8 Effective Tips to Manage a Gen Z Team 

Generation Z popularly called Gen Z is gradually coming into the workforce. According to data, Gen Z will make up 27% of the global workforce by 2025. Gen Zers are the most diverse and innovative generation of employees yet. But harnessing their strengths requires new management skills. Here are eight tips to help you manage a Gen Z team.

But who are the Gen Zs? These are a group of people born between 1997 to 2012. 

Born with the emergence of the internet, this group of people is more diverse in their thinking than prior generations. They have also proven to be innovative, high-flying individuals who have different priorities and ideas about work. Gen Zs do not conform to unfavorable work conditions and have set higher standards for what the workplace should be. Understanding how to hire, manage and retain Gen Zs is important for effective team management, productivity, and overall organizational success. 

In this article, we will look at 8 effective tips for managing a Gen Z team. 

1. Create a positive company culture
2. Encourage freedom of expression
3. Provide opportunities for growth and development
4. Encourage diversity and inclusion 
5. Embrace the use of technology
6. Prioritize the team’s mental health
7. Encourage a work-life balance
8. Avoid micromanaging the team 

Create a positive company culture

To effectively manage a Gen Z team, it is important to create a positive company culture. And this means making the team feel seen and heard. 

Gen Zs love to feel heard, respected, and valued in their workplace. This makes them enjoy their job, ultimately increasing productivity. 

One simple way to create a positive company culture is to engage with them and ask them for feedback. Listen to their ideas and concerns and reward them when they go the extra mile to get the job done. This will increase their productivity levels and reduce turnover rates. 

Encourage freedom of expression

Gen Zs love to leave their footprint wherever they go. They want to lend their voice to a cause and ultimately make an impact. Encouraging your Gen Z team to express themselves will help them become more productive. Allow them to speak during work meetings and make them feel heard. Because this generation of people has better technological knowledge, as a leader, you could use their innovative ideas to push the frontiers of your business. 

Provide opportunities for growth and development

Gen Zs prioritize growth and development as major criteria for working in an organization. Not just Gen Zs but every individual wants to work in an organization that provides opportunities that make them better. 

As a leader, create opportunities for workers to learn new skills and grow in your organization. Providing opportunities for holistic growth will show them that you have their interest at heart, making them committed to your organization. 

Encourage diversity and inclusion 

Diversity is fast becoming a core value in any forward-thinking organization. Gen Zs are very intolerant of organizations with toxic cultures and unfair treatment of workers. This group of individuals is more open-minded and prefers to work in companies with different cultural, racial, and educational orientations. 

As a leader, to successfully manage a Gen Z team, you need to be open to this wave of social change. You can start embracing diversity by surveying to get feedback from your employees and then begin to adjust from there. Gen Zs also want to be a part of the decision-making processes and be up to date with what is going on within the organization. 

Embrace the use of technology

As we mentioned earlier, Gen Zs were born during the outbreak of the internet. This group of people is tech-savvy and spends most of their time using smart devices. Whether it’s shopping, finances, business management, or health, Gen Zs most likely have one or two apps to cater to their needs. 

As an organization, to manage a Gen Z team effectively, you need to embrace the use of technology to improve efficiency and productivity at work. For example, you can switch to cloud-based storage and use communication tools like Zoom to hold virtual meetings.  If a physical meeting isn’t necessary, hold a virtual meeting instead. Invest in other innovative workflow tools to increase their efficiency and productivity. 

Prioritize the team’s mental health

Gen Zs have rejected toxic cultures and refuse to be stressed. With much information available on mental health, Gen Zs prioritize this and will avoid being in an unfavorable mental state. As a leader, it is important not to overlook mental health when working with a Gen Z team and with any other team. While you are not a psychologist, it is important to empathetically listen to them and provide opportunities for them to communicate how they feel at work. You can offer periodic counseling sessions for your employees. This will help motivate them and increase productivity. 

Encourage a work-life balance

Remote work has become the new normal since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Gen Zs don’t want to work in organizations that restrict work to the four walls of an office and do not offer breaks when needed. 

To manage a Gen Z team effectively, it is important to allow them to enjoy their time away from the office. Offer remote work where possible and respect their life outside the office. Doing this will improve productivity and reduce burnout. 

Avoid micromanaging the team

Allowing your Gen Z team to work with some autonomy will increase their productivity and will likely be repaid with loyalty. Instead of micromanaging their every move, allow them to work with some freedom. 

Of course, you don’t want things to get out of hand, so you can set up tracking software to ensure they are getting their tasks done. Doing this will boost their confidence and increase trust and loyalty. 

Effectively manage your Gen Z team for organizational success 

This tech-savvy generation continues to question the status quo, break boundaries and set new records. To successfully manage a Gen Z team and thrive in your workplace, it is important to put these tips into practice. Once you learn to manage and retain these individuals, there’s no limit to how much they can contribute to your organization. 

Luckily, you don’t have to do this alone, you can contact Khorammi Consulting to get educated on the best employee retention strategies for your organization.