Without exception, all the family business leaders I am talking to right now are grappling with the often-thorny issue of how to attract and retain Generation Z colleagues.

This younger generation of workers are coming into the workplace with often very different ideas of how they want their work life to be and what they expect from us as employers. And sometimes it’s hard to know how best to react to that as their approach to life may be very different from ours.

However, the good news is that many family businesses already have a great track record of evolving with the times and staying ahead of the curve. 

So, who could be better placed to motivate and harness the power of this younger generation?

Plus, you have that fantastic USP of your purpose, values and culture.

So, what do Gen Z want?

Here are a few tips (not an exhaustive list) based on my experience and some additional work I’ve been doing in this area recently. Which of these could work for you?

• Let’s start with the big one as far as family businesses are concerned and one that we can really leverage – Gen Z seeks PURPOSE. This generation is really looking for purpose-driven leadership. Showcase your family purpose, mission and values and help them to see how their daily contributions align with this greater purpose.

• Promote and embrace diversity and inclusion – Gen Z values a workplace that celebrates and supports difference. Make sure you are fostering an environment where all voices are heard and valued and where everyone is supported to succeed.

• Prioritise work-life balance – as far as Gen Z is concerned there is a lot more to life than just work so make sure you promote any flexible working practices you have in place so that they can achieve the balance they crave.

• Leverage technology – this generation has grown up in the digital age, so they won’t be particularly motivated if you have antiquated technology in place. Show how you are leveraging technology to drive efficiencies and improve and enhance communication. Who knows, they might even have ideas of how we can do it even better!

• Provide clear paths for growth – Gen Z are used to having everything on demand whether it be Google searches, YouTube videos, streaming platforms, and everything else besides. They can also have very short attention spans compared to previous generations. So, we need to make it clear to them how they can learn and grow and the individual stepping stones towards that growth. The more we can provide learning opportunities in bite-sized chunks, the better.

• Promote transparent communication to build trust – again Gen Z come from the communication age, and they value transparency and honesty in communication. Keep your team informed of business decisions and the reasons behind them. Communication should be constant but relatively short and always relevant.

• Provide instant feedback and recognition – this generation is not used to waiting! If someone has done a good job, don’t won’t until a formal performance discussion to tell them. Give the feedback in the moment and celebrate achievements both big and small.

• Provide an attractive work environment – if your offices are looking a bit tired or the working atmosphere is one of silence and where fun is frowned upon, this may not be the ideal workspace for Gen Z. Take a fresh look with a critical eye at your environment and ask would I want to work here – or more to the point would my 22-year-old son want to work here?

You might be asking yourself, why should we make all these changes for Generation Z? We have lots of other employees besides them? But here’s the thing….what is attractive and motivational for Gen Z is often appealing to the rest of your workforce too.

Plus, we know that this group is vital for the long-term success of our businesses. We can’t afford not to get this right!

This isn’t about revolution, it’s about evolution and we know that this is something that family businesses are very good at!