The next corporate workforce is Gen Z. According to recent data from the World Economic Forum, 38% of the workforce currently comprises Millennials and Gen Z, and this will rise to 58% by 20230, with Gen Z comprising 30% of the workforce.
Gen Z is classified as people born between 1997-2012, the peak young generation of India as per 2025. These people will have different domains of demands and needs in comparison to earlier generations. Regarding what success means to them, they have a distinct set of perspectives, convictions, and obstacles.
Gen Z in particular is categorised as tech-savvy since they frequently use a variety of technical platforms for daily needs and the internet to obtain information. They also firmly believe in the need for social and political activity, personal expression, and embracing, encouraging communities. Keeping these characteristics in mind, let’s explore how to attract and retain this generation of employees in our business.
Gen Z experienced the peak of technological revolution in their era, so their dependency on the digital domain is at its maximum. Their social lives, downtime, learning, interactions, and relationships are fundamentally interwoven with online and social media. 54% of Gen Z spend at least four hours daily on social media, and almost daily on digital platforms. (Source: GWI Genz Reports, 2023)
Therefore, providing wellness benefits in their digital domain without the chaos of paperwork proves beneficial. One single platform for all their health needs in this technical world would sound like a profit to both the employee and employers, right?
welUp by SaveIn is one such platform that can attract and retain Gen Z, as it is the most efficient healthcare service platform, preventing the population from insurance paperwork and claim rejections.
There are many ways to showcase your digital capabilities to attract Gen Z – don’t forget about backend work too. The office culture, flexible working hours, and healthcare awareness are some of the primary things that businesses should follow to retain Gen Z. This generation is mostly known for its health-conscious availability, so tapping on the right button at the right time would be fruitful.
According to recent reports, Gen Z values salary less than every other generation. If given the choice of accepting a better-paying but no employee wellness program, versus a company that is more oriented towards employee wellness but doesn’t pay as well, Gen Z was fairly evenly split over the choice.
To combat these, wellness program cost transparency and effectiveness is important. Higher retention rates, less absenteeism, and more focused working hours can be seen in those organizations that prefer employee wellness programs as their priority. Gen Z remains in organisations that provide transparent financial communication, like welUp by SaveIN, with hassle-free healthcare access.
Gen Z is purpose-driven in both life and work. As such, they’re looking for organisations with aligned values. Shared values can support their passion for broader social impact, as well as their aspirations, through key provisions, such as work-life balance and inclusion.
Research shows Gen Z is more racially and ethnically diverse than their ancestors. Thus, it is of no surprise that they value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB+). If your organisation has developed a strong DEIB+ strategy and culture, there’s no better way to connect with and attract Gen Z talent than promoting your initiatives.
welUp healthcare services are focused on being evenly distributed across India, and the goal is to provide healthcare services even to the non-creamy layer of society.
Today’s leading organisations understand that when it comes to talent attraction, vagueness and lack of information don’t cut the mustard, particularly for a generation that has access to and the capacity to absorb an endless stream of information. Whether they’re researching the best product deals or the best healthcare services, Gen Z does their homework.
Providing authenticity in the services you are providing and the claims you are making will establish a trust relationship with your employees. Convey employee-generated results to your employees and build trust accordingly.
Gen Z reports the least positive outlook and the highest prevalence of mental illness of any generation. And it’s no wonder. Financial crises, pandemic disruption to education, increasing global unrest and wars, and increasing climate anxiety are challenges to their development. Here's how to maximize the support of flexibility, support for mental health, and ultimately, joy derived from a work-life balance.
Encourage them to manage time outside of business hours, encourage breaks, and explicitly invite them to take personal time when pursuing work-life balance. Implementing wellness initiatives might make employers react quicker to the well-being of employees, metrics, be it mental health, physical health, or their fertility.
Gen Z gives really high priority to making mental health resources available and visible, as this could lower their stress levels and lead to happier, engaged, and productive work environments. Not only is this the right way to run a business, but it also makes economic sense. Adapting flexibility, empathy, and accommodating creates healthier individual functioning work environments to a stronger culture for the diversity of team members to thrive.
Different approaches are needed to engage employees, so radical/action is needed to engage employees as Gen Zers enter the labour force as the majority already. No longer do individuals want to be simply paid an amount for their work; they value the digital convenience and are overly concerned about mental health, authenticity, and purpose. This means that businesses must rethink and tailor their approaches to meet ever-changing expectations and lifestyles in order to attract and retain this exciting group of workers. The future of work has to be human-focused, as well as open and flexible, and businesses that listen to their Gen Z workers and adapt to their needs will be best positioned not only for retention and recruitment but for creating a more progressive and compassionate workplace.
In the end, your organisation's ability to attract and retain Gen Zers starts with recognising their strengths and wellness while helping with their health and financial needs. Regardless, continue to tweak and tailor your approach using health care platforms, like welUp, for the best results. Do this not just for the sake of Gen Z engagement, but so you can create an inclusive and supportive, multi-generational workplace, where all employees have the tools to flourish.
Looking to attract Gen Z talent with smart, digital-first wellness solutions?
Your go-to-go healthcare platform is welUp by SaveIN, which is transparent, paperless, and designed for today's workforce. Make well-being a priority.