Digital Natives
Often muddled up with millennials, Gen Z is the first generation of ‘digital natives’, meaning unlike their millennial predecessors, Gen Z does not remember a world without mobile phones and computers. They are considered the first cohort to live in the age of modern technology, and this is an important factor when it comes to attracting them to the workplace.
Unlike millennials (mostly older millennials) who can recall a time before computers, Gen Z likely cannot, and this means they are far more likely than their millennial counterparts to expect high-end technology in the workplace and access to fast broadband and powerful computers. Generation Z are the first to be born into a world of immediate information and social media, whereas millennials will be able to remember a time before Google and Facebook were the norm.
Education
Another defining feature of Gen Z is the fact they are the most educated generation to date. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2018, 57 percent of Zoomers aged between 18 and 21 were enrolled in higher education through the form of college. In 2003, 52 per cent of millennials of the same age were in higher education, and in 1987 just 43 percent of 18-21-year old Generation X’ers were in college. This puts Gen Z on the path to becoming the most highly educated generation yet, and with more qualifications comes the expectation of a higher starting salary.
Diversity
The final majorly defining feature of Generation Z is the fact they are the most diverse generation so far. They have grown up in a time of more racial diversity than before and this has lead to them being more accepting than other generations of different races, beliefs, genders and sexualities. This is partly due to them being more likely to have grown up in blended and mixed families and families with blurred gender roles.
