Close the Gen Z Gap

Three ways to serve up success with young foodservice employees

By Scott Greenberg

“So, what’s the most stressful part of running your operation?”

I pose this question to audience members before every conference keynote. Most answer the same: “Employees.” High turnover, frequent call-outs, apathy—
many foodservice employers just can’t get the stability and performance they need from their Gen Z teams.

For more than a decade, I led teams of young workers in my Edible Arrangements stores, and I also struggled. Years of working as a motivational speaker didn’t help. But it did add some pressure. Not only did I have to save my retail business, but I also had to save my reputation.

Through a lot of trial and error, we began to make progress. We improved retention and employee satisfaction. Our online customer reviews got better, as did sales. We won awards for customer service and management, and we became one of the top locations in California—all with the help of our young team.

Cracking the Gen Z Code

Since then, I’ve come across many restaurants and foodservice organizations who’ve cracked the code with Gen Z employees. They’ve developed management habits that have increased their influence over young workers and improved team performance. If you replicate their tactics, you can replicate their results.

Here are three ways to create a work environment that will help build a strong Gen Z team:

1. Mind the Gap

Generation Z is different. But it’s your relationship with them that makes the difference. Many complain that Gen Z lacks a strong work ethic, is soft, and is unresponsive to traditional workplace expectations. “Kids these days,” they say, echoing the same grievance employers have said for centuries. Generation gaps have always created tension in the management-employee dynamic.

Top employers reduce the gap by putting their opinions aside. They instead make objective observations about young workers and adapt to their needs. They don’t coddle or enable them. They just seek to understand them and manage accordingly—just as they seek to understand their customers and serve them accordingly. They recognize Gen Z values life balance more than ambition. They realize they’re more emotionally attuned (sensitive, but also empathetic). They respond to their need for a lot of feedback and, when earned, positive reinforcement.

Your criticism about Gen Z may be correct. But it’s not helpful—not if you want to manage them. Put your judgment aside and try to better understand them. Manage them as they are, not as you think they should be. Then you’ll get them to where they can be.

2. Meet Their “Soft Needs”

Most bosses focus on hard needs—the tangible things people want from a job, such as money and benefits. “Soft needs” refer to their emotional wants. For Gen Z, these include respect, praise, personal growth, safety (including emotional safety) and a sense of belonging. Even if you can’t pay them more, you can create a superior work experience. Their soft needs may be different than yours and from each other’s. One person may appreciate schedule flexibility, while another may be desperate for a pat on the back. Some may just want to be someplace less toxic than home.

The more you can determine what drives individual workers, the easier it’ll be for you to motivate your team and win more loyalty. Salary alone won’t do the trick. Employees should be paid fairly, but those workplaces who also strive to elevate the emotional experience for employees (just as you strive to elevate the emotional experience for customers) will become employers of choice.

3. Make Culture Tangible

Mission and value statements are often way too abstract to be meaningful for young workers. Do they really connect their work with “making the world a better place”? Are you sure they know what “Integrity” actually looks like on the job?

I encourage my clients to make culture more tangible by emphasizing behaviors that reflect it. If one of their company values is “Integrity,” they might say:

These agreements reflect the value but are easier to understand and reinforce. They also make it easier to hold employees accountable.

Take your culture off the mountaintop and bring it onto the floor. Discuss it in practical terms, and celebrate those who consistently demonstrate it.

You may not believe it’s possible to build a strong, reliable team of Gen Z employees. I sympathize, but I can’t ignore the results I’ve gotten or those of the many diverse employers I’ve observed. They’ve proven it’s possible. You can transform your team from your biggest challenge into your greatest asset. But only if you’re willing to provide them with the greatest management.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott Greenberg is a speaker, writer and coach who helps leaders grow their business. His new book is called Stop the Shift Show: Turn Your Struggling Hourly Workers Into a Top-Performing Team. For more information, visit ScottGreenberg.com.