Integrate relationship-building, upskilling, and flexibility into your welcome when bringing on new Gen Z employees.

How warm is your workplace welcome?

Great Place To Work research has identified “hiring & welcoming” as a key leadership behavior critical to a successful employee retention strategy. While onboarding is not the only factor, it can set the tone for an employee’s entire tenure with your organization.

This is especially true for Gen Z, a generation that’s both anxious from uncertainty and hopeful for the future.

Employers hiring those born between 1997 and 2012 need to be aware of the unique experiences and expectations of Gen Z in the workplace — and how those factors impact their onboarding experience.

3 ways Gen Z’s upbringing influences the workplace

“Every generation has a unique backdrop of society that it grows up in,” says Dr. Meghan Grace, co-lead of the Institute of Generational Research and Education and a senior consultant with Plaid LLC, an organizational development firm that focuses on learning experiences.

In Gen Z’s case, she says, three factors stand out as defining characteristics: technological advancement, global connection, and high-stress uncertainty.

1. Gen Z has experienced rapid technological change

“When we look at what was going on with Gen Z in that time period, it’s rapid technological innovation, faster than any other period in time,” says Grace. “That is the only real way they’ve known how to connect with the world.”

As such, Gen Z is not just extremely skilled at learning new technology — they expect it.

For example, Gen Z is the generation most likely to have used AI in the workplace. But at the same time, they’re already more worried than other generations about being replaced by someone with better AI skills, according to a February 2024 study by D2L,

Dr. Grace says Gen Z isn’t necessarily afraid of tools like AI, but they are very aware of how new tech will change the way they work — and they want to learn it.

“It’s ‘Can I be nimble? Can I learn skills that are transferable to a variety of different spaces and different industries,’” she says. “It’s not just, ‘I’m gonna be a doctor — I might need to be a doctor who can also manage a TikTok account that educates people on health issues.’”

Gen Z may be incredibly tech-savvy, but they’re also worried about what they don’t yet know. As such, they’re seeking employers that will give them those opportunities for ongoing learning and career development.

2. Gen Z has developed high empathy

While all generations face changing technology, Gen Z’s experience of it has broadened their worldview from a very young, formative age.

It used to be that high school represented your entire social circle, explains Dr. Grace. But with social media, Gen Z has broadened their networks in an unprecedented way.

For example, maybe someone had a niche interest and were the only kid in their school to care about that. But online, they could find a community with peers from different backgrounds.

They’ve also watched world events — from wildfires in Australia to the conflict in Gaza — unfold in real time, narrated through social media by young people just like them.

“Something that’s unique is that they can understand the human experience around the globe much more than previous generations can and feel that empathy,” says Dr. Grace. “They are more aware of what’s going on in the world geopolitically than previous generations.”

As such, Gen Z is seeking workplaces that align with their expanded worldviews and offer them the chance to make a difference.

“Gen Z more aware of what’s going on in the world geopolitically than previous generations.”

“They’re hopeful for the opportunity to take on jobs that have meaning, that create impact for other people,” says Dr. Grace. “Gen Z is channeling their activism in their personal lives and want to work for companies with social alignment.”

3. Gen Z has faced global uncertainty

Older Gen Zs were early adolescents when the 2008 U.S. recession hit — meaning at the time when they were dreaming about what they wanted to be when they grew up, they were also overhearing adults worry about layoffs and unemployment.

Then, while the oldest Gen Zs were in college or graduating into the working world, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Classes and office jobs shifted online, forcing them to miss out on important social development. Many Gen Zs worked frontline jobs in retail or hospitality, where they faced furloughs and safety concerns.

Dr. Grace says this backdrop has left Gen Z with a lot of anxiety — but also a willingness to be nimble out of necessity.

Take our hypothetical medical student, who sees science as a stable career path, but is open to biomedicine and integrating AI or new technology into their work. Dr. Grace says they may then also broadcast their journey through medical school on social media for monetization.

“They are truly financially concerned, stability concerned,” says Dr. Grace. “And so, they’re utilizing everything in their toolbox to make sure they’re not going to be hit with financial uncertainty. They have the ultimate ‘Let’s prepare for the next rainy day’ mindset.”  

While Gen Z has a reputation for job-hopping, it’s not because of short attention spans or disinterest. Rather, they’re switching jobs in search of financial security — higher pay, better benefits, and better growth opportunities.

“They have the ultimate ‘Let’s prepare for the next rainy day’ mindset.”

Employers that offer perks such as health insurance and retirement savings plans will appeal to this generation’s strong desire for stability.

5 tips for successfully onboarding Gen Z employees

Given Gen Z’s unique worldview and experiences, it may not come as a surprise that some of the things Gen Z wants most in an employer are:

• Relationship-building: The chance to connect with their colleagues as friends and mentors.
• Skills development: The opportunity to learn and practice new skills that will help them in their career goals.
• Workplace flexibility: The ability to shape their work life in a way that complements their personal life.

Here’s how to integrate these elements into your onboarding process:

1. Set up a buddy or mentor system

For Gen Z, the nuances of workplace interaction, such as communicating with multiple generations and working alongside new perspectives different from their peer group, was learned from behind a screen.

