Working with Gen Z
A Handbook to Recruit, Retain, and Reimagine the Future Workforce after COVID-19
Working with Gen Z is a knowledgeable, sympathetic business guide to seeking fruitful common ground with the youngest generation to enter the workforce.
In their insightful business and economics handbook Working with Gen Z, Santor Nishizaki and James DellaNeve explain the unique challenges of working with employees born after 1995 and give a series of useful tips for attracting and hanging onto the most talented members of this cohort.
Though it is often lumped in with Millennials, Generation Z is distinct from previous generations, Nishizaki and DellaNeve say. They show where those differences lie and explain the different work habits and personal behaviors of the generation in a sympathetic manner. They note that people are often critical of employees in this age group and push back on common complaints, as about Gen Z’s intolerance for meetings, fear of missing out on important experiences, and “safetyism”: “workers from younger generations would probably like fewer meetings so they can get things done more quickly,” they conclude; wanting safety is a natural outgrowth of having come of age in a chaotic period of history; and the desire to stay connected is a sympathetic one.
While expressing empathy for challenges unique to Gen Z, the book also examines some bad generational habits, such as overindulgence in smartphone use. It suggests ways to make such habits healthy, as with better regulated patterns of connectivity. It also considers challenges like the impact of of COVID-19 and remote work on Gen Z, showing how both shaped generational views of work, repackaging work as a task but not necessarily a time-oriented one. It is astute in addressing the resultant generational differences in work habits and work expectations. Numerous quotes and case studies are used to bolster these observations in a credible manner.
The book’s claims about Generation Z are also backed up with clearly cited statistics and responses from surveys and other sociological studies. There are numerous tables, charts, and graphs to amplify its arguments, and even a glossary covering Generation Z slang. Further, each chapter ends with a set of questions and exercises for reflection on, and the practical implementation of, its suggestions.
Working with Gen Z is a valuable business guide that works to understand the youngest generation to enter the workforce. Its insights are sympathetic and well documented, and they are complemented by practical tips and strategies for guiding young people in contemporary work environments.
Reviewed by
Matt Benzing
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
