According to the New York Times, Gen Zs — or the “TikTok” generation — delegate to their bosses, work at a pace they want, and set their own schedule. Not to mention the cliché that “Generation Z employees are notoriously vocal about wanting better working conditions than previous generations. They demand higher pay and more flexibility.”
Of course, every generation wants a better work-life balance. But this shows that Gen Zs are much louder in their demands. With the power of social media, younger generations are calling the shots and this is especially true as we see the number of vacancies in the UK and US rising.
Faced with this candidate market, Gen Zs are demanding more — more annual vacations, bigger paychecks, the flexibility to work from anywhere, and more environmental and social responsibility.
While these were “nice-to-haves” for many millennials, Gen Z expects them more as a transitional right from employers.
With Gen Zs set to make up 27% of the workforce by 2025, companies – including those in the customer service industry – need to consider the demands of younger generations. This is especially true when it comes to talent acquisition. Attrition is a trend that has been affecting the customer service industry for years, so a flexible approach will be key to finding the future generation of leaders.
Open doors with the gig economy
Employment opportunities for young people have never been greater. While industries like hospitality have traditionally welcomed everyone, these don’t offer much career growth or flexibility.
Enter the gig economy. The gig economy offers everyone – from all walks of life – the opportunity to fill a variety of roles. Young professionals can pursue “side hustles” while pursuing their long-term goals, while students can take on odd jobs alongside their academic goals.
For young workers with solid career aspirations and for those who don’t know where they want to go professionally – whatever it may be – the gig economy opens up new avenues for young people. This means, of course, that the modern career path takes on a very different shape than it did in previous decades. Young workers have more options, which in turn makes them more selective when it comes to their careers.
The role GigCX must play
Gig Customer Service – also known as GigCX – is already setting the pace in this area. Our recent survey found that 41% of Gig customer service professionals were between the ages of 18 and 29, meaning young workers are already seeing the value of Gig work. Additionally, 91% said they started participating in GigCX because of the flexibility it offers.
Many who entered the labor market either during or after the pandemic have never experienced a traditional work schedule. The trend towards flexible working is ubiquitous and is being driven in part by younger professionals. Is it a short-term hiatus meant to return to normal, or are we seeing the death of the traditional schedule? With advances in technology and communication habits, it feels like a permanent change.
When you combine the new flexible working conditions with the current surplus of jobs, it is clear that a flexible working model could set your company apart from less flexible alternatives if you want to attract top talent to your customer service teams. Regardless of whether organizations embrace GigCX or not, the offer of more flexibility should be available and serve as a hiring incentive and job benefit.
The same goes for the way GigCX uses online channels to communicate. One study found that 75% of Gen Zers and Millennials would prefer to communicate via email or social media. For the customer service industry GigCX offers an alternative way of working that is better suited to meet the desires and profiles of this generation.
The future workforce
The bottom line is that today’s youngest workers want it all. Work-life balance, fair pay and value orientation – and are willing to walk away if they don’t get it. But that’s not a bad thing. Many believe that the youngest members of the workforce have the potential to really transform the workplace.
Plus, many industries are already responding, with GigCX setting the pace. While we can learn a lot from GigCX and Gen Zs, the reality is that the future of the workforce — and the future of customer service — will be more flexible than ever.
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