“I think that’s something they’re very cognizant of, that that’s a gap that they have,” says Dr. Grace.

She recommends pairing up Gen Z employees with a buddy who they meet with regularly. This could be just a friendly face who can answer questions they may be too scared to ask of their direct manager, or it could be a more formalized mentorship with someone who has similar career goals.

2. Offer a thorough training plan

Gen Zs are keen to learn. They are OK with acknowledging what they don’t know and will appreciate getting to try new things hands-on.

“They are sponges for skills,” says Dr. Grace. “They are seeking the ability to stack more things into their toolbox because they don’t know what skill they’re going to need down the road.”

Rather than relying solely on an all-in-one training session, consider bite-sized training and refresher opportunities. This kind of training aligns with the fast-based content delivery that Gen Z has become accustomed to online.

For example, if an employee is working on a new task for the first time, you could set up a 10-minute chat over coffee to walk them through it or send them a Loom video that guides them through it step-by-step.

3. Show what success looks like

Gen Z has grown up with a lot of uncertainty — which is why they want clarity in a new job. That includes knowing what’s expected of them today in the role, as well as what their path to success looks like.

When do reviews happen? Is there a checklist they can follow to achieve a raise or promotion? Setting transparent milestones early on will help to ease Gen Z’s concerns about stability and success.

“I can’t stress enough how much transparent leadership matters to this generation, and they want transparent leadership pre-hiring through onboarding,” says Dr. Grace.

4. Promote purpose

Great Place To Work research has shown that purpose in the workplace is one of the key factors that determines whether an employee will stay or quit.

Employers can win over and retain Gen Z employees with a meaningful company mission. In fact, Gen Zs are three times more likely to remain with an organization if they perceive their work to have “special meaning,” underscoring the significance of genuine commitment over mere lip service.

“Something that should actually start in hiring is talking about how their role and the work that they will do will have a bigger impact,” says Dr. Grace. “Why do we exist and why does this specific role play a part in what we achieve?”

Gen Zs are three times more likely to remain with an organization if they perceive their work to have “special meaning.”

5. Embrace flexibility

Great Place To Work’s research on employee retention strategies has found that employees are three times more likely to stay with an employer when they can choose between remote, hybrid, or onsite work.

While all generations are seeking flexibility these days, “this is a generation that has said it at a much earlier age,” says Dr. Grace. “They’re identifying that work is not their entire identity like previous generations have.”

Good onboarding is a business imperative

Proper onboarding isn’t just a nice to have — it’s essential for an engaged workforce.

“New hires are some of the most expensive to replace because you’re oftentimes replacing many of them multiple times a year,” says Dr. Grace. “The approach to onboarding needs to be incredibly holistic because when employees have barriers — even slight barriers or slight frustrations — those are the things they remember.”

Access our report, Unlocking the Secrets of Employee Retention, to find out how you can predict and prevent turnover in your workplace, including a special section on keeping Gen Z happy at your company.

Learn how you can use our employee engagement survey and data analysis platform to extract data on your employees workplace perception.

Claire Hastwell

As the Content Program Manager at Great Place To Work, Claire helps decode the psychology behind high-trust workplaces using Great Place To Work’s extensive data repository on employee experience. Claire has co-authored noted reports such as “Women in the Workplace” and “The Power of Purpose at Work,” and contributed to Fortune with her profiles of the Best Workplaces™. Her latest report on employee retention strategies draws on the experience of 1.3 million employees to give leaders strategic guidance on retaining their top people. 

by MICHAEL C. BUSH

Every employee should take these behaviors to heart whether or not they are people leaders.  

I often get asked what it takes to create a great workplace. The short answer: trust.

High-trust cultures help employees thrive, which fuels company performance in all areas — from referrals and retention to productivity and revenue. 

It’s impossible to create a great workplace for all employees without trust. That’s what our 30 years of research about company culture has told us. And that’s why our survey that measures employee experience is called the Trust Index™.

Trust is woven into our daily interactions at work, just as it is outside of work among family and friends. It’s built on many moments — moments that our research has broken down into nine behaviors that can build or break trust. It’s a list I keep on my desk and check every day check-in on how I’m doing as a leader.

Every leader should work on and improve these behaviors; if you’re not a people leader, you might be thinking, “What does this have to do with me?”

Leaders affect 70% of the employee experience, but the other 30% comes from our teammates, how we work with others, and the actual work that we’re doing. It takes everyone in an organization to create a great workplace for all.  

Here’s where to begin: 

1. Listening

This is the most important behavior of all and what I focus on the most. If you’re not a great listener, you can’t model the other behaviors well.  

Listening is not just making sure you’ve accurately heard the words coming out of someone’s mouth. It’s also not just waiting for someone to stop talking so you can speak. It is choosing to empty your mind and set aside your opinions while someone else is talking.

True listening requires humility, vulnerability, and empathy.  

