1. Move Over, Millennials: Here Comes Gen Z Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin, Ph.D.

2. I. Introduction: Who is Gen Z? (iGen)
Baby Boomers:
Gen X:
Millennials:
Gen Z (iGen):

3. The Center for Generational Kinetics (2017):
We define birth years for Gen Z starting in 1996—not 2000—because the last, most important defining moment for Millennials was September 11, 2001
Those born from 1996 onward don’t remember it. If you don’t remember 9/11, you are definitely Gen Z

4. In terms of numbers… (Pew Research Center 2016; Flippin, 2017)
Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation
Gen X is projected to pass Boomers in population by 2028
At present, there are 5 people in the labor force who are years old for every person over 65. By 2050, this ratio will be 3:1.

5. Center for Generational Kinetics, 2017:
There are approximately million Gen Z-ers
They outnumber Millennials by 1 million
Within the next 5 years, they will become the fastest-growing generation in the workplace
By 2020, they will be 1/3 of the U.S. population

6. II. Meet the Parents
With exceptions, Millennials’ parents are Baby Boomers and Gen Z’s parents are Gen Xers
Baby Boomers told their Millennial children the sky was the limit

7. Gen Xer parents told their Gen Z children
The sky is falling

8. Boomers told their children to reach for the stars
Gen X told their Gen Z children: don’t reach for the stars
Reach for a paycheck and keep it real

9. Millennials… Were raised in a time of prosperity
Were raised to be optimistic by their encouraging parents

10. Boomer parents told their Millennial children:
Everyone is a winner
Everyone gets a trophy
You are so special

11. Gen X told their Gen Z children:
There are winners and there are losers—it’s up to you not to be a loser
Get real—life is a pecking order—don’t be at the bottom of it

12. According to statistics, the median net worth of Gen Z’s parents fell by nearly 45% during the Great Recession
Dinner time conversations with Boomers and Millennials—great economy, stability, upbeat
Those conversations with Gen X and Z involved which companies were closing, who was losing their jobs….

13. Boomer parents of Millennials were frequently described as helicopter parents who did everything for their children
Gen X was very close to their Gen Z children, but was more willing to let their kids fail and learn the hard way
Gen X was more likely to make their Gen Z children fix problems themselves—”figure it out”

14. III. Characteristics of Gen Z
Very independent and into a DIY mentality
If they want to learn something, they will self-educate (e.g., watch a youtube video)
Mantra: If you want it done right, do it yourself

15. Gen Z:
Pragmatic and clear-eyed—no rose colored glasses for these folks
They saw their parents, neighbors, and friends lose their shirts in the Great Recession
They are more anxious than Millennials because of this

16. Gen Z is frequently described as:
Conscientious, hardworking, and anxious about the future
Self aware and self sufficient
Mature and in control
The Millennials’ optimism has been replaced by Gen Z’s pragmatism

17. Millennials tended to be more thin-skinned and needed for things to be sugar-coated for them
Gen Z hates this and wants reality without fluff
They want communication to be realistic and to the point

18. Millennials showed up at work and felt that the job was lucky to have them
Gen Z shows up at work and feels they are lucky to have the job
They want to establish career paths much earlier in life in order to compete later

19. Many Millennials walked through the job door and expected to start near the top of the ladder
Gen Z expects to start at the bottom and work their way up—they are realistic and have very little sense of entitlement
Gen Z is willing to pay their dues as long as they know specifically how to pay those dues and why they need to pay them

20. However….
Because of technology, Gen Z has great difficulty tolerating boredom
They may be shocked to find that work is boring sometimes
Teachers and bosses may have to help them manage their expectations

21. People have drawn parallels between Gen Z and the Silent Generation
There has been a recession, jobs are hard to get, you can’t take risks
They are very thrifty and mindful of how they spend money—savers, not spenders
Financial security is extremely important
They are entrepeneurial

22. Gen Z:
Wants to make a difference in the world and is very attracted to workplaces that contribute to social justice
Many of them volunteer and want to help their communities

23. Gen Z: Is very eco-conscious
Is deeply worried about global warming and prizes “green” practices where they work

24. Gen Z: Is very worried about going into debt for college
Has seen Millennials incur huge debt—they don’t want this
Thinks more about working instead of going to college

25. Many employers are predicting that more year olds will go straight to work and opt out of higher education
If they do finish school, it will be online
They are open and willing to taking nontraditional routes

26. If Gen Z does go to college…
They are pragmatic and focused on the bottom line
How does this information apply in the workplace?
Professors must work hard to bridge classroom knowledge to practical “real world” application

27. Gen Z: Is highly competitive and individualistic
Unlike the collaborative Millennials, Gen Z wants to work independently and may not always be willing to share their ideas with others
They may hoard information, and companies and universities will have to watch knowledge hoarding

28. Gen Z would rather have their own workspace than share with someone else
One high school teacher told me (2017) that for the first time ever, when it came to group projects in her senior class, students would say things like “I’d rather get an F than work on a team with Justin.”

