GEN Z IN THE WORKPLACE: EXPECTATIONS, COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS Jaroslav Havlíček, 1Ludmila Dömeová, 2*Robert Hlavatý
1
1 Department of Systems Engineering, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic 2 Department of Systems Engineering, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic,
[email protected]
Abstract Stereotypes about generation Z (GEN Z), born between 1997 and 2005, depict them as selfcentred, unmotivated, disrespectful, and disloyal. On the other hand, they work well in teams, are motivated to have an impact on their organizations, favour open and frequent communication with their supervisors, and are at ease with communication technologies. The study presents a selection from a large-scale survey focussing on communication and relationships abilities of GEN Z graduates on the workplaces, involving 596 graduates from 7 European countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, United Kingdom, Poland, Portugal, Spain. We found a clear distinction between the views of students before graduation from schools and the reality after joining the occupation. The research rated communication abilities for development of relationships on the workplace as significantly important in all seven countries.
Keywords Communication, Generation Z, entrepreneurial education, organizational membership, organisational commitment, soft competences
Introduction Communicative interactions in the workplace serve to create and maintain work relationships among a team and organizational members, and between those members and key organizational stakeholders. In particular, communication that reveals shared values and reflects common commitments to organizational goals enables co-workers to forge and sustain productive relationships in organizations. Communication can also have direct and indirect effects on team and organizational performance (Deal et al, 2010). GEN Z continues to enter the workplace after graduation and thus, it is also interesting how the education institutions cultivate GEN Z predispositions to communicate and create functional work relationships with older employees and to enhance organizational performance (Pinto and Ramalheira, 2017). On the other hand, the success of GEN Z communication on the workplace depends on how management will motivate youngsters to organizational membership and commitment (Nilforooshan and Salimi, 2016). In practice-oriented teaching that supports the student’s decision to establish their own business, the gaps between entrepreneurial knowledge and students’ acquired competencies seems to be less then in teaching oriented to educate good employees (Havlicek et al, 2014). The skills that employers require are changing, with soft skills replacing technical ones. The new skills may polarize the workforces. Youngsters highly skilled in IT were advantaged as soft skills gave them an additional dimension to their job since soft skills were presented as an alternative to technical competences (Grugulis and Vincent, 2009). Employers are greatly aware of the impact that the digital communication has on the general population’s presence during face-to-face interactions. Generation Z’s reliance on the social 76
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media will have an impact on their ability to use interpersonal communication skills to establish relationships with future supervisors and employers. The relationship between employees and their supervisors is essential to ensure that an organization delivers its mission and reaches its strategic goals (Kick et al, 2015). The attention should be given to the women workers suffering a double penalty, as not only were their technical skills devalued but many were confined to traditionally “feminine” and unskilled work at the reception desk. Soft skills certainly aided the acknowledgement of women’s skills but they did nothing to increase their value (Grugulis and Vincent, 2009) . The goal of the research based on a wide survey and discussions in 7 European countries was to investigate how the member of the Z generation evaluate the education they have got and what are their expectation for the future work positions. Research questions R1: How does the education support students’ preparation for occupation? R2: What are the preferences in the work places?
