If you’re a CEO, head of HR, or a hiring manager, the chances are you’ll have heard of Gen Z. Born since the mid-1990s (though exact dates vary depending on the source), the oldest of the cohort are now in their mid-20s and the youngest are still in senior school. Which means they’re set to dominate your early careers intake for the foreseeable future.

But how much do you really know about Gen Z? To help you get better acquainted with this influential group of prospective employees and apprentices, we surveyed over 1,000 young people aged 15-19 who participated in Visionpath programmes across the country. Our research was backed up by focus groups with students in the North West, East Anglia and London.

“In a world characterised by uncertainty, some of the outcomes of the research are perhaps not surprising on their own. But taken together they paint a picture of a generation people think they know, but actually are more different than we realise. Simultaneously passionate about tackling issues in the world, while feeling unable to make a difference. Getting their news from the internet, but taking it with a pinch of salt. It just shows you can’t put this generation into a box. We need to celebrate and work with their variety.” – Patrick Philpott, Visionpath Founder

Partnering with the7stars, our aim was to build a picture of Gen Z’s feelings about studying, careers, life outside of education, and their visions for the future. To help us, we also spoke to experts in youth from specialist research agencies, media owners, charities, and cultural consultancies.

"So much is being said about the next generation and so many contrasting and conflicting views spread about what they are going to bring to society as they mature into adulthood. They’re a notoriously difficult group to pin down through traditional research panels and methods, so we were delighted to partner with Visionpath to speak to them in a more organic, honest and refreshingly authentic way – through collaborative qualitative workshops in school, to a short and digestible quantitative survey delivered nationwide.

In this paper we hope we can shed a new light on the behaviours and motivations of today’s youth, and encourage empathy, compassion and engagement from brands, employers and beyond." – Frances Revel, Insight Team Lead at the7stars

One thing’s for sure: Gen Z can’t be neatly summarised in a series of stereotypes. Both passionate about causes and indifferent about their ability to effect change. Loving social media, but suspicious of its impact. And wanting to disconnect more and create experiences, but liking the connection of technology.

But, with 56% telling us they’re worried about their future and 66% saying meaningful contact with employers would help them feel more positive about their career, businesses definitely have an opportunity to influence the outlook and aspirations of this new generation – and reap the rewards of more engaged, creative, energised talent coming into the workforce in the process.

Here are our key takeaways for brands looking to engage Gen Z – download the report to read more.

1. Take it offline

One of the most important takeaways is that we can’t assume, simply because they’re

digitally connected and always-on by nature, that Gen Z have the ability and desire to use these channels to fact find, source and verify information, or to better understand their life choices. They seek creativity, alternative viewpoints, and positive role models, and often this experience or contact has more cut-through ‘IRL’ – in an offline world. Promote diversity of opinions, experiences, knowledge and entertainment in both the offline and online world to have the most impact.

2. Inform and upskill

From an educational and career perspective, many Gen Zers feel in the dark. They need diverse influencers who’ve been in their shoes to help them understand and navigate the choices available. It would be a mistake for them to focus only on higher education, when for many re-skilling would help fulfil their desires to be creative and productive. If university or higher education doesn’t represent the right route for them as an individual, brands have an opportunity to provide a wider choice. 

3. Celebrate progression

Despite Gen Z’s positivity towards equality and diversity, don’t assume that they’re all open to fixing the world themselves. As much as there’s a stream of consciousness and activism amongst Gen Z, there’s also a group for which these issues feel too distant, too vast, and too painful to comprehend and attack. Help them channel their progressiveness and positivity, but be sure to give them plenty of support along the way – like all of us, they need it.

Want to know what Gen Z wants us to learn from them? Keen to discover the opportunities for brands to authentically engage with this influential cohort? Download the report to learn more.

Visionpath knows Gen Z better than most people. If you want to inspire, engage and hire socially diverse school-leavers, find out how we work with employers or get in touch.

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