaders to understand what attracts Millennials and Gen Z-ers to certain workplaces, and why they choose to stay or go.”
You’ve been elevated to the role of “school principal.” Heads Up! Your job is not to be the principal. Your job now is to find, train and develop the next 5 principals. Where to find them, and how to retain those future leaders is paramount.
The Millennial-Gen Z School Staffing Challenge: Managing Expectations
According to a report from LiveCareer, millennials currently comprise 35% of the U.S. workforce, and they’ll make up 75% by 2030. A Gallup study and article shows that Gen Z and millennials combined now make up nearly half (46%) of the full-time workforce in the U.S. The article makes this essential point: “To develop the next generation of organizational leaders, every employer needs to be asking: What do our younger workers want from the workplace?”
Regardless of the field, there’s plenty of evidence that millennials and Gen Z have a view of their jobs that’s very different from that of previous generations. This means it’s crucial to understand what attracts them to certain workplaces and why they choose to stay or go. While no generation can be accurately characterized across the board as a unified whole —and there’s a wide age range in a single generation—commonalities do exist.
Regarding the expectations of your largest hiring pool, keep this in mind:
Work-life balance is no longer an option – it’s a requirement for you and your new hires.
Even more than millennials, Gen Z’ers demand better work-life balance. “Young 20-somethings are delegating to their boss, asking for mental health days, working less once they’ve accomplished their tasks for the day, and setting their own hours,” reports an article from Business Insider.
This can be terrifying for managers, especially those who haven’t adopted practices to achieve work-life balance for themselves yet. Gen Z’ers are watching their supervisors closely to determine “winning” behavior. If you aren’t successfully collaborating and delegating to team members, or if you appear constantly stressed out and overwhelmed, your Gen Z’ers won’t be staying with you for the long haul. This makes training and developing your next generation of school leaders a top priority for you. Here’s how:
Young, hungry staff members want purposeful work and opportunities to grow.
Coaching for teachers and staff is more essential than ever. Millennials, and Gen Z in particular, desire employers who know them personally, and put their talents and skills to good use. Gen Z, for example, is ten times more likely to look for a new job than previous generations if they feel their skills aren’t being highlighted on the job, says a 2022 report from LinkedIn.
“For Gen Z, not being able to acquire new skills and grow their careers is a deal-breaker when it comes to joining an employer,” says an article from Forbes.com. If you’re not present in classrooms, observing them and pointing out their potential, you may miss key opportunities to convert this demographic into future leaders. Give them good, purposeful work to do that enables them to grow, and you will grow your overall leadership pool.
Use their connections and testimonials for recruitment.
Millennials and Gen Z’ers were either online at a young age, or born with a device in their hands. They belong to vast networks, and it takes them just minutes to turn to those networks if they’ve become dissatisfied with work and want to explore other opportunities. While this may sound like a risk, it can also be an incredible recruitment tool.
When you satisfy the career needs of your younger employees by exhibiting strong, ethical leadership, offering meaningful opportunities to contribute, and establishing clear work-life boundaries, your “newbies” will be eager to share their work experiences and recruit like-minded individuals. “Leverage your new hires — your recent grads in particular — for a referral campaign,” says Forbes.com.
You might consider developing a teacher/staff referral program or selecting some of your top talent in these age groups to attend recruiting events and/or interviews. Let them share their personal stories about joining your school or department, and how their careers continue to develop under your tutelage.
Rise to the Challenge
Each generation has its strengths and challenges. Taking the time to learn more about the diverse needs and viewpoints of your staff allows you to lead more effectively, and to better hire and retain valuable employees.
The Breakthrough Coach Program teaches you how to do just that – work less, produce more and still get the job done – by attracting talented millennials and Gen-Z’ers, and then providing them with appropriate development and opportunities to shine.