Each new generation entering the workforce tends to puzzle management, and members of Generation Z are no exception.
Here are 15 things healthcare leaders should know about Gen Z:
1. Gen Z includes those born between 1997 and 2012, making the oldest Gen Zers 27 years old.
2. They are often focused on work-life balance, Sarah Sherer, chief human resources officer of Columbus, Ohio-based Wexner Medical Center, previously told Becker's.
3. They are also flexible and expect change, said Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System CEO David Verinder. Other generations can learn from their technology skills and ability to find answers quickly, he said.
4. For Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care, it has been easiest to retain Gen Z employees in nursing roles.
5. For Boston Children's Hospital, corporate shared service functions like marketing and IT have a high retention of Gen Z workers.
6. "Wise feedback" works best for Gen Z, rather than something like a "compliment sandwich," according to David Yeager, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.
7. Many Gen Z members are embracing full-time work culture. In their first seven years in the workforce, Gen Z workers are staying at their organizations 18% longer than millennials did.
8. They prioritize company culture and a sense of belonging at work.
9. Remote work and a four-day workweek are also important to the younger workers, one study found.
10. Gen Z workers want to build a career path early, Heather Harris-Keliiheleua, assistant vice president of talent strategy at Orlando (Fla.) Health, told Becker's.
11. When choosing an employer, 75% of Gen Zers prioritize access to mental health resources, according to a McKinsey newsletter.
12. Gen Z employees typically have opportunities for development given their comfort level with traditional face-to-face communication and with the interpersonal facet of direct patient care, Carolyn Isabelle, vice president of talent and career development at Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth Health, told Becker's.
13. For MU HealthCare, it has been difficult to retain Gen Z workers in mental health technician roles, as well as nurse assistants and environmental services, or housekeeping roles.
14. Some younger nurses at Boston Children's have found it difficult to work with very ill children. Retention of Gen Z workers has also been difficult in entry-level roles focused on behavioral health patients.
15. Hybrid work, student loan debt repayment programs and career pathways have been effective in retaining Gen Z employees at some systems.