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By Ambrish Sinha

If Monopoly, Swami & Friends, and Tinkle shaped the childhood of millennials, its subsequent generation witnessed something completely different. Molded by the smartphone and its allied screen variants, the Generation Z (or Gen Z), evolved to be the first digital-native generation.  

Born between 1995 and 2006, Gen Zs also grew up amidst some devastating worldly events including a contagious pandemic. This makes them strikingly different from millennials and their predecessors in terms of approach to life, thought process, priorities, and aspirations.  

And this entire new wave of young population is now making its way into the workforce. Deloitte’s 2025 Gen Z & Millennials Survey reveals that this generation will make up 74 per cent of the global workforce in the next 5 years.  

As fresh minds enter the work stream, it’s time for us as leaders to unlearn and relearn strategies to manage a new breed of workforce. After understanding the criticality of data-driven decision-making, it’s now on us to future gaze at a leadership imperative that is humane and rooted.  

So, how does one go about managing the Gen Z workforce? Let’s begin by understanding who they are and who they aren’t.  

Myth Busting Gen Z Stereotypes 

Myth: Gen Zs are lazy, and they lack a healthy work ethic.  

Reality: They are highly motivated and are willing to make a tangible impact. They differ in their approach to work and getting things done.  

Myth: Gen Zs lack loyalty and are often job-hoppers 

Reality: They desire and respect growth, learning opportunities, fair pay, and work culture that aligns with their values. They will stick to workplaces that pass their vibe check.  

Myth: Gen Zs only care about money.  

Reality: More on this later.  

Gen Zs are swarmed with such stereotypes stemming from a superficial understanding of who they are.  

So, let’s recalibrate some of our leadership strategies, shall we? 

People-first & Not Policy-first Leadership 

CXOs today face a multitude of challenges. If there’s an incoming wave of Gen Z workforce on one side, there’s also other dichotomic generations at work, remote professionals, hybrid models and more. Navigating all this requires a systematic reset with new policies rooted in empathy.  

When it comes to work culture, Gen Zs prioritize three foundational aspects: 

• Purpose 

• Flexibility 

• And continuous feedback and growth 

Besides, the happiness equation changes between millennials and Gen Zs, where: 

Happiness = MONEY+ Meaning+ Wellbeing for millennials 

Happiness= Money + MEANING + Wellbeing for Gen Zs 

So, to bring out the best from the next-generation workforce, our policies should: 

• Integrate and implement a clear purpose and value-driven work ethics 

• Be authentic as Gen Zs can quickly detect pretention 

• Emphasis flexibility, where autonomy eclipses rigid work structures and hierarchies 

• Feature consistent reviews, feedback and learning opportunities, indicating the need for strong coaching and mentorship culture 

• Supporting nonlinear, skill-based careers through internal gigs, rotational stints, shadowing, and project credentials. 

Strategic Agility: Building Resilient Leadership That Can Pivot in Fast-Changing Environments 

Logically, Gen Zs have been the only generation to have first-hand witnessed the dramatic shifts in technologies. Phones, social media options, internet penetration have been super-rapid, allowing them to quickly adapt to evolving technologies. This has made them innately agile, and they expect agility in workplaces as well.  

What we call the VUCA world in leadership language has been part of their life. So, they expect the leadership to not just react to an advancement but proactively forecast and if possible, adapt or mitigate.  

This compels us to equally develop new-age skills to: 

• Anticipate, adapt, and accelerate 

• Empower teams across the organization to imbibe a similar culture 

• Foster inclusive dialogue, embrace dissent, and encourage fearless experimentation 

• Shift from top-down instructing to collaborative coaching – offer guidance, not just goals. 

• And tap into their innate capabilities to thrive in a forever-evolving work landscape.  

Business Growth & Social Responsibility 

Gen Zs prefer sustainability and responsibility both as professionals and consumers. A report from Kadence reveals that 73 per cent of the Gen Zs are willing to pay extra for sustainable products.  

They push businesses and leaders to let the pursuit of profit take a backseat and become genuinely committed to social responsibility. This has made ESG – Environmental, Social, and Governance mandates to evolve into strategic drivers and enablers of business operations.  

For us, this translates to: 

• Bringing about clear, actionable changes in work ethics 

• Emphasizing diversity and inclusion in workforces 

• Fairness in attracting, retaining, and compensating talent 

• Institutionalizing fast, fair feedback, peer recognition, and real-time coaching 

• Becoming more transparent in reporting ESG performance and welfare initiatives 

Contrary to most opinions and stereotypes, in all honesty, Gen Zs are a refreshing change in the business ecosystem. Their vision is hopeful, clarity is envious, and enthusiasm is contagious. It all boils down to how we foster an enriching environment of co-creation for them to function and perform for all of us to grow together.  

With strong entrepreneurial spirit and access to the best of knowledge, their skills and ideologies can be leveraged to future-proof our businesses.  

All we need to do is simply start talking to them a lot more.  

(The author is the CEO, UNext Learning)

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