INDIA: Gen Z, at the forefront of today’s workforce shift, is rapidly dominating the workplace and is on the way to weaving a culture that will be more diverse, inclusive, flexible, and collaborative.
As the generation Z has begun entering the workplace, they are already making waves of progress, booming the workplace, and changing the workplace norms with their values, goals, and expectations.
Gen Z, named “the most well educated generation,” with its incredible diversity in many spheres like ethics, gender, sexuality, religion, and many more, is bringing a fresh perspective to workplace practices.
This generation, which was born between 1997 and 2010, is considered the most diverse, tech-savvy, and educated in human history. They are the first real generation of “digital natives,” having been fully immersed in the world of the internet, smartphones, and their smartphones since their early youth.
For Gen Z, a commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity is not merely a “nice-to-have” in a workspace but rather a necessity that requires active work to achieve on the job.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Gen Z makes up 20.3% of the country’s population, which puts it on par with millennials at 22%. And according to Bloomberg, Gen Z is now the largest group globally, surpassing millennials, accounting for 32% of the world’s population.
Although pay is the most important consideration when choosing a job, Generation Z values pay less than any other generation. When given the option to choose between a job that paid more but was dull and one that was more interesting but paid less, Gen Z was fairly equally split over the decision.
Companies and employers must emphasize their efforts to be decent global citizens if they want to win the hearts of Gen Z. And since actions speak louder than words, businesses must show their dedication to a wider range of social issues like sustainability, climate change, and hunger.
By 2025, Gen Z will account for one-third of the world’s population and 27% of the workforce in OECD nations.
What’s Gender Inclusivity?
It is not only about the gender pay gap. Findings indicate that women do feel left out at the workplace, whether it’s due to being paid less than their male counterparts or sometimes even less experienced co-workers, or a result of the gender-biased workplace culture as a whole.
Moreover, because of pervasive gender bias, women employees are still underrepresented in leadership roles. Gender equality in the workplace simply means that men, women, transgender people, and other people with various gender identities have the same opportunities and rights as other employees.
The goal of achieving gender equality in the workplace is to provide women and men with roughly equal opportunities and outcomes, not necessarily outcomes that are rigidly the same for everyone. When individuals of all genders can access and benefit from equal rewards, resources, and chances, workplace gender equivalency will be achieved.
Even in 2021, we will still see single-gender dominance in many businesses. For example, the bottom 20%, as per the Global Gender Gap Index, is dominated by developing nations. Consequently, women still make up a smaller percentage of the workforce than men.
Implementing gender equity at work is more than just checking a box because it’s the “right thing to do,” but a matter of equal opportunities that can be advantageous to your company.
Increasing gender equity in the workplace will require the involvement of the entire organization. Senior organizational leaders can adopt key practices to assist in removing obstacles to women’s leadership and starting to assist all leaders.
Lately, legal amendments and international movements like #MeToo have exhorted women and other members of underrepresented groups to speak up when they encounter discrimination at work.
Similar reports on the lack of real inclusion at work can be found all over the news. For instance, in 2018, Oracle and Spotify were both sued for allegedly violating the equitable pay policy. But this is not only limited to tech firms. Former Nike workers have sued the company for alleged pay discrimination, Walmart has been sued for gender discrimination more than once, and Disney was served with a lawsuit at the beginning of 2019.
How Gen Z is prioritizing gender equity in the workplace
Gen Z, especially women, are starting to reshape the workplace. Gen Zers mostly demand equal compensation and treatment and will quit if they don’t get it. Additionally, Gen Z employees choose businesses that reflect their values and make health investments.
Gen Z embraces gender fluidity and chooses businesses and brands that value individuality and support the battle against sexism, income inequality, and climate change. Compared to previous generations, they are 92% more likely to participate in protests or boycott particular businesses and are prepared to go to bat for their beliefs. Compared to 24% of earlier generations, nearly 40% of Gen Zers said they would discuss sexism at the workplace.
Women, particularly, are not waiting around. Almost 30% of Gen Z women, as compared to 22% of men, cited greater opportunities for advancement and growth as a justification for leaving a job. They are also developing their skills to grab those opportunities.
The study found that, for Gen Z, gender equality ranks as the 4th most pressing societal concern. In comparison, it ranks 7th globally on average across all ages when talked about as the issue most important to individuals in their age group.
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