What are you doing about digital natives entering the workforce in growing numbers?

by David Keil, Fast Company

By 2030, 30% of Generation Z will make up about 30% of the U.S. workforce. In 2020, that Gen Z slice of the pie was only 6.1%. Prioritizing digital employee experience (DEX) is crucial for welcoming Gen Z employees to your company. Indeed, it's important for all employees.  

First, consider that Gen Z comprises those born between 1997 and 2012. I know a little about this fascinating generation, as my son is 24 and my daughter is almost 22. Then, think about the fact that, in the U.S., 12 was the average age that Gen Z individuals got their first mobile phone—concurrent with the fast rise of the smartphone. In other words, this generation is a cohort of digital natives.   

Why does this turning point of Gen Z entering the workforce matter now? Because enterprises must ensure that the digital experience of Gen Z employees is as seamless and flawless in the digital workplace as it is for them in their consumer and home lives.  

Studies indicate that "86% of Gen Z agree that technology is essential to their lives, notably higher than older generational cohorts." Further, Gen Z uses about 6 of the 13 technology products they own a day, for a combined usage of 12 hours, on average. Let that picture sink in. 

IMPROVING THE DIGITAL EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

Given the pervasiveness of all things digital among Gen Z, enterprises that have taken digital transformation efforts seriously over the last decade must extend this commitment to DEX. Forrester principal analysts Andrew Hewitt and Cheryl McKinnon define DEX as, "The sum of all the perceptions that employees have about working with the technology they use to complete their daily work and manage their relationship with their employer across the lifecycle of their employment."  

That means reducing "digital friction," which World Wide Technology says "happens when workplace technology is counterintuitive, overwhelming, or frustrating to employees and requires an unnecessary amount of effort to use. In many cases of digital friction, workplace technology is hurting employee productivity more than it's helping and can even prevent employees from doing their jobs entirely."  

Gen Z is likely to be the most intolerant of digital friction, but this obstacle can affect all employees across generations and roles, and it ultimately has indirect and direct implications for the customer experience.