3 Tips to Help Generation Z Employees Feeling Disconnected – Making Your Employees Feel Connected, Empowered & Motivated

Almost half of the young adults across the world experienced mental decline between 2020 and 2021. Unfortunately, many young American workers are burdened by multiple social and financial crises, including student loans averaging $59,000, unaffordable housing, a lingering pandemic, and runaway inflation that may turn into a recession. It is too much to bear for some of America’s young workers, leaving many Generation Z employees feeling disconnected.

Are your Generation Z employees feeling disconnected? Their productivity (and your business) may suffer because of it, and it is crucial to offer help where possible.

3 Solutions to Help Ease Your Gen-Z Employees’ Burden

Fortunately, you can help make your employees feel connected, empowered, and motivated by doing the following:

1. Facilitating Good Mental Health

Life seems gloomy for many Gen-Z employees. A recent survey published by Fortune reveals that more than half of Gen-Z employees feel stressed most or all of the time. Another report posted on LinkedIn reveals that 66% of Gen-Z employees prefer a workplace that prioritizes mental health.

Ideally, most people think of therapy and counseling when speaking of mental health. Notably, a recent study by Wellable Labs reveals that about 90% of employers are investing more resources in mental wellness programs.

However, mental health and wellness programs should go beyond counseling and therapy. Ideally, they should help address the root causes of stress and mental health decline among Gen-Z employees. Helpful solutions include:

• Offering competitive pay rates to help ease employees’ financial struggles.
• Offering extended family leave and paid time off policies to help employees balance their professional, social, and personal lives.
• Offering family-oriented benefits, such as childcare and elder care subsidies.

These benefits would help ease your Gen-Z employees’ financial and social problems. Ideally, your employees’ mental health will improve when they have fewer problems to worry about.

2. Coaching Young Talent

A recent study by Oracle found that at least 75% of employees in all age groups feel stuck personally and professionally. Feeling stuck in a dead-end job is one of the most frustrating professional challenges for Gen-Z employees with bright ambitions and their whole lives ahead of them. Unsurprisingly, it is one of the reasons behind the ongoing mass resignation.

Everyone wants to believe that the future holds something better, and working hard is the best way to achieve a bright future. Employers are uniquely positioned to further their Gen-Z employees’ career growth by offering coaching programs.

Peer coaching is a simple and practical employee coaching program. It involves getting two or more colleagues to share their experiences and ideas, essentially helping each other grow. Unfortunately, a recent survey found that about 46% of employees find making friends at the workplace difficult. Career coaching could also be as simple as offering disoriented Gen-Z employees career assessment tests to help them identify the best career path. Bringing in external career coaches and mentors also helps.

3. Encouraging & Supporting Social Interactions

Isolation, seclusion, and a general lack of social interaction are some of the leading causes of the ongoing mental decline among young adults. Unfortunately, the lockdowns and remote work policies necessitated by the pandemic did not help. However, employers can help by promoting social interaction among employees in the workplace. Notably, giving employees flexible (hybrid) work plans can also help them balance their social and professional lives.

You get only one chance to make a first impression, and that chance is the employee onboarding process. Ideally, the onboarding process should be community-based, giving your new Gen-Z employees an opportunity to know their colleagues and possibly make friends.

For Everyone’s Benefit

Your business’s performance largely depends on your employees’ productivity. Disconnected employees are unproductive, and your business will lose some of its momentum for growth as a result. Helping your disconnected Gen-Z employees feel connected and empowered will benefit everyone.