fricktal
“You’re on the move fast”: This is how trade and crafts can make themselves attractive for “Generation Z”.
The regional trade deals with “Generation Z”. Young people are quick to move, want their worries to be taken care of and place great value on work-life balance – for companies this also means redesigning the world of work.
Self-realization, flexibility and a good work-life balance play a major role for the younger generation – employers have to adapt to this.
“Generation Z” is defined as people born between 1995 and 2010, who have only been in the workforce for a few years or who are yet to enter the workforce. In view of the shortage of skilled workers and almost vacant training positions, “Generation Z” is an important source for recruiting new employees for trade and industry.
The trade association in the Frick-Laufenburg region focused on “Generation Z” as part of the “Teachers meet business” series of events. The Fricker municipal councilor Susanne Gmünder Bamert, association president Franziska Bircher and Urs Widmer, managing director of the Aargau trade association, welcomed teachers and tradespeople from the Upper Fricktal in the auditorium of the Ebnet school complex to the presentation by Stefanie Hafner from the market research company Neovisio AG.
How the young generation ticks
Around 1.22 million young people living in Switzerland belong to “Generation Z”. After completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in occupational psychology, Hafner knows what makes the younger generation tick and what demands they place on the world of work.
Stefanie Hafner from the market research company Neovisio AG.
She titled her lecture “Generation Z – new generation, new world of work?”. She named the closing of the gap between the generations as the mission of Neovision AG. In order to get close to «Generation Z», their information behavior must be taken into account. Hafner explained that 92 percent of young people get their information from social media, while television at 50 percent, radio at 37 percent and newspapers at 25 percent only play a minor role.
Information is consumed more through videos and images than through reading and listening. The most important communication channels are the apps Snapchat, Instagram and Tiktok as well as the video platform YouTube as an information platform. Instead of a career, self-realization, flexibility and a good work-life balance play a greater role for the young people.
Several hours on the smartphone – every day
60 percent of “Generation Z” spend three or more hours a day on their smartphone, 10 to 15 percent even more than five hours. “They’re going fast,” said Hafner. The attention span for videos is just 1.5 seconds, and five clicks on the Internet is already too much.
Hafner therefore advises employers to present job offers via short videos rather than long advertisements. A greater response is also achieved if, instead of a letter of application with a CV and a letter of motivation, the applicants can submit videos or photos and the employer then contacts them if they are interested in order to obtain more information.
“Attractive vocational training is characterized by recognition, approachable leadership, flexibility and a promising future,” says Hafner. This means that employers must also adapt to their needs when dealing with young employees.
Above all, flat hierarchies and quick feedback are desired. Superiors must not be commanders, but should be motivating coaches. Trust plays a major role, and “Generation Z” wants to be understood with their concerns. «See that you can communicate with them effectively. «Instantly», flexible and multimedia», concluded Hafner.
