How Gen Z is Reimagining Human Resources and Workplace Environments

[00:00:07] Welcome. This is Hashtag Gen Z, a podcast that explores Generation Z, who they are, how they're different from other generations, while also being an incredible blend of those who came before them.

[00:00:18] We explore what they think is cool, what moves them, and why they do what they do. I'm your host, Meghan Grace, and it is so nice to have you here.

[00:00:25] Welcome back. I hope you've been taking care of yourself since we last hung out.

[00:00:28] And taking care of you and taking care of others is actually somewhat of a focus of this episode, because we're going to be exploring HR.

[00:00:34] HR, that's right, human resources and the role that it plays in work, especially for Gen Z, who are newer to the world of work.

[00:00:42] I think HR gets a bad rap, or at least a misunderstood one in the workplace.

[00:00:47] We already know that recruiting and hiring Gen Z is just honestly one piece of the HR puzzle.

[00:00:52] Retaining Gen Z is a whole other story.

[00:00:55] As we've explored this season, Gen Z is looking at their work experiences differently than previous generations

[00:01:01] and bringing a unique set of preferences and perspectives with them, which creates a new frontier for employer relations.

[00:01:08] And ask any person working in human resources.

[00:01:11] There's a lot that goes into employer retention beyond pay, policy, and training.

[00:01:16] So for this episode, I had to bring in a guest who doesn't just know a thing or two about HR,

[00:01:21] but is working to revolutionize HR and the experiences HR professionals can create for employees.

[00:01:26] In this episode, I'm joined by Tracy Chernoff, the creator and host of the acclaimed podcast,

[00:01:32] Bringing the Human Back to Human Resources.

[00:01:34] Tracy's also a career coach specializing in resume writing, interview skills, career coaching, and LinkedIn curation.

[00:01:40] Her passion for HR and career coaching began in college, helping friends and family members write resumes and prepare for interviews.

[00:01:47] With a BA in English rhetoric from Pinghampton University and an MPA from Rutgers University,

[00:01:53] Tracy embarked on a successful HR career.

[00:01:55] For over a decade, she held key leadership roles in retail, managing employee relations, talent planning, and HR processes across North America.

[00:02:05] She later transitioned to a senior leadership role in a tech and workforce management software industry, supporting teams around the world.

[00:02:14] On her podcast, Tracy aims to revolutionize HR by aligning employee demands with business needs and dispelling misconceptions about the HR field.

[00:02:23] Her mission is to empower and educate her audience with confidence, knowledge, and insight.

[00:02:28] Tracy is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to human resources and creating a positive work environment.

[00:02:33] So let's get into it.

[00:02:38] Well, I am excited, as I usually am, to welcome a new guest to the conversation today.

[00:02:43] And a new friend of mine, we've had a really good time getting to know each other and chatting about this really important topic.

[00:02:49] And I'm glad that this is one of the last things we're going to be talking about this season because I think it not only impacts this generation, but it impacts all of us in the workplace.

[00:02:57] I'm very excited to welcome Tracy to today's conversation.

[00:02:59] Welcome, Tracy.

[00:03:00] Thank you so much.

[00:03:01] I'm really excited to be here, as I mentioned, offline.

[00:03:04] And I'm saying it again now because I really am very excited.

[00:03:07] And I think your podcast is doing some amazing stuff for not only Gen Z, but all generations in the workplace.

[00:03:14] So thanks for having me.

[00:03:15] Thank you.

[00:03:15] I think that there's just a really good opportunity when we think about the work that you do, especially within HR and really helping people within the workplace and having a better workplace experience.

[00:03:26] And so I'm excited that you're going to bring such expertise to this.

[00:03:30] But before we get into that, tell us a little bit about your story.

[00:03:33] Who are you and what's your current role?

[00:03:35] But I really love to know what's the journey that you've taken to where you are today.

[00:03:39] Thank you so much for asking.

[00:03:42] Before I talk all about my career, I'll mention that a big part of who I am is that I'm a mom of identical twin daughters.

[00:03:51] And I'm also a wife and my husband and I and our two daughters who are actually turning a year old in a few days, which is really exciting and wild.

[00:04:01] We live in New York, Long Island specifically.

[00:04:04] And in terms of my story, before I became a wife and mom, I grew up in New Jersey and I went to college in New York at Binghamton University.

[00:04:14] And I was like totally gung ho for going into this writing career.