Materials and methods The study presents a selection of large-scale survey concerning communication and relationships abilities of GEN Z graduates in the workplaces, involving 596 graduates from 7 European countries: Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, United Kingdom, Poland, Portugal, Spain. The research, based on questioning, presents contemporary European young generation with regards to the preferences and expectations they believe before graduation and real working experience after joining the occupation. Table 1 shows the distribution of respondents by the involved countries: Research institution involved
No. of respondents Type of research organization
1
Czech Republic
CZ
199
University
2
Hungary
HU
107
Project management
3
Cyprus
CY
49
Business services
4
United Kingdom
UK
62
Training and coaching Development studio
5
Poland
PL
46
6
Portugal
PT
68
University
7
Spain
SP
65
Project management
Total
596
Table 1: Distribution of respondents in involved European countries, 2017, own research
The questioning was conducted from December 2016 until February 2017. The respondents were newly employed youngsters, graduated from VET (Vocational Education and Training) schools and partly students of bachelor levels of higher education. The surveys use the methods of focus group sessions, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires involving members of GEN Z between 16-21 years with relevant work experience. All participants were able to compare their expectations with the existing conditions on the workplace. Additional descriptive data were obtained from follow-up interviews. Organisation of questioning The questioning procedure was proposed in three steps: 1) Questioning using standard questionnaires. 2) Managed interview with Focus group. 3) Managed interview with Semistructured group. A questionnaire was developed comprising of 20 questions. From the original English version
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the identical versions in seven national languages were developed. An online questionnaire was distributed to graduates of VET schools and/or bachelor level institutions that collaborate with involved European research teams. Only respondents who had a reasonable practical experience from longer-term occupations were interviewed (6 months at least). A total of 596 completely answered questionnaires was gathered at the end of the data-collection process. The sample size in standard questioning makes the data statistically representative. Focus group sessions and interviews Data were also collected through a semi-structured interview guide, however the discussion remained flexible and open. The interviews were organised in each of seven involved European countries and was consisted of 10 questions, which were designed to draw information from the participants’ personal experiences on occupation and their expectations of the future job position. The interviews began with introductory questions asking whether they are employed, whether they use smart technologies, followed by subsequent questions related to functions of communication in organizations and work groups, including information sharing, decision making, influence, coordination, motivation, and identification. The interview lasted approximately 90 min. The interviews were recorded to increase the accuracy of the data set. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. Following the approach described by Ryan and Bernard (2003)and when they are, they are often relegated to appendices or footnotes. Techniques are shared among small groups of social scientists, but sharing is impeded by disciplinary or epistemological boundaries. The techniques described here are drawn from across epistemological and disciplinary boundaries. They include both observational and manipulative techniques and range from quick word counts to laborious, in-depth, line-by-line scrutiny. Techniques are compared on six dimensions: (1, the information gathered was processed into categories or themes, and the data were divided into categories to be analysed. This method also helped to compare information and data from seven European countries. Data analysis The statistical data analysis techniques selected for this study were descriptive statistics (evaluation of weighted symmetric and non-symmetric Lippert scales) and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test (equivalent Mann-Whitney tests) to compare different medians among groups of participants. Ranking of questions among seven European nations proved with high signification ( α < 0,05 ; χ 2 ( k − 1) = 2.99) that all seven groups of GEN Z are identical. Living in the global world the GEN Z population identify similar expectations and similar problems when joining the first occupation.
Results General characteristics of the respondent The majority of responders were born in 1996 – 1999 (73%), minor differences are between males (42%) and females (58%). The majority of respondents graduated from VET, apprentice and technical schools (67%), a smaller number are bachelors (33%). 1. Respondents´ prerequisites to successful job performance. Following questions map the situation. 1) Which skills the former education should strengthen in order to prepare you successfully enter the job market? When asked about the skills they believe they need to strengthen to enter the job market, public speaking, problem solving, language skills and decision-making were the most frequently cited
