Why We Need to Give a Chance to Our Gen Z for a Brighter Future

“When I grow up, I want to be a doctor!”

When you ask any child what profession they would want to take up when they grow up, generally, they would have about five to ten different career paths in mind. But as they grow older, those choices change or slowly decrease. You would think that picking a career path is the most difficult step for us youth, but in reality, it is the part that follows afterwards—securing a job. 

The youth of today, i.e. Gen Z, will eventually make up majority of the workforce in the years to come, especially roles in leadership. But are organizations giving these early career talent the opportunities that they need to grow and develop their careers, to help them reach their full potential?

Today, the biggest challenge faced by this generation and early career talent is unemployment. Advancements in technology allows this generation to have knowledge at their fingertips, but on the flip side, we lack the experience that is deemed as ‘necessary’ to be considered for a role in the corporate world. More than often, we are overlooked and rejected before we are given a chance to prove ourselves, and only because of the mindset that you need to have experience to excel. But that is where many organizations go wrong—experience is not always everything.

More than often, we are overlooked and rejected before we are given a chance to prove ourselves, and only because of the mindset that you need to have experience to excel.

The Promise of Gen Z

The promise that Gen Z has to offer is paramount. By investing in early career talent, organizations can reap the benefit. Here is why you should be recruiting and employing more Gen Z graduates into your organization:

• Thinking style: Gen Z’s have a different outlook on life, and they apply their views when it comes to problem solving. This gives them the upper hand when it comes to thinking outside the box to find a solution.
• Resourcefulness: being born in the digital age, Gen Z’s are more tech-savvy than their predecessors. They are proactive when it comes to learning and development, and easily pick up on new skills.
• Adaptability and resilience: the pandemic has shown us that this particular generation had to quickly adapt to changes, whether it was virtual studies or working remotely on their first job.
• Behavioral style: this generation cares about topics such as sustainability, and DEI. They are known to challenge the status quo. This motivates them to push beyond their limits, making them ideal for future leadership positions. 

The pandemic caused the world of work to change overnight, and graduates seeking employment were adversely affected. But as the world is slowly making its recovery, organizations need to ask themselves, “Are we, doing the best that we can to upskill our youth and give them the right opportunities so that these early career talent can have a brighter future?”

Happy International Youth Day!

Read our whitepaper to learn how you can bridge the gap and help equip Gen Z graduates to lead for a brighter future!