Looking Back on #GenZ in 2024

[00:00:04] Welcome, this is Hashtag GenZ, a podcast that explores Generation Z, who they are, how

[00:00:10] they're different from other generations, while also being an incredible blend of those

[00:00:14] who came before them. We explore what they think is cool, what moves them, and why they

[00:00:17] do what they do. I'm your host, Megan Grace, and it's so nice to have you here. Well,

[00:00:22] friends, we did it. This is it. It's the final episode of this season. It has been such a

[00:00:28] wonderful journey for the last year or so, spending time with you exploring GenZ at work.

[00:00:33] For this episode, we're going to keep it simple, and we're going to recap on some of the highlights

[00:00:37] of this season. So there's no guess this episode, unless you count the insights of episodes past.

[00:00:43] You're stuck with me at this time, so join me on this little trip down memory lane,

[00:00:47] and let's look back on some of the key highlights of this season. All right, so we technically started

[00:00:57] our journey of exploring GenZ at work in 2023 with our first episode, GenZ at work, featuring my

[00:01:03] research partner and co-author, Dr. Corey C. Miller. Where we started was to preview some of our upcoming

[00:01:08] work on exploring generations in the workplace. And honestly, we've learned a lot since then.

[00:01:14] Not to be too coy, we have some new insights and resources about our latest study in the workplace

[00:01:20] coming out soon. You'll hear more about that later. But in our time together, since we last chatted

[00:01:25] with Corey, we've learned so much about GenZ at work. We talked with work futurist Sophie Wade about

[00:01:32] how Generation Z is fueling the future of work. And we also connected with Harrison Lee and Abby

[00:01:38] Stassier, who shared more about how GenZ is pursuing atypical working arrangements like the

[00:01:43] digital nomad lifestyle and building your own job. And how could we forget our friends at Delight

[00:01:48] Digital, Amelia Dunlop and Michael Pankowski stopping by to share insights from their study on what GenZ

[00:01:54] wants in the workplace, which really rounded out as a nice primer for what we were going to cover in

[00:01:59] 2024. So to catch you up, we picked up our learning journey about GenZ in the workplace in early 2024

[00:02:06] with a conversation about workplace learning and skilling with Sana Fouquet and Sydney Santos,

[00:02:12] who shared not only about the desire that GenZ has for developing new workplace skills,

[00:02:18] but also how they're going about using technology like artificial intelligence to develop skills to

[00:02:24] prepare for the future, which gives us insight into the things that GenZ will be looking for in their

[00:02:30] workplaces. I also spent time connecting with Rex Wild on the importance of authenticity and

[00:02:37] self-connection at work. What I loved about this conversation is how Rex shared the deep relationship

[00:02:43] of our self-identity in the work that we do and how when we have interconnectedness in our expression

[00:02:50] of who we are, it can impact our productivity, how we work, and the ways we show up to work.

[00:02:55] I loved what Rex does to help to frame this idea of connection and authenticity as a way to be

[00:03:02] inclusive in the workplace and create an environment that people not just in GenZ, but of all generations,

[00:03:08] can feel welcomed in the places that they work. Christina Sugimoto of Wasserman NextGen

[00:03:15] stopped by to share insights on the research of GenZ workplace perspectives. She shared how GenZ is

[00:03:23] looking at work, what they're looking for, and gave us insight into the landscape of how GenZ is

[00:03:27] looking for jobs and viewing the work they do. I loved this conversation with Christina because she

[00:03:32] brought the facts and she brings the research into this conversation. And honestly, it's fantastic when

[00:03:38] I get to connect with other people that are as data-driven in their mindset and understanding

[00:03:42] what's going on. And this honestly led perfectly into my conversation with Sophie O'Brien of Paulin

[00:03:50] Careers about navigating the modern job search. Sophie highlighted a pretty large gap that exists

[00:03:56] between GenZ job seekers and the current hiring and recruitment system. The work she's doing with her

[00:04:01] company is helping to empower GenZ job seekers and encourage employers to evolve their hiring practices.