[00:04:19] And then I decided, actually, I want to maximize my experience in leadership.

[00:04:25] In college, I was an RA.

[00:04:27] I did different things with student government and I did that in high school, too.

[00:04:31] And so I found myself basically landing a job at Target in store back in New Jersey where I grew up.

[00:04:39] And the role was really for me to be an in-store guest experience executive team leader, which is a very fancy title for manager of the guest experience team and all of the ins and outs for the experience that customers have when they shop inside of a Target.

[00:04:58] And I love Target.

[00:04:59] Who doesn't?

[00:05:00] I don't think I've ever met someone that didn't.

[00:05:03] And after like about six months, someone actually, I think if I'm remembering correctly, it was my store manager at the time, tapped me on the shoulder and said, hey, you know, we really think that you'd be very good in HR.

[00:05:16] And we think you should interview for the HR position that's open in the district.

[00:05:21] And I was like, HR, I don't know.

[00:05:23] I never thought about that.

[00:05:24] And my dad was really the person who convinced me, not convinced me, but really, I guess, encouraged me to strongly consider it.

[00:05:33] Not only because of my background, but also because of the things that I really enjoyed doing.

[00:05:37] I really enjoyed building cultures and maximizing team potential and skills and like helping people.

[00:05:44] And all of that was always a part of my like who I am.

[00:05:47] And so I was then I interviewed, I was offered the job as an HR executive team leader, which is another fancy title for an HR manager and store.

[00:05:56] And after a few years at Target, I ended up going into fashion and luxury.

[00:06:02] And so I worked for French brands for about five to six years before landing a role in tech.

[00:06:11] And actually, I specifically got into this role because I was a customer of theirs first.

[00:06:16] So it's just a testament to building relationships, which is a big part of what I always say is like my ethos and the way that I like to work.

[00:06:25] And so all the while I was working and doing all that stuff.

[00:06:31] And then I earned my master's at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

[00:06:35] And while doing that, I decided to start a podcast.

[00:06:39] And so I started my podcast in 2020.

[00:06:43] It's called Bringing the Human Back to Human Resources.

[00:06:46] And so it really just kind of reiterated my commitment to my career.

[00:06:51] And at this point, I was a director of HR for North America.

[00:06:54] And I had all of these moving parts.

[00:06:57] I finished my master's.

[00:06:58] I was promoted, moved into tech.

[00:07:01] My podcast was, you know, it's now four years old.

[00:07:04] So it was moving steadily along.

[00:07:06] And so now here I am looking back on my career for the last really more than 10 years, plus the four years of the podcast.

[00:07:15] And I'm like, how did I get here?

[00:07:17] But then with that question that you've asked me, it's allowed me to re-embark on the journey that I set out to have.

[00:07:24] And one last thing that I'll mention here is that I started my podcast because I was really focused on solving a problem.

[00:07:32] And that problem for me was that leaders, HR leaders included, unfortunately, were so often talking about problems or solutions to problems without considering the people that were impacted by those problems or challenges.

[00:07:49] And if we put ourselves back into 2020 and the mindset and the experience that we all had going through an unprecedented time in the world, you know, that was arguably the time for leaders across businesses to say people matter.

[00:08:07] People are everything to our businesses.

[00:08:09] And I didn't see any of that.

[00:08:11] And I was so annoyed.

[00:08:12] I was like, what's going on?

[00:08:13] Am I on the same planet as these people?

[00:08:15] And that's why I started the podcast.

[00:08:18] And that's why it's called Bringing the Human Back to Human Resources because really that is the catalyst for me.

[00:08:25] And it's why I do what I do.

[00:08:27] And I think it's a very important, really like centerpiece to who HR practitioners are, who business leaders are, and what we should be focused on and who we should be focused on.

[00:08:40] I'm really excited to dive into this, like the idea of HR.

[00:08:44] I think I've just been a lucky person that I've never had negative experiences with HR.

[00:08:48] Like they've always been helpful, right?

[00:08:50] It's like in their name, like resources means help.

[00:08:54] And I can only imagine if every company had someone like you that had like the passion of the people in their HR department.

[00:09:00] I think so many people go into the field and they're like, I want to help people.

[00:09:05] I want them to have a good experience.

[00:09:07] But then the work evolves, right?

[00:09:09] And then it becomes, now I just do compliance.

[00:09:12] And nobody really wants to just do compliance, right?

