FINAL WORD

, what ’ s the most stressful part of running your business ?” I pose this question to audience members before every conference keynote . Most answer the same : “ Employees .” High turnover , frequent call-outs , apathy – many employers just can ’ t get the stability and performance they need from their Gen Z teams .

For more than a decade , I led teams of young workers in my Edible Arrangements stores , and I also struggled . Years of working as a motivational speaker didn ’ t help . But it did add some pressure . Not only did I have to save my retail business , but I also had to save my reputation .

Through a lot of trial and error , we began to make progress . We improved retention and employee satisfaction . Our online customer reviews got better , as did sales . We won awards for customer service and management and became one of the top locations in California – all with the help of our young team .

Since then , I ’ ve come across many organisations who ’ ve cracked the code with Gen Z employees . They ’ ve developed training and retention practices that have increased their influence over young workers and boosted team performance . Their secret is rooted in employee experience . Here are a few ways they do this :

Put your judgement aside and try to better understand them . Manage them as they are , not as you think they should be . Then you ’ ll get them to where they can be .

2 . Identify and meet their ‘ soft needs ’

Most organisations focus on hard needs – the tangible things people want from a job . Primarily this is money , but it may include other benefits . It ’ s what employees get in exchange for their work . ‘ Soft needs ’ refer to their emotional desires . These include respect , praise , personal growth , safety ( including emotional safety ) and a sense of belonging . You can ’ t pay younger workers as much as those with more tenure . But you can still provide a better work experience . Their soft needs may be different than yours and from each other ’ s . While one person may appreciate schedule flexibility , another may be desperate for a pat on the back . Some may just want to be someplace less toxic than home .

THE MORE MANAGEMENT CAN DETERMINE WHAT DRIVES INDIVIDUALS , THE EASIER IT ’ LL BE FOR THEM TO MOTIVATE THEIR TEAMS AND WIN MORE LOYALTY .

1 . Mind the gap

Generation Z is different . But it ’ s your relationship with them that makes the difference . Many complain that Gen Z lacks a strong work ethic and is unresponsive to traditional workplace expectations . ‘ Kids these days ’, they say , echoing the same grievance employers have said for centuries . Generation gaps have always created tension in the management-employee dynamic .

Top employers reduce the gap by putting their opinions aside . They instead make objective observations about young workers and adapt to their needs . They don ’ t coddle or enable them . They just seek to understand them and manage accordingly , just as they seek to understand their customers and serve accordingly . They recognise Gen Z values life balance more than ambition . They realise they ’ re more emotionally attuned ( sensitive , but also empathetic ). They respond to their need for a lot of feedback and , when earned , positive reinforcement .

Your criticism about Gen Z may be correct . But it ’ s not helpful , not if you want to manage them .

The more management can determine what drives individuals , the easier it ’ ll be for them to motivate their teams and win more loyalty . Money alone won ’ t do the trick . Employees should be paid fairly , but those workplaces which also strive to elevate the emotional experience of the workplace ( just as you strive to elevate the emotional experience of customers ) will become employers of choice .

3 . Bring culture down from the mountaintop

Mission statements are often broadcast to the world but aren ’ t instilled in employees . They ’ re worded beautifully but communicated poorly . Sometimes they sound more like marketing jargon written to impress customers rather than to inspire and guide employees . And some are so grand that hourly workers dismiss them altogether . If the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation declares : “ Our mission is to create a world where every person has the opportunity to live a healthy , productive life ,” I believe them . They ’ re doing that kind of work and operating on a global scale . When a small frozen custard business states they want

Scott Greenberg www . intelligentcxo . com

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