[00:04:07] I appreciate when there's voices like Sophie's that come into a space and aren't scared to identify

[00:04:13] where there are issues and how systems are not serving people that are trying to operate within

[00:04:18] those systems. And Sophie's doing a lot of really great work of speaking truth to that situation

[00:04:22] while also working to empower and mentor GenZ in the early talent career phase of their life.

[00:04:30] Dylan Diamond of the scheduling app Saturn stopped by to share perspectives on time and time

[00:04:36] management, which is a critical skill in transitioning into and succeeding in the workplace. Dylan helped us

[00:04:42] understand how GenZ sees and manages time while identifying ways to support GenZ in developing

[00:04:48] skills in time management. I think anyone that has worked or managed their work life knows how important

[00:04:55] that calendar can be to ensuring you have enough time to do good work, connect with the people that you

[00:05:00] connect with and fulfill the responsibilities of a job. And we learn those habits and those skills

[00:05:07] so much earlier in life. And the work that Dylan and his team are doing really helps to amplify the need

[00:05:12] to learn this in a very intentional manner. And then after that, we spent so much time talking about

[00:05:20] what GenZ wants in work and navigating the job search. We brought in Parker Pell of Abode HR

[00:05:25] to share conversation around strategies for managing early career talent. Parker and his team have

[00:05:30] learned a lot in developing an HR management platform that is designed by and for GenZ employees

[00:05:36] with the goal of boosting engagement and rethinking onboarding. I love the approach that Parker and

[00:05:42] their team at Abode take is that that early career talent is not something that should be expendable,

[00:05:47] but it can be a really valuable resource when engaged in the right way. And onboarding,

[00:05:53] training and management is such a critical piece of that. And in preparation for the election,

[00:06:01] we took a moment to explore how companies and organizations can play a role in the civic process.

[00:06:07] Joined by Vaughn Badgley of MTV Entertainment, we looked at the ways that companies, organizations,

[00:06:11] and community groups can specifically engage Gen Z voters and encourage their participation in the

[00:06:17] democratic process. It was fascinating to learn from Vaughn and the work of the MTV team

[00:06:22] about how they've not only shifted this mindset of student civic participation, but also thinking

[00:06:30] about the corporate element of responsibility that companies and organizations have in encouraging

[00:06:36] democratic participation among its employees in a nonpartisan fashion.

[00:06:42] And we rounded out the year with a discussion with Tracy Chernoff, the host of Bringing the Human

[00:06:47] Back to Human Resources podcast. We really thought about how Gen Z is reimagining human resources and

[00:06:54] workplace environments. What I loved is that we demystified the role of HR and organizations and

[00:06:59] chatted about the way that Gen Z is encouraging us all to think differently about work and approach

[00:07:04] our professional lives with a relationship-driven mindset. To put it simply, together, we covered a lot

[00:07:11] and we learned a lot. And I want to send a big thank you to you and to the guests that joined me this year to

[00:07:17] share about their knowledge and stories. It's hard to take an entire season and distill it down to just a few

[00:07:23] sentences. I kind of feel like I'm trying to do a reader's digest, or in this case, a listener's digest of some of the

[00:07:30] biggest learning points of the year. And how do you even begin to summarize a year's worth of learning? I'm gonna do my best.

[00:07:36] So here are three key things that stuck out to me in this season and the episodes that we shared.

[00:07:43] First, what Gen Z wants from work is not all that different from previous generations.

[00:07:48] What is different is that they might be saying it at younger ages, and they're looking for stability,

[00:07:53] opportunities to grow, and transparent leadership. I think these are things that benefit members of

[00:07:59] all generations and are something that we can pay attention to. There's nothing wrong with seeking

[00:08:04] out effective leadership and making sure that you want to work for the right people for the right reason.

