Engaging Gen Z Is Critical for HR — and the Future of Work — According to LinkedIn’s CEO

With thousands of the world’s top talent leaders gathered for Talent Connect 2022 in person and virtually, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky had big things on his mind when he took the stage this morning to address the gathering.

No. 1?

Nothing less than the future of work.

“It’s been a rough couple of years for everyone here today,” Ryan said. “All of our companies have been hit sideways.”

And then Ryan laid out his vision for how companies can get back on their feet and, particularly, how they can move forward.

His data-packed talk made the case for “an evolution of the tools, the insights, the platforms, and the data to make the decision-making for all of us much easier.” He called for hiring for potential not pedigree; for companies and candidates to share information so they can align on values; and for the central importance of reskilling, upskilling, and internal mobility programs that are both nimble and robust.

Ryan also put a spotlight on something talent leaders should be paying close attention to: HR practitioners from Gen Z are changing jobs much more rapidly than their counterparts from other generations. He sees a need for HR leaders to make clear how mission-critical their teams’ work is.

Understand the data: Gen Z has switched HR jobs a lot more than any other group 

“The past two years,” Ryan said, “represented an unprecedented amount of talent movement globally.” But, he added, the shifts in talent within the HR field have a generational dimension.

Baby Boomers, Ryan noted, were the most loyal (or least likely to switch jobs) before the pandemic, during the height of it, and into recovery. Gen Xers followed a similar path until recently when their inclination to move has ticked up. When Millennials working in HR got to the spring of 2021, Ryan explained, they began changing jobs at a record pace and transitions topped out near the 200% increase year over year. 

“However, this is all in contrast to what we see with Gen Z,” Ryan told the assembled talent leaders, “who not only where the biggest movers during and postpandemic but were also the most active movers even before the pandemic struck.”

That’s a lot of movement — by 2030, Gen Z will make up 30% of the total global workforce.

“This generation believes it’s OK to move around frequently, if they aren’t inspired,” Ryan said. “Motivating and inspiring this generation is going to be critical to the future of the industry.”

This is essential for your organization and, more particularly, for your team. “If we want to inspire the next generation of HR professionals,” Ryan said, “it’s vital we help them see this role as strategic, core to the business, inspirational, and meaningful.”

Captivate Gen Z with flexibility, upskilling, and values

Gen Z is the cohort born between roughly 1997 and 2012. They tend to be adaptable, values-driven, and intentional about career choices. Earlier this year, before hiring cooled off, they were changing jobs within HR 40% more than the previous year, which was double the rate of Millennials.

In a blog post this past May, LinkedIn engineering recruiter Madison Vitug, herself a member of Gen Z, wrote: “[A]s I chat with fellow career starters about their goals, one thing is clear: We are unwilling to compromise our career vision to fit into a work model that doesn’t work for us.”

Among the tactics Madison suggested for recruiting and retaining Gen Z talent were these three:

1. Double down on flexibility. Of all the generations, Gen Z was most likely to leave or consider leaving a job because their company did not have a feasible flex work policy.
2. Lean in on learning and growth. More than three-quarters (76%) of Gen Z believe that learning is the key to a successful career.
3. Walk the walk on values. Fully 80% of Gen Z are seeking organizations that better align with their values (as compared with less than 60% of Millennials). Your purpose and your mission are your calling cards.

Final thoughts: Gen Z is not a problem to be solved but an opportunity to be seized

Ryan saluted the assembled talent leaders for all they have done during tumultuous times.

“When I think about the last two years,” he said, “let me tell you something that I believe: The people represented in this room right now are the people that have held our companies together.” 

And what will those talent leaders be grappling with as they shape the future of work?

“The challenge of organizing, engaging, and skilling a hybrid workforce,” Ryan said, “that is a core strategic question to a business.” And that challenge starts with making sure your workplace, your workforce, and your work team works for Gen Z. 

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