[00:09:15] I could be wrong.

[00:09:16] But let's talk about the misconception because I think that that is something that a lot of people misconstrue what HR is.

[00:09:24] And like, again, we just truncate it down to its abbreviation and we got the human part of it.

[00:09:30] But tell us, what do you think are some of the big misconceptions people have about human resources and kind of the role they play within a company or organization?

[00:09:38] This is a great question.

[00:09:39] And I'll preface by saying that a lot of the misconceptions and a lot of the stigmas associated with HR and HR professionals are based on real life experiences, unfortunately.

[00:09:49] You are lucky that you've had great HR partners.

[00:09:52] I actually have had HR partners while in HR who have been terrible.

[00:09:58] So I can tell you from personal experience that I have learned from some people who either I had to be a mentor to or be a mentee of that sometimes the people who show us who they are and within HR especially who are not the people that we want to be are our best teachers.

[00:10:21] Like I learned some of the best lessons from people that I did not admire.

[00:10:25] So with that preface, I will say that a lot of the misconceptions come from these difficult experiences in the employee experience, whether it's a layoff or a termination, performance management.

[00:10:39] And often the misconception that comes from that is that HR professionals are not actually there to support employees, which I do think is a misconception.

[00:10:48] And actually, I've spoke to someone who is self-identifying as the counter person to HR, someone that does not believe that HR professionals are actually there for employees.

[00:11:01] And we kind of went head to head, toe to toe on this because I don't think it's fair to say that, A.

[00:11:10] And B, I don't think that every HR professional is someone that isn't there for employees.

[00:11:16] If we take my own experience as an HR person, my number one priority is to assert the business needs through an employee lens.

[00:11:26] If a business decides that there needs to be some sort of reduction in force, which sometimes happens across companies, then that has to happen with the person impacted as the sole recipient of this information to be the focus point.

[00:11:44] That person has like those people impacted have to be the first thing considered.

[00:11:49] So I do believe that a lot of these misconceptions that HR is not for the employee and is really just there to support the business.

[00:11:59] I think that's a very boiled down version of what actually happens because a good HR leader is going to say, OK, business X, I get this is what we need to do.

[00:12:13] But we have 400 people who are not going to be employed anymore.

[00:12:17] We have to do what's right for them and we need to do our best to support them.

[00:12:23] And it's not always going to be fun.

[00:12:25] So that's one humongous misconception.

[00:12:28] And it comes from a very impactful moment in people's careers when they are, unfortunately, on the receiving end of bad news.

[00:12:35] The other stigma or misconception, I think, is that HR people only act as though they care.

[00:12:43] And really, it's kind of like a two-faced relationship between the employee and the HR person, which, again, I think does kind of come from those more difficult circumstances and people's experiences in the workplace.

[00:12:56] But I also just I think that that is a reflection of HR leaders who don't really understand what their roles are in a company.

[00:13:04] If someone feels that HR or their HR partner is two-faced, they probably just don't have a very good HR partner because someone who is in the right role in HR, who is considerate and empathetic and understanding of the person that they're speaking to, they're going to be transparent.

[00:13:25] They're going to be understanding.

[00:13:26] They're going to express concern.

[00:13:29] And hopefully they're going to tell them the truth.

[00:13:31] That, to me, is the best way to reduce this or minimize this misconception is to really just be honest.

[00:13:39] And fundamentally, if you don't have honest people working for you, you're not going to have an honest HR partner.

[00:13:44] So that's a second.

[00:13:45] And then third, and maybe not even finally because I know that there are a lot, I think there is also this misconception that HR is a cost center.

[00:13:53] And I say this because maybe, you know, when we think about the lens from like an employee perspective, there are all of those stigmas that we just talked about.

[00:14:02] But employees eventually become leaders or managers or they become CEOs.

[00:14:07] And if they take with them that misconception that HR just costs companies money rather than actually driving profits, then HR is always just going to be this operative placeholder in a company.

[00:14:21] And I believe very strongly, and I've seen firsthand even from my roles and my former colleagues and current colleagues' roles in businesses that HR, really strong HR leaders can have a direct and do have a direct impact on revenue, on productivity, on employee happiness, which drives revenue, which drives customer satisfaction.

[00:14:43] So that to me is another major stigma.

[00:14:47] These are all so great to make note of.

[00:14:50] I've like heard HR professionals even say like, and this makes me like sad, not to me directly, but just in general, like HR is not your friend.

