Cambridge Business Association
Gen Z @ Work
Book

Gen Z @ Work

How the Next Generation Is Transforming the Workplace

David Stillman and Jonah Stillman
HarperBusiness, 2017
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Generational researcher David Stillman and his gen Z son Jonah Stillman conducted extensive research about the generation Z age cohort. They couch their book as a running conversation between father and son about this age group. Many people incorrectly assume that gen Zers are just like millennials, so to dig out better information the Stillmans commissioned two national surveys about gen Z from the Institute for Corporate Productivity. David Stillman collaborated with the gen Zers in Jonah Stillman’s high school “business immersion program.” getAbstract recommends this analysis as a useful tool in understanding how to motivate younger workers and how to promote harmonious workforce relationships.

Summary

Gen Zers

Members of the generation Z cohort (born 1995-2012) are competitive, career-oriented, grounded, idealistic, realistic, technically savvy, individualistic and independent. They’re straight shooters and great do-it-yourselfers. They worry about safety, security issues and the environment.

Gen Zers are fans of a new rank of superstars who come from the Internet and YouTube, including “Kid President, Dude Perfect and PewDiePie.” They hope to form partnerships with their employers to improve the world, even though studies indicate that gen Z’s members have short attention spans. Employers and older employees must look beyond such generalizations and nurture individual up-and-comers.

Speaking in general, members of generation Z share these characteristics:

They’re “Phigital”

Gen Zers do not distinguish between the physical world and the virtual; they think of the world as “phigital.” They’ve been connected to the Internet their entire lives. They consider advanced technology and the digital world essential.

91% of gen Zers say the level of a company’s high-tech sophistication will be an important factor...

About the Authors

David Stillman is the co-author of best-selling books When Generations Collide and The M-Factor: How the Millennials are Rocking the Workplace. He has contributed to Time, The Washington Post, the New York Times, and USA Today and has been featured as a generational expert on CNN, CNBC, and the “Today Show.” Stillman has been named one of the “Forty Under 40” movers and shakers and one of 200 to Watch by The Business Journal. Jonah Stillman (Gen Zer) is a 16-year-old high school junior, and currently the youngest speaker on the circuit. He is ranked 6th in the US in snowboarding, and has served as an ambassador for the international non-profit Free the Children, traveling to Kenya and Ecuador to build schools. Jonah is excited to be the voice of his generation and offer companies and organizations a heads-up about our next generation gaps.

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