[00:08:08] I think we can all agree that that is something that we can applaud Gen Z for understanding so early in their

[00:08:13] careers. Next, what is going to keep Gen Z in a role or with an organization is honestly viewing loyalty as a

[00:08:21] two-way street, and that requires continued focus on building meaningful relationship. Trust and loyalty go hand in

[00:08:28] hand, but it's not something that we can just expect Gen Z or any new employees to give us as employers and

[00:08:35] leaders. And lastly, for collaboration across generations to effectively take place, in my mind, relationships

[00:08:43] have to be at the forefront of our priorities. That applies to both Gen Z in the workplace and those

[00:08:49] who lead, manage, and work with Gen Z. There's a great opportunity for Gen Z employees to grow by building

[00:08:55] strong relationships with the people they work with. If you're a Gen Z listening, make sure you reach out

[00:09:00] to your mentor or your role model to spend some time with them and catch up. You never know what

[00:09:04] that conversation could lead to. And for those who lead, manage, or work with Gen Z, we have such an

[00:09:10] opportunity to support the growth and development of the next generation of leaders and maybe even

[00:09:15] learn something from the Gen Z that we work with. I feel so lucky that I do get to learn from members

[00:09:20] of Gen Z and the work that I do, and it's something that I never take for granted. I know that I feel

[00:09:26] more prepared to work with the Gen Z in my life and look forward to opportunities to integrate these

[00:09:31] insights into my work. And I truly believe that sometimes we build up the idea of working across

[00:09:36] generations to be navigating a really complex cavern using a tightrope to do so. The reality is,

[00:09:43] is that to create a bridge across generations, especially when it comes to the workplace,

[00:09:47] requires the foundation of understanding one another and taking time to meaningfully do so.

[00:09:54] I've said a lot about what I've learned and my thankfulness for that, but I would love to hear

[00:09:59] from you. If you're listening to this on Spotify, I'd love for you to leave a comment and tell me what

[00:10:04] your favorite episode of this season was or something that you found to be especially insightful.

[00:10:09] This is such a great way for us to stay connected, especially as I prepare for next season.

[00:10:19] So I want to thank again, all of our incredible guests this season. The show has been such a joy

[00:10:24] to create because I get to hang out with some really incredible people, think about interesting

[00:10:28] topics and share meaningful stories, but also a huge thank you to you for lending your ears and

[00:10:34] joining me on this journey to learn more about Gen Z. While I love to chit chat with just about anybody

[00:10:39] that'll listen, this podcast isn't just a place for me to be nosy, ask questions and talk with friends.

[00:10:44] However, that is something I really do love about being able to podcast. To me, this podcast is a

[00:10:49] learning journey and it always has been. I appreciate you for saying yes to going on the

[00:10:54] journey and I hope you continue to do so when we come back next season with more episodes.

[00:11:00] I'm already working on content and I can't wait to share it with you after the winter break,

[00:11:04] maybe a little bit later into the spring. So if you have any ideas, now is a great time to let me know.

[00:11:09] Please feel free to drop me a note just to say hi, or even to share some ideas for a topic

[00:11:13] you would like explored or a guest you think needs to be featured. As always, you can find some

[00:11:18] contact information on my website, meganmgrace.com. That's M-E-G-H-A-N-M-Grace.com slash podcast.

[00:11:28] We do really have some exciting things coming up in the new year, so be sure to subscribe wherever

[00:11:33] you listen to podcasts so you don't miss any new episodes. Additionally, I have some semi-related

[00:11:39] news that I'll be announcing in the new year, but probably before that we release some new episodes.

[00:11:43] So a great way to stay up to date on some of those new things coming out is to connect with me on

[00:11:48] social media. Whether that's LinkedIn or on Instagram, I'm going to be sharing on both of

[00:11:53] those spaces. You can find me on social media with the handle at meganmgrace. Again, M-E-G-H-A-N-M-Grace.

[00:12:01] And one last thank you to Leah Kramer. We know her. We love her. She's the Gen Zer behind the scenes

[00:12:07] editing this podcast and making it possible. I really couldn't do it without Leah,

[00:12:11] and she's such a great thought partner thinking out where we can take things next. So if you are

[00:12:16] ever in need for podcast editing services, this is my full endorsement of Leah Kramer,

[00:12:21] and I'm happy to share her contact information. I love being able to sign off and say this.

[00:12:26] Thank you again for stopping by for this episode and this season.

[00:12:29] Let's continue this conversation and we'll chat soon.

[00:12:32] Bye.