[00:14:58] I'm like, then what are you?

[00:14:59] What are you doing here?

[00:15:00] Like what?

[00:15:02] I think that your own job should be my friend because I should be able to trust you because you're supposed to help me, right?

[00:15:09] Like it's just like this weird thing that I've heard of like, if you don't never trust HR, never tell HR your secrets, never like they're not your friend.

[00:15:16] And I'm like, that doesn't set a good tone.

[00:15:19] Oftentimes like HR is like the first people you interact with that's not your hiring manager.

[00:15:25] Yeah, it's true.

[00:15:26] And you know what?

[00:15:26] I think maybe there are some people who are really like, I don't want to be friends with people that I may one day have to have a difficult relationship with or a difficult conversation with.

[00:15:37] I think that's okay.

[00:15:38] But also, I don't know about you, my friendships are like deep and complex.

[00:15:43] Sometimes I have to have difficult conversations with my friends.

[00:15:45] I think that's okay.

[00:15:47] Like when I think about people that I work with now and people that I've worked with in the past, I have always found people outside of HR and inside of HR that I've developed friendships with.

[00:15:57] And I've never allowed that to complicate anything that I've had to do in my career.

[00:16:03] And I think that HR leaders who say that, because I've seen that too, by the way, it does kind of drive me nuts.

[00:16:10] Those HR leaders, what they really should be saying is I have a difficult time separating work from personal life.

[00:16:18] Because if you can say, like I'll say to my friends sometimes, should I keep my HR hat on?

[00:16:23] Should I take it off?

[00:16:24] Because are we going to talk about something that I should know?

[00:16:26] You know, it's kind of like client attorney privilege, even though I'm not an attorney.

[00:16:31] It's like if I take my HR hat off, you're talking to me as Tracy the friend.

[00:16:36] If my HR hat is on, you're looking for me to help with solving a problem.

[00:16:41] You're looking for support with a conversation you need to have with someone internally, right?

[00:16:46] Like that's what those HR leaders need to be doing differently is like instead of thinking of relationships as this like single linear surface level thing, they need to see the complexity in relationships and how valuable it is to develop really strong and trusting relationships in a workforce and in a business.

[00:17:03] Because that's when you actually can have magic made.

[00:17:07] That's when you can really help people to see more for themselves, to do more for themselves, to do more for a business.

[00:17:14] Like that to me, I don't know, that's where I make my magic is through those friendships and relationships.

[00:17:20] Yeah.

[00:17:20] And I also just think it's like it's not human nature to be like, I think there's like a weird severing, right?

[00:17:26] To say, not like you have to take your HR hat off, right?

[00:17:30] Like it's just this idea of like they're not my friend.

[00:17:32] They're not here for me.

[00:17:34] Doesn't like that messaging doesn't make people want to work in the same general space, right?

[00:17:40] And I think that there's a huge problem there, especially when we think about our friends and Gen Z.

[00:17:45] So let's dive into that a little bit.

[00:17:48] You've done, we've talked about it.

[00:17:51] You've done great work and especially welcoming new or younger employees into the workforce and your roles.

[00:17:56] So from your perspective, what can HR leaders and companies do to effectively engage Gen Z in the workforce and in their workplaces?

[00:18:05] Well, first and foremost, I think they have to know who Gen Z is and why it's okay that generations have differences in approach, in communication, in receiving information.

[00:18:18] I mean, when you were on my podcast, one of the first questions I think I asked you is like, who is Gen Z?

[00:18:23] Who are we talking about here?

[00:18:25] And what are they made up of?

[00:18:27] Like how did they become this generation that I believe transforms and challenges what we believe is the status quo?

[00:18:38] Because really, what is the status quo?

[00:18:40] It's a belief that I hold.

[00:18:41] It's a belief that you hold.

[00:18:43] It's a belief that someone of another generation holds, right?

[00:18:45] Like, is there even really a status quo?

[00:18:47] I don't know.

[00:18:47] Maybe.

[00:18:48] But I won't get too theoretical here.

[00:18:51] But I think that's the first lesson and the first way that business leaders across functions can better engage Gen Z.

[00:19:01] Because it's just like take generation out of it.

[00:19:05] So for example, if you have a company or if you have, you know, a cohort in another country, let's say this company has gone global.

[00:19:13] And you have a cohort in another country that maybe you don't know that well.

