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Generation Z is Coming!

Gen Zs, who began entering the workforce in 2019, present both challenges and opportunities for chief financial officers and their teams. Organizations that recognize this generation’s unique skill sets and that are willing to invest the time and energy to allow them to flourish will have access to a talent pool that represents the most technologically advanced in history. The first generation raised on social media is also the most racially diverse group in US history; two additional benefits for any company that chooses to embrace the future.

Before we delve into the ramifications of Gen Z entering today’s workforce, I’d like to share some data with you (you are all CFOs, after all). While there is some disagreement about the age range of Generation Z, Pew Research defines it as those who were born between 1997-2012, so this is the timespan used for this article. These young people have never known a world without the internet or wireless technology. Most have no recollection of a world before 9/11, so they don’t know a time when the United States has not been at war. Many recall the great recession of 2008, even though they were children at the time. These forces have had and continue to have a significant impact on this generation.