HR professionals: Are you ready for Generation Z?

Born in the mid-1990s and the first decade of the 2000s, Generation Z have been largely ignored. Instead the focus has been on millennials and how best to integrate them into the workforce, while keeping them happy and engaged.

But Generation Z are upon us with the first cohort graduating from colleges and universities and now joining organisations. They are already starting to exert their influence on the political and economic landscape worldwide.

Even more so than the millennial generation that they will succeed, Gen Zers are expected to demand greater things from companies, both those they work for and those they interact with as consumers. They are already putting pressure on organisations to prove that they are ethical and sustainable.

And Generation Z is even more technologically advanced than their predecessors. In contrast, some millennials will be approaching their 40s (those born in the early 1980s) and may need upskilling given the rapid rate of digital transformation.

In Asia, there will be around 960 million Gen Zers, a very significant pool of potential customers and employees that companies will need to appeal to with strong environmental, social and governance credentials. Are you ready?