[00:19:17] You have to get to know them.

[00:19:19] You have to understand that culture and tradition and everything, people's background, all of those things are very closely held in terms of our beliefs.

[00:19:27] So I kind of see it very similarly that just like a company would need to consider all of the things that make an international cohort unique and different in wonderful ways.

[00:19:39] It's kind of the same approach, I would say, with Gen Z.

[00:19:42] Because the better we know a particular population or cohort, the easier time we'll have just generally as people to connect with those other individuals.

[00:19:53] And so while Gen Z, you know, depending on if we're talking about like in the U.S., American Gen Zs, Gen Z workers, let's say, or employees might be a totally different Gen Z than someone in another country.

[00:20:10] So I do still think like this approach to best understanding who someone is is the way to go in the workplace.

[00:20:18] And something that I really learned from you also when we recorded for my podcast is that there is something really special about embracing differences in the workforce.

[00:20:30] And obviously, I think this is something we probably already know and we all hopefully agree with.

[00:20:35] But in order to maximize every single person in a workforce and to get the best from them and whether that's productivity or happiness or satisfaction, fulfillment, we do need to embrace those differences.

[00:20:51] So one of the things for me is flexibility, which I know Gen Z is particularly interested in flexibility.

[00:21:00] I am a millennial and I'm particularly interested in flexibility.

[00:21:04] So I don't know that it's, you know, of course, it can vary by person.

[00:21:08] But if flexibility is that topic, for example, where some companies just don't even want to have the conversation on remote work or they don't want to have the conversation on a four-day work week or the conversation on flexibility in general, they're going to, you know, inadvertently or advertently and overtly exclude an entire generation potentially.

[00:21:31] Right.

[00:21:31] Like it really depends on what we're talking about.

[00:21:34] But I know it would exclude me from the conversation.

[00:21:37] I personally wouldn't be willing to work somewhere if they didn't allow me to be flexible and work from home.

[00:21:42] So companies do, I think, have to kind of come to grips with this idea that we can't continue to apply the same methodologies to every single problem.

[00:21:54] Like, oh, well, you know, if they want to have a job, they're going to come back in the office.

[00:21:58] That is antiquated.

[00:21:59] Ditch that thinking.

[00:22:00] And if someone is in HR thinking that way, they probably should honestly look for a different job because I just don't believe that that's the way to think.

[00:22:10] I think business leaders, HR professionals, quite frankly, really need to understand what people need, what people want and how to kind of find this middle ground between business needs.

[00:22:23] Of course, businesses need to meet and work in order to operate and employee demands.

[00:22:28] And in many cases, employee demands these days and from Gen Z are to have as much flexibility and ownership and empowerment as possible.

[00:22:40] 100% agree with you.

[00:22:42] I was thinking like through your example of this, like if you were to acquire a global company and you have a team, like all I was thinking about was Emily in Paris.

[00:22:51] If you watch the show and like she goes to Paris and she's like not fitting in because like she was culturally in a different place.

[00:22:58] And they even tried to like apply their American HR policies.

[00:23:02] And the French agency was like, no, thank you.

[00:23:05] No.

[00:23:06] Politely, no.

[00:23:08] And I think that that's very – in time, like if you follow the show, Emily gets better at her job because she understands the people in the culture she's working with.

[00:23:17] Like and never thought I would be signing Emily in Paris on this podcast.

[00:23:20] But I do think that it's like a very clear, obvious one for us of like if you're not understanding culture, go watch Emily in Paris.

[00:23:28] But it is like – it's really like you see this.

[00:23:31] You can be doing similar type work, right?

[00:23:33] And you might say this is our workplace culture, but we've got this wave of Gen Z coming in.

[00:23:39] We're not doing anything to understand their culture.

[00:23:41] We're just going to try to make them fit our culture.

[00:23:44] And to some degree that that – like there has to be like a meeting in the middle and not necessarily that we have to adapt every organizational culture or policy or practice to a new generation.

[00:23:54] But at least just understanding like motivations and values in their culture can go a really long way.

[00:24:00] And I think that that's where leaders, even if they're in HR or if they are just leading teams, small teams, big teams, you name it, it's this willingness to be culturally sensitive to the fact that like there's multiple generations and different perspectives sitting in the same room wanting different things out of work to some degree.

