Many employers are finding it difficult to motivate their Gen Z workforce – aged 16-25 - and are adapting their training methods to better-meet the needs of younger staff, according to research from Grant Thornton.

A survey of 605 mid-sized business found that over a third of firms said it was more difficult to motivate current Gen Z employees compared to previous generations. Most were adapting their training methods for recruits with more personalised training, ‘on demand content’ and gamification to appeal to new younger staff. The research, which looked at responses from 2,000 people aged 16-25, suggests the pandemic may have had a knock-on impact with Gen Z respondents feeling that they were least-prepared for softer skills such as verbal presentations and persuading and influencing.

James Brown, practice leader in Central and East for Grant Thornton UK, said: “This insight into how the current generation of young people view careers and work will help to inform and shape decision making about how we best support them as they progress – after all, these are the people that will be running our firm one day....Workplaces, and society at large, are rife with age-related (across generations) stereotypes, which are not always accurate. This is why it is important that we better understand how beliefs about age affect our workplace, and work to dispel some of the rhetoric that creates barriers and inhibits cohesion."

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