29. In one survey…
Almost ½ the Gen Z-ers said they’d rather do a project themselves and get all the credit
Collaborative meetings and projects are NOT their thing!!

30. Gen Z wants to work alone, keep their knowledge to themselves, put their nose to the grindstone, and FOCUS

31. Gen Z: Is the most diverse generation ever in the U.S.
Is the last generation to have a White majority

32. Gen Z: Thinks globally because of technology
For instance, they expect to have friends around the world who they communicate with
Thinks of themselves as global citizens

33. Gen Z has a “weconomist” mentality—a shared economy
For example, we have Airbnb, Uber and Lyft, etc.

34. Gen Z: Is health conscious in the extreme
Is somewhat aware that half of the babies born after 2007 will live to be 104 years old
Knows they will live and work a long time, and prizes nutritious food, exercise, and work places dedicated to health benefits

35. Gen Z:
Is more careful than Millennials and has a lower rate of teen pregnancy and STDs
Uses drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes less than previous generations

36. III. Gen Z and Technology
They don’t know a world without technology
They view Facebook as for older people (they think Millennials are old) and prefer communicating through Twitter, Vine, Snapchat, and Instagram

37. Gen Z:
Is more cautious than Millennials about social media; they prize safety and security
Their parents issued stern warnings and they are more guarded about what they post than Millennials

38. In the 1960s, the saying was “Don’t trust anyone over 30.”
With Gen Z, it’s “Don’t trust anyone over 20.”

39. Gen Z: Lives in a world of continuous updates
Processes information very quickly
Has shorter attention spans than any other generation
For example, if a youtube video is more than 2 minutes long, forget it

40. Gen Z is hooked to their smart phones and has major FOMO

41. Gen Z always worries that they are not moving fast enough in the right direction
I see more and more juniors in fall, their first semester, in my office asking how to look good for grad school and make themselves stand out from the competition

42. In terms of being addicted to devices:
40% of Gen Z self-identified as being digital device addicts

43. One study found:
Over half the Gen Z-ers surveyed said working Wi-Fi was more important to them than working bathrooms!

44. Interestingly…. Gen Z is not nearly as likely to watch TV
They catch their movies on their phones through such means as Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube
It’s being predicted that TV sales will be decreasing and that by 2025, ½ of viewers under 32 will not subscribe to a pay TV service

45. A by-product of all this:
Gen Z gets to customize what they see and listen to, and tends to get into their own tunnels
They may become set in their ways because of this, and may need help becoming more open-minded
They may assume that they are right and that others points of view are invalid

46. We need to help Gen Z break out of their silos and be exposed to diverse viewpoints

47. I’m fascinated by this, which is verified by different sources:
Even with all the technology, with teachers and bosses, Gen Z hungers for face-to-face contact with their teachers and bosses
They cherish this, but want it in small bites

48. References
Beall, G. (2016). 8 key differences between Gen Z and Millennials. Available from
Burris, A.E., & Willis, L.B. (2016). Cultivating an awareness of generational differences for effective communication. Posted on
The Center for Generational Kinetics (2017). Top 10 Gen Z and iGen questions answered. Available from
Flippin, C.S. (2017). Generation Z in the workplace: helping the newest generation in the workface build successful working relationships and career paths. USA.
Fry, R. (2016). Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation.

49. Grubb, V.M. (2017). Clash of the generations: Managing the new workplace reality. New York: Wiley.
Jenkins, R. (2017). Generation Z vs Millennials: The 8 differences you need to know. Available from
Kingston, A ). Get ready for Generation Z. Available from
Stillman, D., & Stillman, J. (2017). Gen work: How the next generation is transforming the workplace. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Williams, A. (2015). Move over, Millennials: Here comes Generation Z. Available from