[00:24:19] But let's flip that on its head because I think while there's so much that leaders can be doing, I know that we have some Gen Z listeners who are potentially earlier in their career, starting their career, and just starting to navigate that landscape much more intentionally.

[00:24:36] What advice would you have for Gen Zers in the workplace?

[00:24:39] And how can they best leverage HR in their company to have a positive work experience?

[00:24:47] Another great question.

[00:24:49] And I think just to answer the latter part first, the sooner we see HR professionals as partners, and hopefully, of course, this is like trusting that an HR professional in your particular company is someone that can be trusted and a partner with.

[00:25:07] So hopefully, you know, maybe we'll address that in a moment.

[00:25:13] But, you know, treating HR as a partner, I think, is a great first step if someone has questions or if someone wants resources or wants to share ideas.

[00:25:25] I just recently spoke with a member of Gen Z at my company who tapped my shoulder and was like, hey, I have some thoughts on engagement.

[00:25:34] Can we chat?

[00:25:35] Absolutely.

[00:25:36] Because I don't want to be the only one coming up with ways to engage an entire population of employees.

[00:25:43] Like the more people are engaged and committed to driving culture together, the faster we achieve our goals together.

[00:25:50] So she and I met and she really opened my eyes to this recognition, really.

[00:25:59] And you and I talked about this on my podcast also, that Gen Z, many members of Gen Z want that in-person connection.

[00:26:05] And even though like maybe at some material level, I understood that it actually helped me to really see what she meant.

[00:26:13] Because here she had graduated from college.

[00:26:16] She she didn't have a couple of years of in-person education because of COVID.

[00:26:22] And now she's living in a new city and she just wants more connection.

[00:26:27] She wants to see people and connect and network and build relationships.

[00:26:31] And I totally took for granted my own experience after college that I probably wanted the same thing.

[00:26:39] But because I'm in my own world and I'm in my own millennial mindset, I didn't necessarily see things as clearly.

[00:26:47] So her taking me as a partner and and sharing her perspective and what she would love to see from our company and and different things that she would really appreciate.

[00:26:57] It helped me to reimagine some of the strategies that we are potentially going to take.

[00:27:04] So I think, if anything, take that as consideration to do the same in your company so that you can maybe inspire either your manager or your HR partner,

[00:27:16] whomever you're partnering with to think maybe a little bit differently.

[00:27:18] And hopefully they're open to thinking differently.

[00:27:22] But nevertheless, I think sharing ideas is one of the best ways for companies to innovate.

[00:27:27] So going to the former part of your question, Gen Z really, I think they should continue to do this, quote unquote, challenging of the status quo,

[00:27:39] even though they don't necessarily see it that way, because this is just like who they are.

[00:27:44] Like they're like, oh, well, you know, you're not going to offer me flexible work arrangements.

[00:27:47] I'm just going to go find another job.

[00:27:49] That's something a millennial could never dream of because millennials are overly obedient.

[00:27:53] And so at least in my perspective, I know I am not the generational expert here.

[00:27:59] But, you know, I think that Gen Z should continue to say this is this bar that is set for me is not high enough.

[00:28:09] The bar that I you know, the expectation that I have out of my employer is 100 points higher than the expectations that came before me.

[00:28:19] I think that's where, again, innovation happens when people really start to challenge what is the considerable norm in their environments and specifically in this case in their workplaces.

[00:28:34] That's when, you know, people who are open start to think differently.

[00:28:38] And that's when innovation happens again.

[00:28:41] And, you know, from innovation, I think Gen Z should continue to be open to making mistakes, moving jobs if need be.

[00:28:51] All of those things, I think, of course, we all can read on LinkedIn or in the news that there are always reports around job openings and unemployment rates and the types of jobs and AI and all of this jazz.

[00:29:07] Right. But at the end of the day, businesses provide services and people provide products or resources to those businesses that provide services.

[00:29:17] So I don't believe that employees should ever feel that they don't have another place to go to provide those services to companies.

[00:29:25] And I also don't believe that companies should feel as though they're sitting on gold, because, again, when we come back to what it is that that I do in terms of bringing the human back to human resources.

[00:29:38] People are a company's best asset and companies need to stop thinking about people as replaceable and start thinking about people as assets so that they're effectively an extension of a company.

[00:29:54] That's something that they don't want to lose.

[00:29:56] So for Gen Z, I think if they take this approach, like the way that I envision it is like kind of like a sandwiching of things.

