Training programs aren’t just about addressing current skills gaps—they’re about showing your employees that you’re invested in their growth and success. As Gen Z steps into the workforce, they bring fresh perspectives, digital fluency, and a desire for purpose in their work (for more about where Gen Z stands check out our Empowering Gen Z article). For businesses, investing in Gen Z isn’t just about filling current skill gaps; it’s an opportunity to shape the next generation of motivated, engaged leaders.
Let’s look at a few key areas where companies can step up to support and develop the newest addition to the workforce, building a foundation for long-term growth and success.
Respecting Time for Learning and Work-Life Balance
Gen Z values flexibility and autonomy (don’t we all, though?). They’re looking for work environments that respect a healthy work-life balance. This means providing adequate time and space for professional development—something that often gets pushed by the wayside in favor of deadlines, client projects, and almost anything else. Deprioritizing learning sends a strong signal to employees that their development isn’t important—which couldn’t (or shouldn’t) be further from the truth.
Training Tip: Encourage weekly scheduled learning time (during office hours, of course) that can’t just get bumped off in favor of the next big deadline. Discuss with your management teams how you can treat learning on the job as part of the job through professional development plans (not to be confused with a performance improvement plan, which might send your employees right out the door). Offer flexible learning options, like subscriptions to online courses through LinkedIn or Coursera. Consider department-led workshops for lateral learning opportunities and better organizational cohesion.
Offering Mentorship and Guidance
Gen Z and junior resources are craving mentorship opportunities in the workplace, but many don’t have access to them, this Fortune article describes. Mentorship can help guide Gen Z employees as they navigate and grow their careers. But unlike traditional top-down mentorship, they prefer a more collaborative approach. This article from AllSteel Inc. discusses how Gen Z craves mentorship in a collaborative, project-focused partnership, which is a huge opportunity for businesses in developing their Gen Z staff while getting real work done.
Training Tip: Organize with your management teams to develop mentorship programs that encourage a project-based approach, tackling real business projects and opportunities. This way, mentees learn on the job, work on real projects, and have more experienced mentors to help guide them along the way. Set specific guidelines for managers and mentors on setting monthly or quarterly goals and managing their mentorship like any other project.
Connecting the Dots: Roles and Values
One of the most effective ways to engage Gen Z is by making a clear connection between their day-to-day tasks and the value they bring to the organization or community. It’s important to both Millennials and Gen Z to find meaning and value in the work they spend 1/3 of their daily hours on, but in the era of immediate gratification in the form of views, likes, and same-day shipping, the abstraction of how their daily work of organizing data or formatting documents creates value to support the greater good, can be lost.
Training Tip: During training sessions, emphasize how specific roles contribute to the company’s larger goals. Use real-life examples or success stories to illustrate how an employee’s work ties into a broader mission, whether it’s driving innovation, improving customer satisfaction, or contributing to sustainability efforts. Don’t limit these stories and examples to onboarding—use them as case studies in internal newsletters, yearly awards, highlights from leadership, or other communications to showcase the work your organization is doing and how it supports the greater good.
Gen Z is bringing new challenges to the workplace, but with those challenges come opportunities for growth and innovation. As training managers and directors, we have the tools to help this generation thrive. By addressing gaps in learning culture, communication, motivation, and work-life balance, we can create a work environment that respects professional development of young people and supports long-term success for all.
Ultimately, it’s about investing in people—like it always has been. With the right training and support, Gen Z can become one of the most engaged, purposeful, and dynamic generations in the workforce—and we need them to be, to keep up with the demands of the future. It’s up to all of us to guide them there.