You may have a lot of opinions, but to be a for-all, inclusive leader, you must put those opinions aside. If you’re having a conversation and you’re not willing to consider other points of view, what’s the point of having the conversation at all? Letting go of your assumptions can be described as a meditative mindset, and that’s what makes a great listener.

How do you know you’re doing it right? You’ll find yourself asking questions because you’re learning something from the person you’re talking to. People will tell you that you’re a great listener because it’s rare to have a conversation with someone who’s deeply listening.  

Listening might sound reactive, but it should be proactive. Make yourself available and seek out chances to listen.

Think about who you haven’t heard from lately — and then go ask them questions with a learning mindset. Schedule informal meetings like brown-bag lunches and Q&A sessions. Use surveys and focus groups to regularly elicit employee opinions — and follow up with feedback and action.  

“Listening is not just making sure you’ve accurately heard the words coming out of someone’s mouth. It’s also not just waiting for someone to stop talking so you can speak. It is choosing to empty your mind and set aside your opinions while someone else is talking.”

2. Speaking

This is what we do all day. But there are many layers to what might seem like a straight-forward behavior. 

Speaking is about clarity, frequency, transparency, and sharing information fully in a variety of ways. That includes regularly sharing company news with employees through all your channels — video, intranet, email, print, etc. Be sure to share that news (both the facts and feelings around it) internally before you do externally.

It’s not just about what you share, but who you share it with. Be mindful of those who haven’t heard a message and need to know what information is being shared.  

Speaking is more than what you say and who you say it to, it is how you share information. Communicate thoughtfully and with care, and in easy-to-understand styles. Set up regular meetings to discuss what’s happening and personally share news to encourage a culture of transparency as much as possible.

Lastly, speaking is an opportunity to communicate how a person’s job — and how doing their job well — is essential for your organization to achieve its purpose. 

Consider your receptionist, for example — a role that is often overlooked. Whenever you speak with them, reiterate, emphasize, and clarify how important their job is. When someone walks in a building or contacts a receptionist on the phone, that’s a connection to the brand. In a few seconds, a caller or visitor either feels cared for, important, and listened to, or they don’t.

Speaking is the ability to talk to every warehouse worker, every receptionist, every salesperson, every executive, every teammate in a way that they feel that doing their job is important for the organization to achieve its purpose. And if you’re not sure what someone does, this is your opportunity to build trust by getting to know them.

“Speaking is more than what you say and who you say it to, it is how you share information.”

3. Thanking

If you’re listening to people in the way that I described earlier, you’ll learn things about them. That helps you thank your colleagues in ways that are personally meaningful. Acts of gratitude let people know you’re listening in a way that shows they’re important and essential.

Create a culture of appreciation by recognizing good work and extra effort frequently.

Opportunities to do this are endless: Encourage peer recognition, present employee awards, write personal notes, appreciate mistakes as learning opportunities, and recognize employees who demonstrate company values in person and in front of others.

Creating a culture of thanking will positively affect people’s sense of value and willingness to do their best work because they feel seen.

4. Developing

Listening and speaking helps you learn how someone can further develop personally and professionally.

It’s your job to help employees grow as people, not just performers. Nurture their talents and interests through courses (job- and non-job-related), tuition reimbursement, and personalized development plans and training, for example. Connect employees with mentors and inform them of internal job postings.

Try and give feedback in a way that’s measurable, so they know they’re improving, and with a sense of care, so they’re open to what you have to say. 

When people know you care — even if they don’t always like hearing where they need to improve — they’ll take it as a gift. Everybody wants to get better. Yes, they know it leads to more money, more compensation, and more responsibility in the company. But, at a base level, they want to know they’re making a difference.  

“It’s your job to help employees grow as people, not just performers.”

5. Caring

This is the secret weapon. Great work happens when people care. And people care about their work when they experience being cared for. That shows up when you take time to understand and listen to people’s experiences, inside and outside of work.  

Support their personal lives by discussing options for flextime and personal leave policies. Help them cope with family and personal crises as they arise, and organize support through sick leave or monetary donations. Encourage work-life balance and remind them to take time off to recharge.  

Do you know what makes an employee check an algorithm two or three times, or proofread an email six or seven times? It’s because they care about the purpose of the organization, they care for others, and they feel cared for.

Caring is what unlocks people, and it is key to maximizing a human’s potential.  

“Great work happens when people care. And people care about their work when they experience being cared for.”

6. Sharing

Distributing profits, compensation, bonuses, and incentive plans fairly creates an equitable workplace. If you’re building trust for all, every employee needs to share in the company’s success and understanding how their performance relates to compensation.

Equitable and inclusive sharing also shows up in philanthropic activities. If you’re organizing community activities like a cleanup at a local school, or picking up plastic off a beach or park, make sure that everybody has the opportunity to participate.

If you’re doing those things between eight to five, what about the night shift worker? Make sure you’re truly inclusive in terms of sharing opportunities for people, as well as the resources of the organization.  

Equity does not equal sameness. A picnic for the day shift doesn’t also have to be a picnic for the night shift. What is the purpose of the picnic? To bring people together, to show them their value, and create opportunities for them to interact in informal ways with their leaders.

