IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF GENERATION Z EMPLOYEES IN THE WORKPLACE

Abstract

This document explores the identification and management of Generation Z employees in the workplace. The study aims to identify measures to manage this cohort to improve their performance as their unique characteristics, work expectations, and values are changing workplace dynamics. The research design of this study was survey-based, utilizing both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary data was gathered from questionnaire responses of a representative sample of the population, and statistical package for social science (SPSS) was used to analyze the responses.

The study found that organizations and managers often struggle to identify, attract, retain, and manage Generation Z employees due to misconstrued stereotypes. The research highlights that mentoring and workforce diversity management become imperative in guiding, advising and helping Generation Z employees learn and develop the necessary skills for their job to improve their performance. The specific objectives of this study were to examine the role of mentoring on Generation Z employees' job performance and determine the impact of workplace diversity management on their engagement.

Findings show that mentoring and workplace diversity management play a crucial role in enhancing Generation Z employees' performance and engagement. Mentorship played a significant role in building confidence in taking higher assignments and improving the quality of job performance of Generation Z employees. This further accentuated the unique characteristics of this cohort as multitaskers, entrepreneurial, and flexibility-driven. In contrast, effective workforce diversity management positively impacted the engagement of Generation Z employees in the hospitality industry.

The study concludes that organizations need to understand and manage Generation Z employees proactively to harness their technological and innovative potential, enhance the organization's performance and reduce the cost of training and development in the digital age. To achieve this, it is recommended that organizations adopt workplace diversity management to improve their engagement and embrace mentoring as a tool for career development and success