Speaking to Gen Z’s Mode de Vie

Attending the C2 Montreal 2019 conference was a great opportunity!

In this article, I share my interpretation from a panel conversation on Gen Z’s relationship with technology.

The speakers were Piera Luisa Gelardi from Refinery29, Manish Vora from the Museum of Ice Cream and Steve Ellis from Viacom.

The panel started with a strong argument: “We are more disconnected than we have ever been”. The gap between generations is bigger than ever and that causes problems in the workplace. Indeed, when the audience was asked if their company had a strategy to reach out to Gen Z, only 25% of the respondents had said yes. Gen Zers are currently entering the workforce and companies need to be able to reach out to them effectively in order to hire the right talent.

The example of going to college without an iPhone versus going to college with an iPhone was given in the panel. Older generations did not have smartphones and were being reached out to on other channels. Nowadays, everyone owns a smartphone and that requires a particular marketing approach. Companies need to engage in effective marketing and effective communication to reach out to the younger generations.

A few interesting tips on how to attract the Gen Z demographic were given by the three panelists.

First of all, the concept of values was brought up. The younger generations want to feel connected to a company’s values. They want to feel like they belong to the company and are part of the community. Putting an emphasis on the company’s values and always referring back to them would help Gen Zers feel like they belong to the company’s culture.

Another concept that was brought up was transparency. Gen Zers like to know what is happening around them and expect their managers to be transparent. They are in this constant search for a sense of purpose and being included in the decision making is something they value a lot. They will feel more invested in the company knowing they are part of the process and have an impact.

Gen Zers also love learning by doing. They get stimulated by new experiences and by innovation in the workplace. They feel engaged when they know they are able to learn and grow in a company.

In short, the panel was stating that companies need to be more creative when reaching out to younger generations for recruitment. They have to showcase their values, be transparent about their identity and promote the opportunities for learning and growth within the company.

Originally published at https://medium.com on July 16, 2019.