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skills by young people. Skills such as intercultural skills, meeting deadlines and being proactive were cited by only one quarter of respondents, Table 2. A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
CY
27
19
22
15
13
9
17
20
13
7
12
11
CZ
95
45
60
111
113
74
74
82
105
32
63
25
HU
38
27
14
10
22
12
22
20
3
12
34
18
PL
7
2
5
7
4
5
6
2
5
1
10
0
PT
33
11
20
17
4
6
15
29
4
15
42
13
SP
17
10
13
20
5
6
13
13
6
7
13
7
UK
28
16
15
12
11
15
25
18
11
11
18
18
A: Public speaking, B: Developing relationships, C: Technical skills, D: Problem solving, E: Proactivity, F: Meeting deadlines, G: Decision making, H: Negotiating, I: Collaborating, J: Intercultural skills, K: Language skills, L: Coping with repetitive tasks
Table 2: The skills youngsters say need to develop (in % of population), 2017, own research
2) What kind of training practices do you prefer? A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
CY
32
17
20
12
20
4
10
20
17
4
10
CZ
93
12
34
34
66
14
23
33
17
37
61
HU
42
18
15
26
30
21
18
32
24
15
33
PL
14
5
6
7
7
7
8
8
5
11
5
PT
62
3
24
16
31
10
17
18
34
7
39
SP
18
6
15
13
40
19
10
9
7
9
8
UK
0
6
19
13
23
18
19
24
22
15
19
A: Experiential learning, B: Role-play games, C: Simulation, D: Learning games, E: Team practices, F: Case studies, G: Presentations, H: Discussions, I: Brainstorming, J: Video analysis, K: Field visit
Table 3: What kind of training practices GEN Z prefer (in % of population), 2017, own research
The analysis per country shows that the most of the respondents in the different countries prefer Experiential learning except those from Spain that prefer Team practices and those from UK that prefer discussions. 3) How well do you feel your school prepared you for work? Respondents were asked to indicate how well they believed they were prepared for the world of work and about their skills. Nearly 55% reported that they believed they were “more or less” prepared for the world of work. Great evaluation is given by 28% of respondents and 17% did not believe they were prepared for work at all. When asked about how they could have been better prepared, 64% per cent suggested that learning through “real life” scenarios (i.e. experience); 88% by taking part in an internship; and 40% believed access to a careers service would have helped to prepare them better for the world of work. 2. GEN Z’s Expectations, Communication, and Team Relationships on the workplace. Research indicated that GEN Z preferences are likely to be especially significant for the workplace interactions and work relationships. They expect close relationships and frequent feedback from supervisors, open communication from their supervisors and mentors (even about matters normally reserved for more senior employees), and prefer to work in smaller teams, in part because they perceive group-based work to be more fun, but also because they like to avoid risk (Kumpikaitė and Duoba, 2013). Two selected questions map the expectations about the situation on the workplace. 1) Which personal traits do you value the most about the person you work with? ERIE 2018
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Respondents had to rank each of the following activities on the 8-grade Lippert scale: 1 is the most important, 8 is the less important. See Table 5. Members of GEN Z would like to work with colleagues who respect them, like to collaborate and help if they have difficulties. On the other hand, competiveness and personal interventions have not high rates. Questions
Ranking
Workers who like to collaborate
3,8
Workers who help you if you have difficulties in your job
4,2
Workers who respect you
2,7
Workers who listen to your ideas and suggestions
4,9
Workers who cover you if you did something wrong
7,0
Workers who are professionally more experienced than you, and you can learn from them
5,0
Workers who like to cheer you up during the work
5,4
Workers who are friends in personal life
6,7
Workers who challenge you
6,2
Workers who are competitive and make you achieve more
7,8
Table 4: What kind of training practices GEN Z prefer, 2017, own research
2) How do you prefer to work? Table 5 presents the preferences. The youngsters prefer to work in smaller groups. Alone
Mostly alone
Mostly in teams
CZ
12
17
18
In a small group In a bigger team 44
9
HU
14
22
9
50
5
CY
6
24
12
52
6
UK
6
23
0
61
10
PL
2
34
17
37
10
PT
16
18
16
45
5
SP
11
31
15
36
7
Table 5: What work practices GEN Z prefer (in % of responses), 2017, own research
Discussion R1: How does the education support students’ preparation for occupation? The matters of GEN Z were discussed in two major aspects. First, the opinions of GEN Z towards current education system and in the second stage, it was their attitude to the potential work environment and the circumstances of being employed. As for the matter of education, it occurred that the school in a wider sense prepared them well for work. How well do schools prepare GEN Z for occupation? European VET and bachelor schools have got a good evaluation: 83% of respondents report “more or less” (of it 28% excellent). When asked about how they could have been better prepared, 64% suggested that learning through “real life” scenarios (i.e. experience); 88% by taking part in an internship; and 40% believed access to a careers service would have helped to prepare them better for the world of work. Skills such as intercultural skills, meeting deadlines and being proactive were cited by only one quarter of respondents (Table 3). As GEN Z enter the workplace, like generations before them, the first significant obstacle they encounter is their socialization into the organization. The newcomers learn about tasks and social norm expectations through socialization processes, as well as how to adapt to and negotiate their roles, and how to gain others’ acceptance of them as participating members in the workplace. Taylor (2014) describes that the communication process is thus crucial. More than any of the 80
