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Is it really all about the paycheck? For Gen Z, not so much. The Bentley – Gallup Force for Good survey found that 71% of young Americans say they’d switch jobs to work at a company that has a greater impact on the world. Monique Jefferson ’96 and Chris Ronzio ’08 explain how to attract young workers — and keep them happy once they’re on the payroll.  

What are some tips for bringing in and keeping Gen Z workers?   

Monique Jefferson: We have five generations in the workplace right now, which makes it difficult not only for HR but also for people who manage teams. I’ve found four areas that work well for recruiting and retaining employees who are early in their careers. The first is purpose: finding work that has positive impact versus taking the highest pay. Second, opportunity for career growth. Third is an inclusive company culture that promotes a sense of belonging. Finally, flexibility. Everyone — not only Gen Z — values flexibility. But they define it differently: remote work, paid time off, or being able to leave early to watch their child’s sports game, for example.   

Chris Ronzio: This generation has so many options. They can start a business on their laptop, join the gig economy, drive for Uber. So when hiring, remember that often they’re not just applying for a job, they’re considering if that job will allow them to keep doing a side project of their own.    

Gen Z isn’t looking for a home for the next 20 years. They’re deciding whether they can gain skills to put on their résumé and parlay into the next thing. As employers, we have to sell that next year or two, particularly the level of responsibility. And a company needs a compelling mission — solving something that employees want to be a part of — so that when they show up every day, they feel like they’re contributing to a larger purpose.     

Flexible work schedules seem here to stay. How do you handle that with young workers who have little experience working in an office?    

MJ: Although Gen Z is looking for flexibility and remote-work options, it doesn’t mean they don’t want to come into the office. But if they come in, they want someone they can learn from to be there, too. Organizations must be intentional in creating opportunities for people to connect in person — specific days when the team is in the office, for example. This is especially important for the younger generation so they can learn from older colleagues. And these in-person opportunities also help Gen Z learn relationship-building skills. They grew up communicating with technology and social media, but there are many situations where a face-to-face conversation is more effective.   

When a leader is trying to decide whether someone’s position can be remote, I advise them to decide based on the job, not the person. A client-facing or high-touch job probably won’t work remotely. Basing the decision on the role helps ensure it is done in a fair and equitable way.   

CR: Working remotely is a skill, just like HTML coding. We’re always vetting people for a proven ability to work remotely. Do they have the skill set to work independently and be intentional in building relationships?    

When hiring a group of people, you have to give everyone a consistent experience to help them understand a company’s mission, vision, values, various job roles and customer personas. A single source of truth. Once everyone has the same foundation, then you can start aiming higher at how to innovate and drive the company forward.   

Monique, you have a record of building diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. What’s the best way to do that?      

When we talk about an organization’s culture, inclusion and belonging go hand-in-hand. Do you have a culture where people feel committed to the mission? Do they feel like they can be their authentic, full self? That will lead to a sense of belonging, which will lead to loyalty, creativity, innovation and retention.    

Inclusive leaders lead with empathy: They reach out to employees, understand what’s going on inside and outside work, and make sure the employees have the resources and tools they need to develop and grow.   

Chris, how does a knowledge of human resources contribute to your success as a CEO?    

It’s more a people-first mindset than HR knowledge. At my first company, we didn’t offer benefits. We hired people who were young, and I thought that would be enough of a competitive advantage. But it became a disadvantage to not invest in people, because we had too much turnover.    

My second business was a consulting firm. Several clients had problems because employees didn’t feel recognized or valued. Hearing that month after month seeped into me. So my third business was all about the benefits — health insurance, 401K, paid time off — from my very first hire. If you want to build a business that’s scalable, you have to put the people first. People are what make your business better.