So how can you create this same experience for this night shift without recreating the same event?

7. Celebrating

The most important things to celebrate are the values of the organization and how people help the organization achieve its purpose.  

It’s important to be specific:

“We want to thank John for the work he did in helping a customer through a sticky problem. We wanted John to do that in seven minutes, but John took 20 minutes because the customer needed it at that time. At our company, we’re willing to do whatever is required to make the customer’s problem our problem, and we’re willing to do what’s required to solve it. I also know that John was late for getting to a soccer practice for his kid. I hope John doesn’t have to do that again, but I want to appreciate the fact that he did that for us.”

If you find yourself celebrating, recognizing, and rewarding the same person, communicate to everyone what it takes to be celebrated and recognized so they don’t feel there’s bias or favoritism. They’ll know if they work hard in some measurable way, they too will get celebrated, recognized, and rewarded one day.

“The most important things to celebrate are the values of the organization and how people help the organization achieve its purpose.”  

8. Inspiring

You don’t have to be a great public speaker to inspire people. You can inspire people with the questions you ask and the way you listen.

You can inspire them by reaffirming the difference your organization makes in the world and why the work is important. Help your workforce understand how their work relates to the company’s higher purpose and business success.

You can do this by telling customer or client stories, sharing the vision of where the company is headed, pointing out behaviors that exemplify company values, reinforcing company values, stressing your company’s contribution to your industry or society, and showing links between employee efforts and achieving your goals.

“You don’t have to be a great public speaker to inspire people. You can inspire people with the questions you ask and the way you listen.”

9. Hiring and welcoming

When someone joins your organization, you should make sure that they know you were expecting them — and that you couldn’t wait for them to get here.

You need to make sure that they have a workplace, can access the systems they need to connect with their work and their colleagues, and have the equipment to be successful. Their laptop is ready, their uniform is ready, their steel-toed boots are ready, their safety goggles are ready.

This goes beyond hiring; it’s what we call welcoming. You can email or send new hires a note in the mail before they start, announce them to other employees in advance, take them to lunch their first week, and help them get integrated into your culture.

When a person joins an organization that has shown that they’ve been thinking about them for a few weeks before they started, they will go home and say, “It was a great experience today. They expected me, my name badge was ready. Everybody was kind, and they seemed to know who I was and what I was going to do.” These actions build trust on their first day.

If someone gets to work and those things aren’t true, trust dips a bit. Self-confidence drops. They wonder if you really want them there, or if they’re an afterthought.

And the worst case — they feel like they’re just an employee and not a person who’s important, because if they were important, they would’ve had a much different experience when they arrived. 

Whether or not you manage people at work, I encourage you to put this wheel of nine high-trust behaviors in a place where you will see it every day.

Trust takes work and conscious effort. And it’s required to create a great place to work for all.

Become great

Ready to learn more about your employee experience? Benchmark your organization using Certification™ and see how you stack against the very best.

Michael C. Bush

Michael Bush is CEO of Great Place to Work®. Driven by a love of business and an unwavering commitment to fair and equitable treatment, Michael joined Great Place to Work as CEO in 2015, bringing 30 years of experience leading and growing organizations. Previously, he was CEO of Tetra Tech Communications, a billion-dollar global telecommunications infrastructure firm and was a member of President Obama’s White House Business Council. He earned his M.S. in Management from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

by Great Place To Work® UK

Why employee stories should be part of your employer branding strategy plus real company examples for sharing them with maximum impact.

What was your company’s latest social media post? Was it about your product? Or was it about your people?

How often do you feature employee stories on your social media? (If you do it at all.)

As any marketer knows, social media is one of the most important tools in their kit, providing instant reach to an audience in real time. And yet, while millions of businesses have social media accounts, two critical factors are too often overlooked:

1. Social media is social, meaning it’s meant to be a two-way conversation, not a broadcast
2. Marketing your people and values is just as important as marketing your goods and services

Why you should feature employee stories on social media

Sharing employee stories on social media shows potential job candidates what they can expect from your company culture. It’s also cost-effective and possible with a dispersed team.

More consumers want their money going to companies they feel align with their values. In fact, a 2021 study by Toluna/Harris Interactive and KuRunData found that:

• 79% of consumers prefer buying from brands with aligned values
• 68% have stopped supporting brands that don’t align with their personal values

That alignment also applies to employees, who are increasingly seeking out workplaces that fit their values. Which is why featuring employee stories on your social media is so important. Sharing employee stories on social media is a way to showcase your company culture and values and attract customers and potential hires alike.

But how do you share employee stories in a way that’s authentic and engaging?

Here are five ways to feature employee stories on social media that will work for remote and in-person workplaces, starring examples from Certified™ great workplaces around the globe.

How to share employee stories on social media

1. Employee social media take-overs

Hand your account(s) over to your employees and let them speak for themselves. That could be something like a “day in the life” on TikTok, an interactive Twitter chat, or an Instagram ‘Ask Me Anything.’

