The New Arena of Business
As Gen Z enters the workforce, former generations are giving them a bad rep for being difficult to work with and having a lack of work ethic. However, the reality is that Gen Z is just rewriting the rulebook of what the workspace entails and how it operates. Gen Z isn’t asking for seats in the traditional corporate boardroom. Instead, they are building their own tables.
Beyond Titles
The age of social media has allowed light to be shed on what is really going on within the workplace. TikTokers can make themselves successful CEOs and LinkedIn and Reddit pages are more honest about employers than in the past. Gen Z knows what leadership is, but they are writing it in their own way. Gen Z views leadership as not just taking over boardrooms but in building networks of returning clients. They see themselves fostering communities and creating personal, yet intentional brands and letting their actions as CEOs and individuals be more transparent than previous generations.
Personal Brand is Power
Gen Z views a personal brand as not just what is on their resume; Their personal brand is a part of how the world and potential clients view them, especially as a business. People use the digital space to gain attention from the public but ultimately, to connect with the current market. People view transparency and being vulnerable, to an extent, as an asset to build trust in not only a personal brand, but in a business brand. For example, creators use the Tik-Tok “day-in-my-life” structure of posting to show what it is like to be in a leadership position, or any position, that interests the viewer. This has led to more people believing they can change their lifestyle which has caused a generational shift in ideals when it comes to approaching the workforce. Branding in today’s world isn’t just about how aesthetics look – it’s about how one’s identity and story creates a relatable community.
Who Do You Know?
While there is a traditional view of a corporate ladder that everyone has to climb to get to the top, Gen Z has chopped that metaphorical ladder into pieces. Gen Z favors creating their own pathways from the networks they forge throughout their life. Gen Z focuses on the connections that they have established to gain jobs and credibility within an industry. They favor portfolio careers instead of linear resumes that have been traditionally used. Even the internship and mentorship space has been deformalized with younger CEO’s taking information from people, directly contacting them, and offering opportunities to people that others may not have considered in the first place. Individuals and personal brands are favored if their characteristics align with the goals of the hiring individual or the company, sometimes even more than work experience. Clearly, there has been a dynamic shift in the way industries approach hiring and how individuals approach entering the workforce- which in turn, is reshaping the business sector.
The Traditional Yet Modern
Gen Z has proven that there is no point in waiting for someone to hand you a leadership opportunity, because chances are, they aren’t going to. The age of chief officers in top firms is getting younger along with the middle sector jobs. Gen Z is getting creative with how they engage with hiring committees, offering video resumes and niche technological skills to get a foot in the door. As Gen Z is joining the workforce, things are being redesigned to fit the drive and marketplace of the society we are living in. Even though Gen Z brings a new approach to traditional business, society should embrace it instead of diminishing it.