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current generations, GEN Z learns by observation and practice, not by reading and listening to PowerPoint presentations. The analysis per 7 countries shows that the young generation prefers experiential learning and team practices (Table 3). The main difficulty of teaching the GEN Z is in linking theory with the actual practice and using more lectures than other methods. When asked about the skills they believe they need to strengthen to enter the job market, public speaking, problem solving, language skills and decision-making were the most frequently cited skills by young people. Skills such as intercultural skills, meeting deadlines and being proactive were cited by one quarter of respondents (Table 2). Fernández-Cruz and Fernández-Díaz (2016) summarize the further characteristics of GEN Z as being experts and open to the use of IT technology. It turned out from the Focus group discussion on the working environment that generally they are quick, impatient, resilient and interactive – but when communicating at the workplace, GEN Z prefers oral face to face communication. But, GEN Z’s reliance on IT and social media will have an impact on their ability to use interpersonal communication skills to establish relationships with the future supervisors and employers. The relationship between employees and their supervisors is essential to ensure that the organization delivers its mission and reaches its strategic goals (Kick et al, 2015). The communication on the workplace is highly stressed. When asked about the kind of co-workers they would prefer, then “co-workers who listen to your ideas and suggestions”, “co-workers who respect you”, “co-workers who like to collaborate” and “co-workers who challenge you” were mentioned. Similar results refer also Fernández-Cruz and Fernández-Díaz (2016) who summarize the characteristics of this generation as being experts and open to the use of technology: quick, impatient, resilient and interactive. R2: What are the preferences in the work places? The skills that employers require are changing, with soft skills replacing technical ones. The new skills may polarize the workforces. Youngsters highly skilled in IT were advantaged as soft skills gave them an additional dimension to their job since soft skills were presented as an alternative to technical competences. Although GEN Z is perceived as a digital, global and self-confident generation with high expectations about their carriers, on the other hand they may have the problem to work in teams. Z people are extremely self-confident, tends not to resist authority relationships but feel a strong need for human connection (Tulgan, 2013). First, the idea of the lack of practice is common. The responders feel lack in some soft skills like an ability to control tension, to work in teams, public speaking, an ability to put arguments together and logically express their opinion, social skills, a global perspective, how to prepare themselves for a job interview and how to “sell” themselves (Hlavatý and Dömeová, 2014). They have learned a lot of theoretical material, while they lack practical skills such as organizing tasks, solving problems, collecting and analysing data. Secondly, it turned from the discussion on the working environment that generally, youngsters referred they like a working environment that stimulates them while working with their peers, with whom they can exchange views. They prefer workplaces where there is a good climate (“good professional and personal relations” with colleagues, “to have the possibility to ask them for doubts and questions”, “to learn and find new stimuli” thanks to the team) and a good relation with the boss (interviews, Table 4). Interviewees prefer to work alone or in a small group because they consider it more effective and easier to communicate and manage.
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Conclusion
An inspection on GEN Z was conducted in the cooperation of seven European countries with the different geographical and economical setting. Nevertheless, the research done in three stages (questionnaires, focus groups and semi-structured interviews) has shown that there are only minor differences in GEN Z opinions throughout different countries towards their present and future relations to both education system and occupation. More importantly, the findings point out to the necessary need for a change in attitude of education institutions and employers. It is known that any systemic change in the education institutions is a painful process but at least the awareness should be raised among the pedagogical staff. And more importantly, the employers should rather pay attention to the oncoming GEN Z as they are still mostly too un-opened to accepting new ways of leadership that this generation will need.
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