Turning the Workplace into a Place Gen Z Wants to Be

As Baby Boomers retire in record numbers, Gen Z is having a greater impact on the workplace and how we view our work-life balance.

Since Gen Z is the only generation that is ascendant in the nation’s labor pool, business owners and critical managers need to take heed when it comes to attracting and keeping younger workers for years to come.

For the skilled trades industry, this means that we need to do better as employers to reach out to this generation, especially as the labor pool continues to shrink and we lose experienced workers.

Trading College for Skills 

A variety of studies have shown that college enrollment in the United States has been on the decline since 2020. Between the high cost of attending and the lowered return on investment many younger people experience, Gen Z is looking for a career that doesn’t require a four-year university degree.

But many young people aren’t exposed to the skilled trades in high school. Public schools in the past often offered “shop” classes that exposed them to auto mechanics, carpentry, plumbing and HVAC repair. Funding cuts and a focus on college preparatory classes have replaced the shop classes.

That’s why today’s home and property service companies need to begin building relationships with local high schools and even community colleges. As it becomes necessary to replace their retiring workforces, home service company owners will have to get creative in the ways in which they recruit.

Skilled trades recruiters need to be present at school job fairs so they can reintroduce the skilled trades to the younger generation. This is the only way to rebuild a labor force that has dwindled over the years because of the focus placed on attending four-year colleges.

Creative Recruitment 

The owners of home and property service shops also need to get creative in how they look for replacement workers.

In the past, you could place an ad in the local newspaper or online job boards that merely listed the skills you want in an employee and ticked off the benefits you offer. That doesn’t work anymore.

Today’s business growth mentors now tell home service clients that it may be better to recruit young people who have potential and train them to have the skills. With all the technological advancements within the plumbing, HVAC and electrical service industries, it’s almost better to take talented students and train them to meet the needs of your clients.

With the proliferation of online training courses, there’s no reason why a home or property service business owner can’t offer his young recruits beginning and ongoing training. In today’s world, it may be better to get them in “green” and then “skill them up.”

Home service company owners should also consider the methods they are using to find job seekers. Job sites like Indeed or LinkedIn are good choices, but your social media interaction shouldn’t be restricted to just LinkedIn. Gen Z prefers Instagram and TikTok over most all other social media channels, so branching out to these platforms is a must if you want to reach a younger audience.

You will need to become more comfortable with shooting videos of your staff to be seen as relevant on social media, too. Posting hiring videos is tantamount, but you should also regularly be sharing videos of your team doing their jobs and having fun with their coworkers. Company culture is important to younger workers and these videos will showcase your workplace way of life.

And don’t limit your recruitment to young men. Women are also looking into the trades as a stable and lucrative career path. Non-profit organizations like Women in HVACR not only provide education and training to women looking to become a part of the skilled trades workforce, they are also a great resource for owners and managers looking to recruit female plumbers, electricians and HVAC techs.

Recruiting during an economic slowdown is also beneficial to the home or property service employer. The trades are mostly recession resistant because people still need running water and a working HVAC system, no matter how the economy is performing.

Gen Z also lists job stability as one of the most important benefits they seek in making a career selection, so letting young people know that layoffs are few is a great way to recruit young people into the trades.

Better Benefits 

Generation Z is not only challenging how we recruit, but they are also teaching us a thing or two about work-life balance.

In the past, many families had a stay-at-home mom, so having flexible hours to take care of children wasn’t a forethought on a husband’s mind. But, today, because of a difference in how children are raised and because many families have two working parents, the care of the children doesn’t just fall on one parent. This is why more flexible hours and opportunity for advancement top the list of benefits Gen Z wants from their employers.

Flexible hours can be a boon for a home service company owner. Instead of having to charge the customer more to come out after hours or on weekends, savvy business owners are allowing their employees to work a variety of shifts.

A flexible schedule means you will have employees working different shifts without having to stay late or work overtime. It also means your schedule will better suit the lifestyles of your customers who may prefer your plumbers start the job at 6 p.m. instead of 8 a.m.

Finally, you need to provide your younger workers with the opportunity for advancement. According to a PEW Research Center poll, 54% of working adults say that training is necessary to develop new skills for advancement.

In addition to their initial training, on-going training is essential for attracting and retaining a full bench of skilled workers. Employees are more satisfied if they feel like their employer is invested in them and wants to help them improve their knowledge and abilities.

Becoming a Leader 

None of this is possible if you don’t have a vision for what you want your service company to be or haven’t taken the time to spell out your vision so you can explain it to your team.

Nearly seven out of 10 job applicants say they would not accept a position if they felt like the employer’s values didn’t align with theirs or if they were unsure of their employer’s long-term goals.

Too many service employers don’t know what their goals are and have never taken the time to develop a business plan. Having the clarity of your vision and the processes in place to make your vision a reality are some of the trademarks of great leadership.

In order to grow and scale your business, you must learn how to tackle business challenges and meet them with a strategic roadmap that is tailored to meet your unique objectives. Your clarity of vision is your company’s internal GPS that guides you and your young team members to succeed.

Young talent is the future of any labor force and it’s up to current leaders to develop the training, benefits packages and vision that will attract this talent for decades to come.

Written by Sandy Papavero.

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