[00:30:03] If Gen Z comes from the left and says, this is our standard and this is what we expect and what we need from our employers,

[00:30:11] and then employers are maybe a little bit more reasonable and appreciative of their people,

[00:30:17] then we shrink this gap between the employer and the employee and we have just a bit more harmony.

[00:30:23] So I definitely don't put all of the ownership on Gen Z to move mountains and make workplaces the most amazing things ever,

[00:30:32] because it is still work.

[00:30:34] And so sometimes we're just not always thrilled with what's happening at work.

[00:30:37] But I do think between Gen Z really challenging the current norms and employers being open to new ideas and innovation and changing the way that they work,

[00:30:48] again, that sandwiching effect, I think, will move mountains together.

[00:30:53] I appreciate that.

[00:30:54] It's like you're kind of giving younger employees some permission really to like speak up.

[00:31:02] But I can definitely resonate with like, I would have never done that younger in my career.

[00:31:08] Like, but I think that if we're going to start changing things for the better, we have to be willing to listen.

[00:31:12] And that's like the challenge to older generations to say, like, especially I just imagine that, yes, there are some younger Gen Z that might be in HR positions.

[00:31:22] When I think about human resources, it's like, it's kind of your job to listen, right?

[00:31:27] It's kind of your job to listen to the people and the things that are going on within a company to make sure that we're improving it.

[00:31:34] And not necessarily getting people in trouble, but like identifying when there's an opportunity to elevate the experience for the people that are working there.

[00:31:43] And I think that Gen Z is so, they're so oriented towards wanting things to be better for themselves and for others that I think they will be a generation that like they might be hearing from Gen Z a lot in HR.

[00:31:58] Not because like they're breaking rules, but maybe just because they're like, what if we did this to improve this element of the workplace?

[00:32:06] And I think that's a really good benefit of this generation.

[00:32:09] But I do really like that you framed it.

[00:32:12] And like for our Gen Z friends that are out there is identifying who your partner in HR is.

[00:32:17] And I always say this, proactively make the relationship with them, right?

[00:32:21] It's so much easier to think about the people that need the help when you've shown your face and you've built that relationship.

[00:32:27] And again, that built that human connection and that resonance with that person.

[00:32:31] So you've given us so much to think about, Tracy.

[00:32:34] And I really like to end every episode with a similar question across guests.

[00:32:38] But what's your favorite thing about the Gen Z that you work with?

[00:32:44] I love that they get involved and that they really ensure that their voices are heard.

[00:32:50] Like I just shared that example of a colleague who is a recent college grad and how she does want better, not only for herself, but for the entire employee population.

[00:33:02] And I just I don't know, maybe it's it's just the way that I approach HR, but I can only imagine what other Gen Z employees in other businesses can harness and what they can do if they also speak up, which hopefully they do.

[00:33:18] But that's definitely my favorite piece.

[00:33:23] I always know that if I ask for feedback or if I'm rolling something out, I either like will get it immediately and I don't have to ask because I have, you know, great partners in Gen Z across my workforce.

[00:33:36] But then I also know that they're going to tell me directly what the impact was, if the impact was positive or if a new initiative is going to be well received, at least amongst their generational cohort.

[00:33:50] And I think that's really helpful.

[00:33:52] And also, I think for anyone listening who is in HR or who wants to get into HR, there is so much opportunity to influence at companies when you're in HR and you can do that in any role.

[00:34:04] But I really think when we think about the and understand the closeness that HR does have to employees and business leaders or other business leaders, there's there's a real opportunity there for Gen Z to get involved and have an even bigger influence.

[00:34:20] And again, I can only reiterate that that's my favorite piece because I love when people feel comfortable enough to speak up.

[00:34:28] And I love when people share their thoughts and ideas, too, because otherwise I'm just in my own echo chamber.

[00:34:33] And like, who the heck knows if what I think is a good idea is actually a good idea or not, unless I get others involved.

[00:34:40] I think that that's a really good perspective of like Gen Z wants to get involved and helping break the misconception with them that maybe previous generations have had, which is that HR is around for hiring, firing, the end of your employment and benefits.

[00:34:56] When in reality, there's so much more that HR does and can do for the employees.

[00:35:00] And so for Gen Z, like that we can I think there's an opportunity for them to leverage their own strength, which is they just they're going to speak up.

[00:35:10] So leverage that in having positive relationships with HR beyond just the things that oftentimes it's like the beginning and end of your time at a company.

