Generation Z teachers are coming and I believe they will transform our school systems. Is your district prepared for this shift? To what extent has your leadership team, and especially your HR department, discussed what is coming? Today I would like to discuss a few characteristics my analysis has uncovered regarding Generation Z, and also to offer a few “operational shifts” to start us thinking about this transition.
First, Generation Z, per Pew Research, was born after 1997. So, they are 22 years old this year and will soon be applying for jobs in our school districts. Gen Z is the first generation to be born after the popularization of the Internet and thus they live their lives predominately online. Earlier generations, for instance the Millennials, also engage online in significant ways, but Gen Z is different.
Gen Z communicates via video, images, and pictures (think memes, YouTube, Hangouts, Facetime, Instagram, Tik Tok…etc.). Earlier digitally engaged generations have been more text oriented. Although images are important, text oriented communication predominates their interactions. Generation Z will text, but it is visual images which consume their interest. Gen Z is also much more mobile device oriented than earlier generations, preferring all resources to be available via their phone.
Research is also indicating that Gen Z is much more leery of debt than earlier generations and is generally more independent, often opting for entrepreneurial pursuits over that of traditional workforce opportunities. The Economist magazine says that Gen Z, presumably due to increased school accountability and a 24 hr./day media cycle, is “more educated, well-behaved, stressed and depressed” compared to earlier generations. We must remember that these individuals grew up during the Great Recession and its devastating impacts have shaped their worldview.
So, what does all of this mean for school districts? Well, I think we can assume the following shifts will be important as we begin to onboard Gen Z teachers/employees.
1. School districts will need to figure out how to communicate visually with these employees, building creative systems to do so.
2. Unlike Baby Boomers who looked to the organization to provide professional development, a more independent Gen Z will find resources on their own. As this is the case, PD must be available to employees via video (24 hrs./day) and vetting mechanisms must be designed which allow Gen Z employees to recommend PD resources they find.
3. As a debt adverse and fiscally conscious generation, school districts will need to figure out how they can help Gen Z employees achieve their financial goals. We can assume that PD on how to get the best deals on your car insurance, understanding how to negotiate a mortgage, the difference between different types of investments (to include finding investments which have a social mission), and why one might want a high-deductible health insurance plan compared to a co-pay plan will be popular – of course these resources will need to be offered online and accessible using one’s phone.
4. Building community through causes, not traditional social factors will be important too. In other words, promoting opportunities for Gen Z employees to establish community around environmental preservation projects, or gathering clothes for students in living in poverty will likely be popular, and could help with employee retention. Finding ways Gen Z employees can make a difference in correcting what they might view as a social injustice, or long-term environmental concern, will be essential.
Clearly there is much more which can be written on this topic, but hopefully this stirs your thinking related to the impact of this new generation of employees you will soon hire. Creating the mechanisms listed above take time, so it is imperative we start this journey now in an effort to get a jump on recruitment and retention.
If you have seen ideas which are being considered and/or implemented by organizations to address the needs of this new generation please share in the comments below. As always we all gain wisdom when we learn and share with each other.
I read your blogs regularly and this one is both timely and relevant. Nice work. Thank you.
Thanks, Scott! Clearly a topic we need to address in our districts.
Howard, changing teaching methods and curriculum has been difficult for parents and some community members (” we didn’t teach that way when I was in school..).
I believe new parent and community outreach and perhaps even to legislators will be more necessary than ever before.
You are correct in that the shift in employee learning styles must be addressed by HR and Distruct and Building leadership.
I agree that outreach will be increasingly important, but must be multi-faceted as one attempts to reach the different generations of parents we serve in the school system. We likely need to spend more time with building leaders to understand these shifts as they are our first line of contact with most parents and the community.
Howard,
An important point that HR and Curriculum leaders must learn to communicate and make resources available with images rather than text. How can we assist/train these Gen X and Baby Boom leaders to make this shift?
Mark
Thanks for the comment – I think you are ahead of most of us in this regard with your video-based information updates. We can probably learn a lot from you and the methods you are using.
I think there are a couple of items required to get Gen X and Baby Boomer leaders to make the shift. First, is awareness of the “why” behind the shift. Next, is PD regarding the tools needed to most efficiently communicate in this manner. Finally, I believe the concept of “reverse mentorship” will be helpful, meaning where Gen X and Baby Boomers reach out to Gen Z to gain assistance in how to best communicate with them as a group.
I wonder if breakout sessions on new ways to communicate with one’s employees might be helpful. It seems like it would be particularly impactful if coming from someone who is from Gen Z.
Howard, This is timely and relevant. I will be sharing it with our Leadership Team.