Of course, blindly giving the reins of your brand accounts may not fly with your PR and communications team. But if the employee and the marketing team collaborate on the message, you can come up with some creative and authentic employee stories. Best Workplace Version 1, for example, have shared “day in the life” videos of employees like Amardeep, which give a glimpse into what working there is like.

2. Participate in theme days for maximum reach

Global theme days (or even themed weeks or months) are a social media gold mine. Not only do they supply you with a focused content topic, but they enable you to take part in a worldwide conversation and reach more people.

Days like Employee Appreciation Day, Certification Nation Day or World Mental Health Day are perfect times to show off how your workplace is making the world better – especially when you can connect those themes directly to your employees’ stories.

For example, check out how Edrington UK honoured the women on its team for International Women’s Day, through a fun video highlighting why each woman had been nominated for recognition.

3. Think beyond the workplace

Great workplaces recognise that their employees have lives beyond the office. While it’s great (and encouraged!) to praise employees for their hard work, why not extend that and shout out some of the amazing things they’re doing outside of work?

Maybe you have an employee who volunteers with a charity, or who has a fascinating hobby, or a talent beyond their 9-to-5. Show off the personality of your people and in doing so, you’ll convey how your business puts its people first. Aer Studios, for example, welcomed a new employee to the team with a fun ‘two truths and a lie’ post.

4. Share your stats for transparency

If done right, numbers can be very eye-catching on social media. If done wrong, they’re just another boring statistic.

When it comes to social media, think visual: graphs or infographics that are easy to read at a quick glance. And be selective with which numbers you want to present.

Tap into the stats that truly set your company apart, whether that’s:

• how many women you have in leadership positions
• how your salaries compare to the competition
• how your employees answered your latest pulse survey.

For example, Health & Care Management Ltd used a graphic of one of their employee survey stats to show off how and why they achieved Great Place To Work Certification.

5. Jump on trends for playful posts

If you’re stuck for ideas, why not try taking a look at what’s trending? From TikTok audios to Instagram buzzwords, there’s plenty of ways to adapt current trends for your organisations’ socials – like Signable, part of Domo Group, who shared their ‘office icks’ in a fun video for Instagram

by Jessica Levco

From left, Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work; Julie Sweet, Accenture chair and CEO; Ellyn Shook, chief leadership and HR officer at Accenture; and Michael Phelps discuss the importance of mental health.

Attendees at the For All™ Summit learned the bottom line will only go up if you invest in improving the lives of your employees.

You can’t run your company through an Excel sheet.

“It takes commitment and courage,” said Julian Lute, senior strategic advisor at Great Place to Work®. “You want to create and nourish your community.”

On Oct. 13, speakers at the 18th annual Great Place to Work For All Summit showed how they nurture their employees. Here’s a look: 

• Great companies want them to be great for all. For two years in a row, DHL Express is No. 1 among the World’s Best Workplaces™ in 2022. Thomas Ogilvie, board member for human resources and labor director at Deutsche Post DHL Group, said, “Every individual on our team needs to ask themselves: ‘Is DHL a great company to work for me?’”
• Go beyond listening. Although listening to employees is important, you must act on that feedback. “If employees tell us they need something, we try to do it within a week,” said Brian Doubles, president and CEO at Synchrony. “Listening is one thing, but acting on it is another. Close the loop.”
• Make wellness for employees a priority. Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture, talked about why wellness matters more than ever. “If you want to succeed in a tight labor market, well-being has to be an important priority for your company,” she said.

Advice like this resonated with first-time conference attendee, Jessica Koch, internal communications and engagement specialist at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

“The best part has been the passionate, knowledgeable people I met,” Koch said. “I’ve interacted with so many professionals who are driven to lead extraordinary change at their organizations. I’ve heard from remarkable leaders who have proven records of innovation and inclusion. I’m excited to bring my notes back home to help my organization continue to be a great place to work.”

THREE WAYS TO FOCUS ON THE EMPLOYEE JOURNEY

We spend so much time thinking about the customer journey, but why not bring that same level of care and intentionality to the employee journey? That was the question Pat Wadors, chief people officer at UKG, encouraged attendees to think deeply about.

“We think so much about what we want employees to do — sign up for benefits, set up their direct deposit, get a computer — but we need to focus on how we want them to think and feel,” said Wadors. “Stitching together the experience from their first day to final day at the company matters.”

Want to bring that level of care to your organization? Here’s how:

• Encourage nudging. Let’s say you’ve got a long hiring process and a manager has been talking to a college student who is about to take final exams. They might be interviewing at other places, but you want your company to stay top-of-mind. By using a technology platform, Wadors can send a reminder to the manager to encourage them to wish the future employee well on their finals and send a gift certificate for food.
• Don’t be late. The biggest turn-off for future employees is if the interviewer shows up late for the interview, Wadors says. Through an app, Wadors can find out if the hiring person was late. If they’ve been late for more than two interviews, they no longer get to be part of the interviewing process.
• Keep an eye out on your managers. Did you know that your boss has a huge role in your heart health? “Crappy managers can affect employees,” Wadors said. “Build and hire great managers, and give them the courage and leadership tools to be great.”

