Hiring Blue-Z’s (blue-collar generation Zers) is not the end goal for your restoration business; the ability to retain them is, and it’s proving to be the most challenging part of the process.
Many companies have struggled with reducing employee turnover rates for a number of reasons. It could be a low overall job satisfaction rate, lack of benefits, or inadequate compensation. Your employees are your backbone, and if they aren’t sticking around, it’s essential that you figure out why.
In the case of retaining the Gen Z talent in your organization, you need to take a customized approach – just as you did when hiring them. Let’s talk about the tactics you can use to keep your talent happy so they want to stick with you for the long haul.
Offer Growth & Career Advancement for Gen-Z in Your Restoration Company
According to a
Gen Z Spotlight Report from the University of Carson College of Business, Gen Z workers worry about their career a lot.
This is surprising since there is a perception that the younger people lead a more carefree lifestyle and have the infamous YOLO mentality. As it turns out, that’s far from the truth, at least according to the CCB report. In fact, they cited that 68% of these young workers constantly think about their career growth. Meanwhile, 70% of those surveyed envision furthering their careers rather than being stagnant with their current job.
This is a very insightful piece of data that blue-collar companies need to think about when it comes to retaining talent. You want to be able to deliver stimulating work to the young workforce in order to maintain a high level of job satisfaction. It is also important to provide opportunities for growth and career advancement.
Align Your Restoration Company Values With Gen-Z
Another crucial element to retaining Gen Z workers is to emphasize the values of your organization. It is not uncommon to find a disconnect between the values of older colleagues with that of the younger talent in the workforce. It often leads to conflict and miscommunication. If you want to retain young talent in your organization, you need to be sensitive in addressing social matters.
Many of the Gen Z workers care about sustainability, a healthy work-life balance, and cultural inclusivity. This is one of the most difficult realizations for businesses hiring young talent: to adapt to the culture and method of communication adopted by their Blue-Zers.
Offer Consistent Feedback to Gen-Z
Another crucial component to keeping young talent in your business is to provide feedback, promotions, and other forms of rewards. While millennials are team-oriented, Blue-Zers are known for their competitive side. This competitive nature makes them want to be seen and appreciated in the workplace. Therefore, you need to give them timely feedback. In fact, a
PRNewsWire report claims that 97% of Gen Z’s are receptive to feedback.
What does this mean? You need to recognize effort when you see it. Provide constant feedback, especially for superior performance. If you do, then
79% of your employees will likely be loyal to you, especially the Gen Z talents.
Help Gen-Z Employees Feel Fulfilled at Your Restoration Company
Since this generation tends to favor jobs over careers, it is very possible for them to leave after only a short period of time. In fact, a lot of young professionals like to take on part-time positions as it gives them the flexibility to leave and pursue other opportunities. This is a fact supported by surveys done by
Adobe and
Microsoft.
But why are they leaving their blue-collar jobs? It’s important for employers to find the answer to this because the better you can understand your employee circumstances, the more you can retain them. According to a
LinkedIn article, there are two reasons why Gen Z workers (and millennials) leave:
1) They are seeking higher salaries.
2) There is a low morale in their current roles.
Given this, it is important for restoration businesses to nurture the needs of their younger employees. Pay them well and give them a higher sense of satisfaction with their roles so they feel more fulfilled.
Summary of Gen-Z and Restoration
Armed with these insights, your organization is in a better position to influence and impact the Blue-Z workforce, making you their employer of choice. With
forecasts showing that Gen Zers will produce up to 60 million talents, they will basically make up the majority of the workforce in the foreseeable future. The sooner you start positioning your company to become attractive to them, the more you can bolster your ability to hire and retain talent in a competitive labor market.
Money matters to the Gen Z workers, but it’s not everything. They are more concerned with who they work for and whether their values are in alignment with their own. When it comes to recruiting young talent, there are a multitude of challenges and opportunities. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, especially when it comes to blue-collar Gen-Z workers. In the end, the ability to strike a balance between your need for talent and the desires they have for their career is the secret to retaining satisfied and happy employees.
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