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Paving The Way For Gen Z In Tech

Forbes Technology Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Guy Yehiav

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Gen Z -- also known as those born after the mid-1990s -- is quickly overtaking Millennials as the newest emerging consumer group and hires in the enterprise. In fact, Bloomberg indicates that Gen Z will make up 32% of the global population within this year.

Despite this significance, relatively little research has been done by enterprises on the way that Gen Z interacts with technology, whether in the workplace or as consumers. Generalizations abound about Gen Z's preferences to constantly communicate, shop and interact via all digital mediums.

In order to tap into this generation -- and its significance to the technology industry as a consumer of both personal and enterprise technology -- business leaders need to better understand the members of this generation and how to give them the technology experience they demand.

I work with retailers and grocers, all of whom are challenged with appealing to Gen Z, both as consumers and as work staff; however, this new generation holds the same weight of importance as millennials when it comes to shaping technology and how its implications impact every industry.

Millennial Influence On Technology

The influence millennials had on technology development is undeniable and well-studied. Pew Research notes that "More than 9 in 10 Millennials (92%) own smartphones compared with 85% of Gen Xers (those who turn ages 38 to 53 this year) [and] 67% of Baby Boomers (ages 54 to 72)."

In the last 10 years of millennial influence, enterprises and personal users alike adopted social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. Additionally, workplaces adopted cloud technology to rely more heavily on collaboration and data.

Gen Z Enters The Workplace

While Millennials grew up during the rise of technology, Gen Zers were raised as technology fluent. They are digital natives, having “[grown] up with the internet, gaming and gadgets,” according to a 2018 ZDNet article.

My company recently explored the technology demands of Gen Z consumers to better understand their impact on the retail industry specifically. Like many generations before them, the research indicated that almost half (44%) of Gen Zers are kicking off their careers with jobs in retail and grocery stores.

Where Gen Zers differ in these entry roles is in their working style. Sixty-five percent of respondents said that “antiquated processes in task management and reporting,” like complicated spreadsheet reports, are detrimental to their work. Two-thirds responded that reports they’re given in entry retail roles are “too long and time-consuming.” An additional 30% felt reports were too complicated to understand and irrelevant to their jobs.

Other insights show that Gen Zers are more likely to work on their own and are more competitive than their millennial predecessors. Gen Zers want to manage their own projects to best highlight their talents. Furthermore, they are skipping higher education more than millennials and entering straight into the workforce. All these preferences influence the technology that employers should adopt to best suit these new employees.

The workplace of the future will be greatly informed by employee preferences like this. Company leaders should invest in technology that caters to the Gen Z employee, like smart artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that streamline processes or communication tools that make collaboration more seamless.

Gen Zers As Technology Consumers

Further research we conducted shows that Gen Zers are informed shoppers who are unafraid to share their opinions online. Our survey indicated that up to 64% of Gen Zers leave online reviews about their customer experiences, whether positive or negative. Tech providers need to be proactive about using this feedback to make improvements or potentially risk losing business.

A great way to harness reviews is with a prescriptive analytics solution. The best ones can perform sentiment analysis, which combs through textual data like reviews and comments to isolate buzzwords indicating key themes for retail (e.g., “customer satisfaction” or “quality”). After assessing positive or negative intent, the solution translates the reviews and feedback into ratings on various key performance indicators (KPIs) that point to areas for improvement.

In addition to prescriptive analytics, consumer technology in the workplace will be huge for Gen Zers. Knowing this, many retailers provide their Gen Z workers with smartphones and tablets (such as Zebra devices) with workplace applications that are aesthetically pleasing and, most importantly, easy to use as they require no additional training. These help make their jobs simpler and open up time in their days for creative thinking and problem-solving. Indeed, 43% of Generation Z learners prefer a fully self-directed and autonomous approach to learning, so any technology that promotes that will be well-received.

Paving The Way For Gen Z In Tech

So what do these insights mean for entrepreneurs and business leaders? Gen Z is a population of critical importance to the future development of enterprise technology, both as consumers and as workplace employees. Not only will they set the tastes for the next 10 years until Gen Alpha (those born after 2010) enter into the picture, but they are also entering into the workforce and will change the way businesses operate.

The best way to win them over is by making smart investments in technology -- whether that includes making investments in AI technology to streamline workplace demands or investing in research and innovation will help win the loyalty of this coveted generation.

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