HOW TO BE YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF

Michael Phelps is more than an Olympic athlete. He’s dedicated to making the world a better place and shared his formula of success with attendees at the closing keynote address: Dream. Plan. Reach.

Attendees learned that there was a Phelps we saw on TV — the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) who earned 28 Olympic medals, and an outstanding performer who defined what it meant to be a world class swimmer. But outside of the pool, he was a man who struggled with mental health issues including anxiety and depression.

In the fall of 2014, Phelps experienced the darkest time in his life and questioned whether he wanted to be alive. He decided he needed help and checked himself into a treatment center for 45 days. It was there he learned about himself: how to understand his emotions, communicate his feelings, and not to compartmentalize them.

He attributes the benefits of therapy to helping him understand who he is as a person and provide tools to help him manage his mental health, And in turn, it has made him a better version of himself as well as a stronger husband and father.

“For 20 years, I was carrying around 100 pounds of stuff,” Phelps said. “I had to figure out what self-care looked like and how to be my authentic self every single day.”

In 2008, he established the Michael Phelps Foundation, which works to promote water-safety, healthy living (physical and emotional wellness), and the pursuit of dreams.

During his transformation, Phelps stuck by these principles:

1. Don’t feel guilty about self-care.
2. Know who your special person is that you can talk to.
3. Ask for help, but if you get rejected — it’s OK. “They just might not be able to help you in that exact moment,” he says. “There are people that I go to that sometimes will tell me they are not able to hold space for me at that time, and that’s okay.” Keep asking and you’ll find someone who has the capacity to help.

Phelps was joined onstage by Accenture’s Sweet, and Ellyn Shook, chief leadership and human resources officer, to talk about the importance of mental health in the workplace.

Shook encouraged us to ask those around us: “How are you doing? Really?” And then listen to the answer.

In meetings, she says, “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, how are you?’ And then you jump right into your agenda, but you never really pause to see or hear how the person is really doing.”

Mental health is a top priority in managing the firm’s 700,000+ employees—from leaders to individual contributors to everyone in between.

“I think for all of us, just to understand that the person, whether they’re a high performer or not, on the other side of you, may be going through something profoundly difficult and you may never know,” Sweet said. “And it could be the least likely person in your mind. Ask those around you: “How are you doing? Really?” And then listen to the answer.”

 — Ellyn Shook, chief leadership and human resources officer, Accenture

Not only did Accenture listen and act on company data that showed mental support was needed, it’s become a prominent voice in normalizing mental health as a priority in the workplace.

Shook spends a lot of time thinking about how to infuse empathy into our day-to-day at work. 

“How do we help people think, ‘Oh, that person could be having a tough day. They might need help,’” she said.

Building on what Sweet said, Shook added: “It’s about the human connection and creating the conditions for care, kindness and connection. [That’s] really the place in the journey we are today.”

Shook described “a little experiment” she conducted ahead of a global management committee meeting. She spent two weeks writing personal letters to each member and had those letters waiting for them when they checked into their rooms. She shared the ways in which she admired them and their families. The response, she said, was “extraordinary.”

“What I think it showed each one of us is when you see someone as a human being first — not as an employee, not as one of Fortune’s most powerful women — but as an employee, a human being, that makes a big difference to people,” she said. “And that is how you can achieve what it is we’re trying to achieve one person at a time, even when there’s 721,000 of us.”

by Claire Hastwell, Great Place to Work® US

Gen Z may just be an emerging generation in the workforce, but employers in-the-know recognize it’s a demographic they need to appeal to now.

Lumping all “young people” into one category is unwise. It will hurt your hiring, your employee engagement and – as we’ve seen in the past two years – the way employees measure how their managers show up in a crisis.

Through our extensive research of the Best Workplaces™ in the U.S., we’ve been able to extrapolate the data to understand where Gen Z are now, and where they’re going.

Gathering over 32,000 Gen Z employee survey responses from more than 3,500 companies across the U.S., we’ve identified the workplaces that are getting it right when it comes to attracting and retaining Gen Z.

COMPANIES GEN Z WANTS TO WORK FOR

ALTAR’D STATE

Altar’d State is a women’s fashion brand, with 121 boutiques across the USA. Over a third of its employees are Gen Z, with 94% of them ranking it a great place to work.

Employees at Altar’d State feel a strong sense of purpose at work every day, in part thanks to their “Mission Mondays.” On Mondays, 10% of their net proceeds go to local charities in their communities.

In their Trust Index™ survey, many Gen Z employees at Altar’d State expressed how much meaning they felt at work (one of the key things Gen Z want from employers):

I always tell people that I don’t just work retail, because our giveback mission is what truly stands out. I’ve worked at other retailers prior to Altar’d State and I’ve never held the pride I do in sharing Altar’d States mission. Although we are a large company having the opportunity to create local relationships with other organizations is something that is truly unique. – Gen Z employee at Altar’d State.

TECHSTYLE FASHION GROUP

Global fashion retailer TechStyle uses data science for personalized, membership-based e-commerce. It’s also a company that 93% of its Gen Z employees say is a great place to work.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are more than just words on a mission statement at TechStyle. The company measures employees’ feelings of inclusion and belonging in their survey and the results are impressive.

