With slight variations, Generation Z are defined as those born after 1995, with their immediate predecessors being millennials. This generation is naturally familiar with digital technology and social media, and have acquainted with the internet since young age.
Given this context, Gen Z in Myanmar could be extended as those born after 2000 and reaching adulthood by the second decade of the 21st Century. While the country overall may have lagged behind in several sectors, this generation in Myanmar is relatively updated with the rest of the world thanks to democratization of information by the internet. They also have inherently different attitudes on education, employment and their role in the world, so the following 5 tips can help you cultivate the best of them once they start hitting the talent market en masse.
1. Exceptional Candidate Experience
Gen Z grew up with tablets and mobile phones as ‘toys’ and so, staring at a screen for hours was never a burden. They also grew up in a seemingly utopian era of tech startups that were eager to address all the little hardships of daily life, such as saving 30 min of their time by ordering food on Yangon Door2Door instead of walking down the streets. In other words, they are organically tech savvy and take ‘convenience’ for granted.
Candidate experience, especially in technological platforms, they encounter throughout job posting, application and interview must be exceptionally brilliant. On a positive note, you won’t have to worry about applicants not understanding Google Drive and complex online procedures. Gen Z have a moderate amount of digital literacy and expect an even higher level of digital expertise from your company. In case your applicant portal is down or your website is not mobile friendly, they are less likely to have a second thought about your firm.
2. Highlight Professional Development
As in the case of Gen Z in other parts of the globe, Gen Z in Myanmar may have tendency to skip conventional channels in academia, especially higher education. After graduating (or not) from high school, they may choose weekend classes and online courses over university to start working at a tender age. This is particularly applicable to industries that demand job portfolio over formal credentials, such as creative works, graphic designs, UI/UX designs and IT programming.
As a compromise, they expect to learn through their professional ventures and work assignments. They may also be motivated to take some evening diploma classes at Yangon University or enroll computer programming courses on edX. In order to attract and retain them, you should highlight professional and personal development schemes your company is proud to offer, preferably via online interactive platforms.
3. Promote Diversity
This generation grew up with the mottos ‘Be Yourself’ and ‘Follow Your Heart’ and they surely do. After decades of isolation and restrictions, Gen Z in Myanmar enjoyed compared to their elders relative freedom and a variety of options starting from their teenage years after 2010. They will come in different shapes and sizes in terms of physical, emotional, political and racial attributes, which they are often encouraged to possess and tolerate. Thus, they have absolutely no problem working with diverse people, and in fact, it has even become a norm.
Your work culture must be inclusive and willing to facilitate different motivations of different individuals. This includes a range of activities from inclusive HR policies such as non-discriminations towards minorities to creating an open workspace while also designing private corners for recreation. Myanmar Gen Z are also likely to break down stereotypes, especially those surrounding gender, so you can warmly welcome ambitious and charismatic businesswomen keeping an eye on the C-suite.
4. Facilitate Their Multifaceted Nature
At the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, every change is exponentially swift, and so is the mindset of Gen Z. Between 2012 and 2017, mobile penetration in Myanmar skyrocketed from a mere 10% to oversaturation, disrupting every industry as they knew it, but this is the level of pace they have adapted to. As a result, they will continue to expect similar degrees of evolution in workplace which otherwise would seem like a dull, stagnant environment.
This is not restricted to technological advancements but also involves work assignments too. They display explosive spikes of passion at times that may run out very quickly, so embrace them when they are burning. They are attracted by fluid organizations which allow them to experience multiple roles with interdisciplinary sectors, so in other words, they wish to taste a little bit of everything. This could be implemented by shadowing, rotational programs and reverse mentorships.
5. Understand Their Job-Hopping Nature
We are talking about a generation that is bold enough to challenge the status quo of formal education and conventional employment schemes, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise when they are not willing to dedicate themselves in one company. Looking at the current job landscape in Myanmar, nearly 75% employees have worked in two or more firms in the past four years as indicated in a 2018 survey by JobNet, Roland Berger and Dale Carnegie Myanmar. Extrapolated with other global reports, there is a possibility that Gen Z will follow this turnover trend.
However, this is not because they are disloyal but simply because they would outgrow the company. Their first jobs are possibly those SMEs founded by millennials or senior generations, which after a few years can run out of upward mobility for Gen Z. On a positive side, this means that Gen Z are willing to grow with the company as long as the firm is scalable and can provide rooms for professional development. Cherish their creative and entrepreneurial traits, and instead of letting them go to create their startups, offer them ‘intrapreneurial’ opportunities by letting them establish a startup within your own company.