What contractors are saying: Working with Gen Z

“Nobody wants to work anymore!” 

… says every generation since 1900 (see here). 

What’s happening: Given the importance of recruiting and retaining young talent in the trades, to get some insight (and for fun), we asked several contractors across the U.S. for their thoughts on working with Gen Z, and here’s what we got:  

On general behavior: 

• “One thing that’s a non-negotiable for them is work-life balance, and they're super in tune to mental health.”

• “What I think is interesting about Gen Z is they’re the generation that grew up with smartphones. They don't know a telephone. Everything's instantaneous to them.”

• “I’d say Gen Z’s expectations are my biggest hurdle. They want everything now; they don’t like to wait.”

• “Some of these guys have work ethics that are just… impressive… but others aren’t self-starters. I think it’s very much an individual thing. I have millennials and Gen Xers who work for me and can be lazy or rockstars, too.”

On the workplace:

• “I would say Gen Xers and Boomers have this hierarchical mindset. Gen Z doesn’t oppose it, but they need to know ‘why.’ ‘If you need me here from 9:00 to 5:00, why?’”

• “It’s hard to coach field employees on the value of learning slowly and perfecting their skills before they take on a new role for which they aren’t ready. I tell my group, ‘If I put you in a role before you’re ready, I won’t ruin your job with this company, I’ll ruin your whole career because you’ll always think you’re better than you really are.’”

• “These guys also jump jobs left and right. They’re moving over here for a buck, then over there for a buck. A kid who was here has been at three companies in under two years.”

• “Gen Z seems to work well if a visible path and goals are laid out in front of them. They aren’t big on just ‘taking your word for it.’”

How some are responding:

• “One thing that I did as a joke originally was get logoed gold star stickers that say, ‘Gold Star Award.’ I gave them to a few people to give out, and they took off. They try to earn them to add to their hard hats [and] wear on their uniforms for the day… I honestly didn’t expect such a small act to make as large of an impact as it has. But it’s a quick and easy way to recognize someone for going above and beyond.”

• “I think the big thing is that we have to give them more ‘white-glove’ treatment. I don’t think you have to baby them, but you have to be almost kinder in a way, explain things nicer, and so on.” 

• “We have a career pathway chart for our divisions that lays out needed skills/knowledge/certifications/etc, with monetary ranges tied to each level. All employees know how to advance to the next level and their division managers set aside time to discuss training and certification needs… Gen Z has been happier and more vested since they feel they control their future and have full support from the entire company.”

Yes, but: “For me to try and categorize every Gen Z and say they're all going to react the same way is a major disservice.”

• “To me, it comes down to individualization [and] understanding what drives them. Why do they get up to come to work every day?”

The bottom line: “[Gen Z] is incredibly resilient and flexible. Every generation thinks the other one's lazy. But these guys are really strong leaders, and they value collaboration and teamwork.” 

• “I think the first thing to do is understand who they are as an employee and then work with them to define boundaries and set expectations.”

• Have any input? Drop us a line.

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