Ninety-five of employees believe people are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation, and 92% say that people of all cultures and backgrounds are valued at the company. This is good news for any company wanting to recruit the next gen, since Gen Z is the most diverse employee group yet.

I think the inclusive culture of this company is unique to most, I feel that many companies preach this message, but don’t practice it. Fabletics does a great job of doing both. Also, my managers have done an incredible job of creating a team environment in the store where everyone is welcome and feels valued. This team is not just a group of employees, but rather a family. It’s unusual to find that in a retail store, and I have to credit that to our managers and team leads. – Gen Z employee at Fabletics, part of TechStyle Fashion Group.

WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC.

With a quarter of its survey respondents within Gen Z, supermarket chain Wegmans scores high — 93% of them say it’s a great place to work. Things like daily team huddles and employee appreciation budgets are just a few ways the company supports its staff.

Wegmans also offers an employee scholarship program, which continued even amidst the pandemic, with 1,842 new scholarship recipients in 2020. After college, some of their scholarship winners move into a new field, but many Wegmans grads pursue a career within the organization.

I’ve been given the opportunity to train in any department I showed interest in. I know that I will continue to be asked if I want to participate in more learning opportunities in the future. Management is stable but constantly changing due to how many people are given opportunities to train. We were consistently shown appreciation throughout the pandemic through coupons for free PPE, free meals, and extra flexibility with scheduling. – Gen Z employee at Wegmans.

WESLEY ENHANCED LIVING

Aging services company Wesley Enhanced Living prides itself on creating a sense of community and meaningful connections, and a sense camaraderie between employees and residents. It’s clearly succeeding, with 92% of its Gen Z employees ranking it as a great place to work.

Eighty-five of Gen Z employees feel their work has special meaning. In their survey, many Gen Z employees compliment the caring management as well as the social interaction with residents – three core drivers of happiness at work for Gen Z. 

You feel very welcomed by others. The managers are very understanding. This company makes it a great place to work compared to other places.– Gen Z employee at Wesley Enhanced Living.

MATHNASIUM – KV

Mathnasium is a math learning center dedicated to teaching children math in a way that makes sense to them and goes beyond traditional tutoring. Nearly 60% of its employees are Gen Z, with 90% of them saying it’s a great place to work.

Mathnasium stand out for their equitable treatment of people from diverse backgrounds, with 99% of employees believing people are treated fairly regardless of their race. Many employees also mentioned how “welcomed” they felt when joining the company – another key driver of Gen Z employee experience.

The welcoming nature and attention to making all the students and employees feel as comfortable as possible are what set this company apart from many other places to work. – Latinx Gen Z employee at Mathnasium.  

WIRELESSVISION

With locations in 30 states, WirelessVision is the largest T-Mobile retailer in the U.S. It’s also a place that prides itself on its company values: passion for its people, being best in class, staying hungry while loving the hustle, being honest and humble, and working hard while playing hard. Among its Gen Z staff, 90% said they think it’s a great place to work.

When asked what makes the company a great place to work, some employees mentioned feeling valued and how management lives up to company values.

[What’s special is ] recognition that’s given to the people who have earned it. I love the core values and that the company lives by them. Makes me feel appreciated. – Gen Z employee at WirelessVision.

QUIKTRIP

Self-described as “a fast-paced, happy bunch,” convenience store company QuikTrip certainly has happy employees. With one-fifth of its employees identifying as Gen Z, 90% of them said it’s a great place to work.

QuikTrip truly cares about their employees. I feel confident that my company would make the right decisions for myself and my co-workers in any situation, instead of doing what is best for the higher-ups. – Gen Z employee at QuikTrip

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

Like most restaurant chains, The Cheesecake Factory was hit particularly hard during the pandemic. But rather than let employees go, the company furloughed staff, so that they could keep their health benefits. They also reduced the hourly requirement for working staff to receive benefits and donated food and household essentials to staff stuck at home.

Nearly one-fifth of The Cheesecake Factory’s employees are Gen Z, with 89% of them ranking it as a great place to work. It’s clear that mental health is taken seriously at the company:

This company is accommodating to its staff and never questions you if you need time off for personal reasons. They check in to make sure your personal life is going well, as well as check in to make sure there isn’t anything they can be doing better when it comes to assisting their employees in the workplace. After discovering I had a serious illness that would require time to figure out proper treatment, my management gave me the time off I needed to get things squared away with my doctors without making me feel guilty for doing so. In fact, because they were so accommodating it made me want to work harder for the Cheesecake Factory in return. – Gen Z employee at The Cheesecake Factory.

NUGGET MARKET, INC.

At family-owned, Sacramento-based grocery chain Nugget Market, 96% of Gen Z employees say it’s a great place to work. The company prioritizes training and development for store managers through “Nugget High” and offers a 10% discount to all employees.

The company is also working to foster positive relationships between the community and police, through their “Coffee with a Cop” events, hosted in their cafes. The events allow people in the community to meet with local officers.

Mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth, not points of criticism. This applies whether it is a guest complaint or feedback from a manager. I never feel like I am being punished, rather I am given the chance to do better next time. This creates a positive and encouraging work environment, as well as strengthens my relationship with the managerial team. – Gen Z employee at Nugget Market.

by Claire Hastwell, Great Place to Work® US

Gen Z is coming to your workplace.

The generation born between 1997 and 2012 may be just entering the workforce, but smart employers are already thinking about how their company culture can attract and retain Gen Z.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16- to 24-year-olds made up 11.6% of the workforce in 2020, primarily in the industries of retail, hospitality, and senior living — all of which were hardest hit by the pandemic and lockdowns. Because of this, this generation has a unique perspective as new workers under extraordinary circumstances.

In our research of workplaces around the country, we’ve collected over 32,000 Gen Z employee responses from over 350 companies. Here’s what Gen Z says they want from employers in 2021 and beyond.

WHAT GEN Z WANTS FROM EMPLOYERS

1. DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE

Gen Z is tracking to be the most diverse workforce yet, with our data showing 47% of Gen Z employees identifying as

BIPOC By comparison, 39% of Millennial workers we surveyed identified as PoC, versus 34% of Gen X and only 25% of Boomers.

Pew Research Center points to changing immigration patterns —immigration to the U.S. peaked in 2005 and then declined — that have shaped Gen Z’s demographics. There are fewer Gen Zs than Millennials who are foreign-born, but a higher number who were born in the U.S. to immigrant parents.

As Gen Z grows into the workforce, employers must learn how to best manage a diverse team and get serious about DEIB initiatives. This includes:

• Ensuring a diverse slate of candidates to secure the best talent
• Training other employees (particularly older generations) on DEIB, and
• Ensuring there’s representation across the leadership team.

2. LIVABLE PAY

Pay was the number one topic Gen Z employees commented on in our research, with calls for better minimum wage and increased hourly pay. Only 69% of Gen Z employees said they feel they’re paid fairly, which is 7 points below other generations.

Because of their young age and career stage, most Gen Z employees are working in industries such as retail and hospitality, which tend to be lower-paying or reliant on tips. These were also the industries most impacted by lockdowns, leaving Gen Z workers bearing the brunt of COVID-19 furloughs and closures.

According to payroll company ADP, Gen Z was hardest hit by job losses in 2020, losing some 11% of their jobs, well above the national average (6.7%) and impacts to other age groups.

With the current hiring crunch slamming retail and hospitality in particular, employers wanting to attract Gen Z talent will need to offer fair pay and earn the trust of a generation uniquely hit by the crisis.

3. MENTALLY HEALTHY AND SAFE PLACE TO WORK

Some of the widest gaps between Gen Z and other generations are around feeling their workplaces are psychologically and emotionally healthy.

In our research, Gen Z employees showed a 7-point difference on statements measuring:

• Psychologically and emotionally healthy workplace environment
• Ability to take time off from work when necessary

The American Psychological Association has identified Gen Z as the most stressed generation, attributed to growing up while the world has faced severe global challenges like gun violence, climate change, political instability, racial reckoning and a pandemic.

Great employers will need to ensure Gen Z feels emotionally supported in the workplace, through things like regular check-ins and encouragement to practice self-care (although, to be clear, that’s something all generations could benefit from after the past year).

4. SPECIAL MEANING

Finding purpose and special meaning is something that has typically been associated with the Millennial generation. But our research found the meaning deficit is even more acute for Gen Z, who scored their employers:

• 8-points lower than other generations on how much their work has special meaning
• 7-point lower than other generations on how much they feel they make a difference at work

Grocery chain Wegmans is one example of a company that’s giving employees a voice, and 93% of Gen Z respondents at the company ranked it as a great place to work.

Wegmans management frequently seeks out ideas from the front-line workers who interact with customers the most, and all staff are invited to make suggestions and ask questions through “Ask Jack,” the company’s SVP of operations, Jack DePeters.

Since launching in 2002, Jack has responded to over 16,000 employee comments, with 68% of employees choosing to identify themselves by name rather than submit anonymously.

5. WARM WELCOME

Gen Z is still young. Many of them are just getting started in the workforce. A warm and thoughtful welcome can go a long way when you’re onboarding new grads and first-time employees.

With many employers switching to remote or hybrid workplaces post-pandemic, this can present a challenge — the usual practices of showing a new hire around the office or taking them out for lunch may no longer be an option for some workplaces.

But companies like YNAB are making it work. The software firm sends out welcome packages in the mail, timing them to arrive on an employee’s first day. The packages include YNAB swag, a booklet about the company’s vision and mission, personalized welcome messages from the team and a dinner gift card for the employee to celebrate their new job.

For someone new to the working world, efforts like this can go a long way to keeping them enthusiastic and engaged.

For years, Millennials have been the talked-about generation as brands have worked to woo them, either as customers or as employees (or both). But now that the next generation is on the workplace doorstep, employers need to start thinking now about how they’re going to attract the next gen of talent.