What Gen Z Workers Want
By Nina Sachdev, Communications Consultant, Emma Bowen Foundation, and Communications Director,
Media Impact Funders

For years, businesses have worked to uncover the motivations and desires of the Millennial workforce. But companies must now turn their attention to another talent pool: Generation Z. As these young adults (defined as anyone born after 1997) enter the workforce, companies are striving to understand what these workers want out of their burgeoning careers, what professional fulfillment means to them and more.

The Emma Bowen Foundation (EBF)—which for 30 years has been recruiting and placing talented students of color in multi-year paid internships at some of the nation's largest media and technology companies—is uniquely suited to gain better understanding of Generation Z’s motivations and aspirations. Last year alone, EBF’s applicant pool reached more than 5,500 students—the highest number of applicants to date. That’s why, in 2019, EBF launched its first Professional Preferences Survey as a means to understand not only what these young workers want in today’s rapidly changing media landscape, but how companies can better position themselves to attract them.

Survey Says…

In March 2019, EBF distributed the first-ever Professional Preferences Survey as a means to gauge students’ interest in various media and technology sub-sectors and to understand their job preferences from three perspectives: what an organization provides, how the organization is perceived by the respondent, peers and the general public, and the day-to-day experience at a potential employer.

The survey was distributed to all 4,454 fellowship applicants, and 34%, or 1,513 applicants, completed it. More than 85% of respondents were between the ages of 19 and 22, and although EBF did not ask about race or ethnicity, nearly 44% of fellowship applicants identify as Black, almost 25% identify as Asian, and more than 21% of applicants identify as Hispanic/Latino.

While there were no surprises about the enthusiasm young students of color have for brands like Netflix, Facebook and others in the ‘New Media’ and ‘New Technology’ spaces (after all, these workers are digital natives), the results of our survey do suggest that legacy telecommunications brands are struggling to attract and retain students of color in this generation more than any other media brands. According to our survey, nearly 99% of our Innovation of Media students were interested in working in the ‘New Technology’ sector, while only 56% were interested in working in Telecommunications. We were surprised to learn that respondents on the technology trajectory still showed minimal interest in the Telecommunications group. It appears that legacy telecom brands are struggling to reach students of color in this generation more than any other brands we included.

Companies should consider this insight carefully; racially diverse teams outperform non-diverse teams by 35%. Why? Because diversity means new ideas and looking at challenges with a range of perspectives and experiences to apply to solutions. In a country where people of color make up nearly 40% of the country’s population, diversity is not just the right way to conduct business successfully—it is on the only way.

Moving Forward

These legacy companies can overcome Generation Z’s negative perceptions about how they conduct business, both internally and externally. Our research indicated that companies can more effectively attract the next generation of people of color by highlighting specific opportunities and values that resonate with them:

• Highlight opportunities for personal and professional growth. Our respondents indicated preferences for new skills and challenges, as well as an organization that fosters such growth and proactively opens new doors for them. The ability to do interesting work and learn new skills were the two most important workplace criteria of any options listed, across categories.
  
  
• Stress integrity and commit to tangible diversity and inclusion. Integrity, diversity and social consciousness have the most salient impact on our respondents’ perceptions of brands. As the workplace becomes a more prominent source of fulfillment and an outlet for personal purpose, and as of lines between social activism and corporate perception continue to blur, this emphasis should only escalate.
  
  
• Focus on a wholistic workplace experience. To deliver, your company needs to reflect its diverse values by creating an organizational culture of openness, support and connection. Respondents are seeking an organization that supports them, acknowledges and appreciates their work, emphasizes the importance of openness and reverberates positivity. They hope to form meaningful connections in the workplace. The opportunity to connect with and learn from people—especially people who look like them—is critical.

The wants and goals of the next generation of people of color are enigmatic, but not inscrutable. Building organizational environments that reflect their values, giving them room to grow, and conveying opportunities in a clear and compelling way will give brands a head-start with Generation Z.

By partnering with the Emma Bowen Foundation—which has more than 70 corporate and nonprofit partners—companies have access to a diverse talent pool of applicants who are seeking employment in all aspects of media, including content production, human resources, sales, computer science and more. More importantly, EBF internships make a lasting impact on the career choices of our fellows: 81% of EBF graduates are more likely to pursue a career with an EBF partner company.

If you are interested in exploring partnership with the Emma Bowen Foundation, please contact Director of Development, Ayia Gospodinova, at ayia.gospodinova@nbcuni.com.

About the Emma Bowen Foundation
The mission of the Emma Bowen Foundation (EBF) is to increase diversity in media, entertainment, and technology across all functions and levels. For 30 years, EBF has connected promising students and experienced professionals of color to top companies and advocated for best practices in diverse hiring, retention, and advancement. Since 2015, EBF has been recognized by Vault.com as one of the best internship programs in the nation. With the guidance of its 19-member Board of Directors and a larger National Advisory Council comprised of media and technology industry leaders and key stakeholders, the Emma Bowen Foundation has further positioned itself as a crucial resource for diversifying the media industry by advocating for best practices in the hiring, retention and advancement of talented professionals of color. Learn more about the Emma Bowen Foundation at www.emmabowenfoundation.org.