Tips for attracting and leading Gen Z in the aged care workforce

While some have branded Generation Z, or ‘Zoomers’, as a tech-dependent bunch of ‘job-hoppers’, business and social trends will never remain stagnant and younger workers are demanding higher expectations for their careers when they dip their toes into a job market swimming with opportunity. 

As the aged care sector struggles to fill job gaps and keep its valuable staff in care roles, it is vital aged care providers look at what the emerging generation is looking for in a job and how to entice them to consider a career in aged care.

Social researcher and author, Claire Madden, specialises in studying emerging generations and said you will find Gen Z entering the health and aged care industry, but those sectors do have trouble presenting what personal and career benefits they have to offer younger workers. 

“Gen Z is an ‘options’ generation when it comes to their career – they like to know all the options,” Ms Madden explained.

“They can see all the different industries, can compare pay conditions and assess what their peers are saying about it before they even consider an industry.”

Regardless of age, there are some key values and goals all workers have and it’s not all beanbags, video games and coffees with the boss when it comes to engaging Gen Z at a deeper level. 

Let’s look at how times are changing and how to get younger workers to consider a career in aged care. 

A change in trends

Gen Z has lived in a more modern and developed world all their life but they still crave the core components of a job that every worker does – loving what you do with a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction.

But younger people aren’t settling for less. With youth on their side and a plethora of options at their fingertips, changing jobs until they find the right fit for them is rightfully their priority. 

“Gen Z wants things at a younger age at an earlier point in their career life,” said Ms Madden.

“Even before they’ve got their first job, they know that enjoying their work is what matters to them. 

“Obviously, every generation wants to enjoy their work but that’s a higher felt priority right at the beginning of their career.”

Workforce Specialist and the Director and Founder of recruitment organisation Above and Beyond Group, Laura Sutherland, agreed and said Gen Z is just as loyal as other generations but that it is conditional. They have higher expectations for their employer and tend to seek new employment if they become unhappy in a role. 

“They expect to be valued and invested in,” she said.

“We need to engage Gen Z to keep them fulfilled and loving what they do so that they want to go above and beyond in their work and stay in their role.”

Comparing Gen Z to Baby Boomers, workers born from 1946 to 1964 during the mid-20th century ‘baby boom’, previous trends tended to be goal orientated toward job security and “paying your dues” before receiving comfy work conditions later in life. 

That is far from the motive of Gen Z. 

With a large portion receiving comprehensive education and entrepreneurial training at the touch of a button from the internet, younger workers are expecting the same level of effort from their employers as their employers do of them. 

“Baby Boomers were more likely to stay in roles due to factors such as security, but with Gen Z, we know they’re more mobile,” Ms Sutherland said.

“They’ve already earned their reputation as ‘job-hoppers’ so if they see a better opportunity elsewhere, they’ll take it and they won’t feel bad. 

“As employers, we do need to do better and deliver a place where staff want to show up instead of where they have to.” 

A sense of purpose and feeling like they are making a difference is the core motivator of Gen Z, which should be at the core of your retention and attraction strategies. 

“Feeling a sense of purpose is such a priority for Gen Z that if that’s not happening where they’re working, they will quickly be looking somewhere else,” Ms Madden explained.

“Baby Boomers would say, ‘we had to earn our stripes, we had to do the hard yard and we didn’t get fun and excitement and change’. 

“But we are dealing with a different society now – they’ve grown up experiencing a lot of conveniences in their lifestyles and technology is constantly moving us towards greater convenience, more entertainment saturation, more personalisation, constant social connectivity. As a result, they’re looking for these different priorities early in their careers.”

Above and Beyond Group have an attraction and retention strategy called the ‘WOW FACTOR’ that can help you become an Employer of Choice among Gen Z.

Read more about it in our article: ‘Do you have the WOW FACTOR? Become an Employer of Choice’.

Creating a Gen Z-friendly workplace culture

The importance of a strong and positive workplace culture is not breaking news – many industries have realised how vital team-building and a healthy workplace culture is to keep staff happy but for Gen Z, this one is a non-negotiable.

Ms Sutherland explained that Gen Z is pushing out traditional life markers such as getting married and having children, causing them to turn to their workplace to become a “social crossroads”.

“Gen Z is looking for a connection with people at work, collegial collaboration and a sense of belonging more than ever,” said Ms Sutherland.

Ms Madden agreed that having an engaging workplace culture was a must to attract and retain the younger workforce by having relatable and personable management staff and co-workers that they can connect with. 

“They want a highly relational environment where their leaders are accessible and relatable. They take an interest in their lives. They care about them as a person first and that helps Gen Z feel like they want to bring their whole self to work,” she said. 

“If you have a great workplace culture, they’re treated well and are respected, then you will attract and retain. If not, you won’t keep them – it’s really a non-negotiable.”

Marketing: connecting you to Gen Z

Being really clear about your organisation’s goals and motivations – why it exists, its meaning and purpose – will appeal to emerging generations on a deep level. 

Gen Z’s feelings of value and purpose at work are linked tightly with how you do things as a company, so outlining powerful stories and perspectives in your branding and marketing can help strengthen that message.

Young people want to make a difference and change the world with what they do, so being able to show them what impact they can have on the lives of older people can be an empowering tool to make them feel valued and purposeful in the bigger picture.

Aged care has struggled in the past to make the industry attractive to young people, but consider the ways you are communicating your message and the difference aged care can make to the health and well-being of clients.

Investing time and energy into your marketing strategy and the messages you are sending to potential employees will refine your workforce target and open the sector up to an emerging generation of workers.

“Your brand can help attract like-minded staff that are well-aligned and who belong,” Ms Sutherland said. 

“A Good strategy will be like a magnet attracting the right staff, and repelling the wrong ones. Think about your marketing in terms of language and imagery, particularly on your website and in job advertisements.” 

Diverse development opportunities

Organisations offering different job roles as well as growth and development opportunities are something younger employees expect from employers in today’s working world.

Younger generations tend to leave jobs when they feel underused or bored, so it’s important to think about the types of opportunities you can offer at your workplace. 

While the traditional promotion route is still useful to keep staff motivated and happy, it is not always possible to offer a promotion.

Additionally, Gen Z’s high expectations for their career trajectory mean they often lean towards employers that openly offer both personal development and upskilling opportunities.

“Our current hierarchical structures are so rigid that only a few can excel, so we may need to step away from the idea of a linear ‘career ladder’ and move towards a ‘career lattice’ where people can acquire wider experiences, explore things that stretch us in different directions and reinvent ourselves throughout our careers,” Ms Sutherland said.

“Gen Z love personal growth and do really well in multiple functions. A more holistic approach that helps develop key soft skills for our industry, such as resilience and mindfulness, is another way to incentivise younger staff.

“You can [also] look at giving younger staff ownership of projects, shadowing opportunities and interim or acting roles.”

Ms Madden agreed, saying Gen Z want to “be trusted and have some kind of responsibility. They want variety in their job”.

“They want to be able to learn in the different sections of the business and keep it interesting,” she said.

Consider asking what new roles could be made to utilise your workforce’s skills and who could take that role on confidently. If possible, consider utilising mentors or coaches that can help with this. 

Standing in the way of change is never useful.

Understanding and acknowledging new employment trends and the needs of the emerging generation preparing to enter the workforce leaves aged care open to accepting new workers who are ready to make a difference in the lives of older people.