[00:35:19] When again, you can't in my rules, you can't complain about a service you did not take the time to utilize.

[00:35:28] So like if you're you can't complain about it, if you have not given it the good college try of using the service, if you use the service and it's not working for you, then you can speak up and say, hey, can we improve this?

[00:35:42] And I think that Gen Z is willing to do that if companies are willing to listen.

[00:35:47] Well, Tracy, it's been so wonderful to spend more time with you.

[00:35:50] I'm sure there are things that people would love to follow up with you about or potentially follow along with the work that you do.

[00:35:56] Where can people stay in tune with all the great things that you're doing?

[00:36:01] Thank you so much again for having me and I'm happy to continue to connect.

[00:36:06] So you can head to my website at hrtracy.com and I spell my name with an I.

[00:36:10] So that's hrtraci.com.

[00:36:13] You can sign up for my newsletter, which is weekly.

[00:36:15] You can also follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram, which all have the handle hrtracy, which is pretty much consistent across all social media platforms.

[00:36:24] And again, that's hrtraci.

[00:36:26] And if anything, you can always email me at contact at hrtracy.com.

[00:36:29] We have a slightly off spelling in this space as someone whose name is often misspelled to myself.

[00:36:37] Well, Tracy, thank you again for spending some time today.

[00:36:40] It's been great to hear from someone that's truly an employee's advocate.

[00:36:45] Oh, thank you.

[00:36:46] Thank you again for having me.

[00:36:51] Another thank you to Tracy.

[00:36:53] There are so many great insights that she shared that leaders and employees can take back to their work.

[00:36:58] First, it's important to understand the purpose of HR and not give in to the misconceptions.

[00:37:02] The human resources department is intended to serve as partners who balance the business organization's needs by empowering team members who work there.

[00:37:11] The key to having an impactful relationship with HR is establishing a trusting one and maintaining appropriate boundaries.

[00:37:17] For HR professionals, there are some areas that can be a focus in helping to engage Gen Z professionals.

[00:37:24] They desire flexibility, human connection, and opportunities to network and develop their skills.

[00:37:30] For Gen Zers in the workplace, HR can be an incredible resource to having a positive work experience.

[00:37:36] Work with your HR partners exactly as that, as partners.

[00:37:40] This will allow you to challenge workplace norms while also meeting expectations of your role.

[00:37:44] These partners can be helpful in moving positive change forward in culture.

[00:37:49] So be proactive in developing a relationship with HR leaders at your company so you can chart your path to success in the organization.

[00:37:57] Whatever generation you're a part of, though, the key to successful organizations is that leaders and team members can come together to create positive change.

[00:38:05] Tracy and I really could go on and on and on chatting for hours.

[00:38:09] So if you enjoyed that, you can head over to her podcast, Bringing the Human Back to Human Resources, because I was featured as a guest.

[00:38:17] So go ahead and you can continue to listen to We Chatty Girls Continue to Chat.

[00:38:23] But I also want to thank you for tuning into this episode.

[00:38:25] I really do love when we get to hang out like this, so let's keep the good times rolling.

[00:38:29] If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

[00:38:34] And if you're subscribing and listening on Spotify, feel free to drop a comment.

[00:38:38] Tell me what you loved about this episode.

[00:38:39] But subscribing wherever you listen is the best way to make sure you don't miss any new episodes when they become available.

[00:38:45] As a note, I will be wrapping up this season of Hashtag Gen Z soon.

[00:38:49] There's only one more episode left for this season, but my goodness has it been a good season.

[00:38:54] I'll be spending some time over the holidays and early next year to plot and scheme some more great episodes coming your way in 2025.

[00:39:00] But if you have a guest or you'd like me to connect with someone about a specific topic that we need to explore, now is a great time to let me know.

[00:39:07] I'm in planning mode, and so I want to make sure that I hear your voice in that.

[00:39:10] There's a form on my website where you can share your thoughts, and you can find more information at meganmgrace.com slash podcast.

[00:39:17] That's M-E-G-H-A-N-M-Grace.com slash podcast.

[00:39:23] This episode was edited by Leah Kramer, the Gen Z-er behind the scenes who brings this podcast to life.

[00:39:28] We really couldn't do it without her.

[00:39:30] But thank you again for stopping by.

[00:39:32] Let's continue this conversation, and we'll chat soon.