Recruiting and Retaining Gen Z: ‘Show Me The Money and Corporate Values’

It’s the job of some communicators and marketers to know Gen-Z (those born between 1997 and 2012). And, even PR pros who aren’t targeting Gen Z for employment know some basics about the group. The word most gets used a lot as a descriptor.

For example, Gen Z is the most racially, ethnically and sexually diverse generation. In addition, it’s the most educated and internet-savvy.

At roughly 68 million people, it’s some 20 percent of the US population and the third-largest cohort, behind Millennials and Baby Boomers (see chart 1). They’re expected to comprise about 30 percent of the US workforce by 2030.

On the other hand, perhaps the most interesting things about Gen Z as staff members and consumers are how often they contradict stereotype.

For instance, conventional thinking might ascribe robotic tendencies to this group. Its members, after all, were born during the digital age. They’re glued to their digital screens, some observers say.

That’s only partially true.