Gen Z, which includes those born between 1997 and 2012, is becoming an important part of today's workforce. With technological developments and social changes, Gen Z brings different characteristics and requirements compared to previous generations. To better understand Gen Z and train their employees, we need to master these important aspects.
Differences of Gen Z compared to other generations
Technology skills
Gen Z was born and raised in the technology age, so they have the ability to use technology naturally and flexibly. Gen Z has been exposed to mobile devices, social networks and online applications since childhood. This makes them tech-savvy and able to quickly adapt to new technologies. With strong technology skills, Gen Z can easily use digital tools and applications in work and study.
Creativity
Gen Z is often highly creative. They tend to look for new solutions and experiment with different ideas. With the diversity of information that technology brings, Gen Z has the ability to learn and absorb quickly from many different sources of information, thereby expanding knowledge and developing creative ideas. Gen Z's creativity is an important advantage in work and training, especially in finding new methods and solutions to solve challenges.
Personalization
Gen Z cares about personalizing their experiences and work. They want to be valued and treated uniquely. Gen Z wants work and learning environments that are flexible and customizable to fit their individual needs. This requires organizations to provide flexible opportunities for Gen Z so they can express themselves, develop skills and achieve personal goals.
Diversity and access to information
Gen Z is a generation that is diverse in culture, race and gender. They value diversity and social justice and have a holistic view of the world around them. Gen Z tends to access information from a variety of sources, including books, newspapers, websites, social networks and other online information sources. They have the ability to learn and analyze information flexibly and use this information to make decisions and take action.
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Digital socialization
Gen Z tends to be digitally social, meaning they use social media platforms and online apps to connect and communicate with others. They easily create and participate in online communities, share opinions, experiences and create content. This creates a strong socialization mindset among Gen Z and creates opportunities for relationship building and communication in the work environment and employee training.
Things to know before training gen Z employees
Online education experience
Gen Z is the generation born and raised in the digital age, where online education has become popular. Gen Z has gone through many online courses, participating in online learning platforms such as e-learning websites, online courses, and educational mobile applications. They were able to self-study and search for information on the internet naturally.
This creates a good basis for training Gen Z employees through online platforms and mobile applications, helping them access knowledge and skills flexibly and conveniently.
Perceptions of employability skills and shortages
Gen Z has a clear awareness of the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. They found that many soft skills such as communication, teamwork, time management and problem solving are in short supply among colleagues of the same generation. Therefore, Gen Z often wants to close this gap by seeking training opportunities to develop these skills.
Gen Z employee training should focus on providing soft skills training and consulting programs to help Gen Z employees grasp the skills needed to improve work performance and develop their careers. .
Search for information online and crave quick answers
Gen Z has grown up with the internet and information technology. They are used to finding information and solving problems online. When they ask a question or encounter a problem, they will often search online to find a quick answer. This creates an important element in the training process of Gen Z employees.
Training needs to provide complete and accessible learning materials and online information resources. At the same time, it is necessary to build a flexible learning environment where Gen Z employees can find information, solve problems, and gain autonomy in the learning process.
Gamification and attraction
Gen Z tends to enjoy interactivity and competition. Gamification, which is the application of game elements to the employee training process, can increase the attractiveness and interactivity of the learning process for Gen Z employees. Factors such as challenges, levels , scores and reward systems can be integrated to create an exciting learning environment and stimulate Gen Z engagement. The use of gamification can help increase learning motivation and create a creative and dynamic learning space.
Online learning
Gen Z not only has a need to study, but they also like to study online. With their online education experience, they have become familiar with online learning platforms such as e-learning websites, learning videos, and online courses. This enables Gen Z employee training to take advantage of the flexibility of online learning and deliver flexible and interactive online courses.
Gen Z employees can determine their own study time, access study materials from anywhere, and interact with instructors and colleagues through online platforms.
Some suggestions to help increase the effectiveness of training gen Z employees
To increase the effectiveness of Gen Z employee training, here are some specific suggestions:
Use technology and online tools
Gen Z is familiar with technology and skilled in using mobile devices and online applications. Using online technologies and tools during training will create interaction and boost engagement among Gen Z employees. Offer online courses, learning videos, online forums or platforms online learning platform to allow Gen Z employees to access knowledge flexibly and conveniently.
Gamification of Gen Z employee training
Gen Z likes interactivity and competition. Using gamification elements in the training process will increase the appeal and increase engagement of Gen Z employees. Create challenges, levels, scores and reward systems to encourage participation Participate and achieve results in the learning and training process of employees.
Create a flexible learning environment
Gen Z wants to control their own learning process and have high autonomy. Create a flexible learning environment that allows Gen Z employees to find information, solve problems, and develop skills in their own way. Provide diverse learning materials and information search tools so they can grasp knowledge naturally and flexibly.
Integrate social learning
Gen Z is a socialized generation and enjoys working in groups. Take advantage of Gen Z's social nature by integrating social learning activities in employee training, such as group projects, online discussions, brainstorming activities, and peer-to-peer learning other. This will create a multi-dimensional learning environment and encourage interaction and collaboration among Gen Z employees.
Clear specification of goals and required skills
Gen Z wants to clearly understand their goals and the skills needed to achieve success at work. Clear specification of GenZ employee training goals and skills to be developed will help Gen Z employees better understand the organization's goals and expectations. At the same time, provide clear feedback and guidance so they know how to improve and develop their skills.
Explore and promote creativity
Gen Z is highly creative and likes to find new solutions. Create opportunities for Gen Z employees to explore creative ideas and participate in projects or challenges that require creativity. Encourage them to share ideas and suggest new solutions during employee training and on-the-job training.
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Create a continuous learning environment
Gen Z tends to seek continuous learning and constantly improve their skills. Create a continuous learning environment and encourage Gen Z employees to participate in learning activities, courses and employee training programs that will help them develop and enhance their professional and personal capabilities.
Create opportunities for career development
Gen Z is interested in developing their careers and finding advancement opportunities. Providing clear career development plans and creating effective training, mentorship and management programs will help Gen Z employees feel valued and have the opportunity to advance their careers.
Conclude
In an ever-evolving technology landscape, training Gen Z employees requires understanding and adapting to the unique characteristics of this generation. Gen Z not only has strong tech skills, but is also highly creative, craves personalization, and is keenly aware of diversity and access to information. Understanding and taking advantage of Gen Z's unique characteristics is key to building an effective employee training program.
Source: ACEX
