Dear Gen Z Employees: This Is Why Startups Are Ideal Workplaces for You
Millennials are now old news. It’s time for Gen Z or the Zoomers to join the workforce.
For those not aware, Gen Z or Generation Z is broadly defined as the generation born between the mid to late 1990s and early 2010s.
A report by Deloitte estimates that Gen Z employees are soon going to be the most populous and diverse generation in history. Currently, Gen Zers constitute 5% of the total workforce. This number is expected to reach 27% by 2050.
As Gen Z employees enter the workforce, we’ll start seeing a ripple effect. This generation has a completely unique perspective on careers and their definition of success is different.
Moreover, Gen Z employees are good news for startups as it’s a match made in heaven.
If you are a Gen Z job seeker then this article is for you. Here we’ll talk about how startups are ideal workplaces for Gen Z employees. So, let’s get started.
Why startups are becoming the employers of choice?
Startups are increasingly becoming the employers of choice because of the various benefits they offer including higher paychecks, stock options, work flexibility, and high-paced career progression.
Startups offer exciting and uniquely challenging career experiences that corporates can’t offer. Some other key benefits of working with a startup include –
- You learn to quickly adapt to change and uncertainty
- Your work has a clear, visible impact
- You get to work with passionate individuals
- You get first-hand training on entrepreneurship
- You get better opportunities for growth
7 reasons why Gen Z employees and startups are a perfect match
Let’s now specifically look at why Gen Z employees and startups make for a perfect match –
1. They both prefer transparent communication
Gen Z prefers to keep their ego at the door. They prefer transparent and honest communication and expect their thoughts and ideas to be respected as well.
For a legacy organization, this might not sit too well as it’s contradictory to traditional leadership models.
But in a startup, these are the qualities that are appreciated and celebrated. Startup leaders are open to accepting a bottom-up approach and are willing to listen to ideas from everyone.
2. Being tech-savvy is key for both
Gen Z are digital natives and hence it’s no surprise that they are more tech-savvy than any other generation. They feel more comfortable using the internet for research, work, and networking and hence are ideal employees for startups.
Post pandemic, most businesses adopted technology for online distribution, sale, and marketing. Therefore, for any startup looking to scale in 2022, it needs to be tech-focussed irrespective of the industry. Therefore, having a tech-savvy employee pool always helps.
3. They both seek constructive feedback
Gen Z employees understand that getting feedback is an important step in the growth process. They are more open to change than generations before them. Moreover, thanks to unparalleled access to information, they are accustomed to being educated at the click of a button.
Thanks to this, Gen Zers prefer an environment where feedback is not only accepted but also welcomed.
This kind of dynamic environment is something that startups can offer. Startups aim to create a culture of mutual respect in the workplace where anyone can share feedback without judgment or resentment.
That’s why both seem like a natural fit.
4. They both value autonomy
Gen Z employees rate autonomy and independence highly and this mindset is reflected in their work habits as well. They are comfortable leveraging thousands of years of collective knowledge through Google as opposed to always asking others for advice.
This autonomous attitude is something that startups also look for in employees. The ability to take ownership of tasks and handle projects on their own is something startups value a lot.
5. They are both competitive
Gen Zers are competitive in nature and are always willing to work hard to achieve their goals.
As opposed to millennials who are more team-oriented, Gen Z employees enjoy a little healthy competition. This could be because they grew up in an environment where the economy was in recession. Seeing their parents struggle, they developed a competitive side that fuels their drive.
For startups, this is a desirable trait to have in employees because highly driven employees push the organization forward. Moreover, startups are competitive in nature too since they constantly compete with other upcoming companies to create a market for themselves.
6. Both value diversity and inclusion
Gen Z employees grew up in environments where diversity was the norm. That is why they expect the same in their workplaces. Gen Z is known for being a generation that’s open-minded and deeply invested in inclusion and diversity. These are the values that new-age startups also stand for.
7. Work flexibility is not a concern for them
Gen Z employees value flexible work arrangements like hybrid working and adjustable work timings. This is something that’s easier to get in a startup as opposed to a legacy firm.
Conclusion
Gen Z is the first-ever generation born in a world of peak digital innovation. This fosters an unprecedented level of empowerment in terms of implementing ideas. So, it’s not surprising to see that this generation seeks a workplace where novel thoughts and ideas are valued.
Gen Z employees and startups look like a match made in heaven. The natural qualities that Gen Zers have are the kind of qualities startups look for and appreciate.
If you are a Gen Z job seeker then you might enjoy working at Dresma. We are a new-age startup working towards solving the product photography challenges for online sellers around the globe.
To check out the open positions at Dresma, visit our Careers page.
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