Unlocking the superpowers of Gen Z

Irish Examiner

4 days ago

This is an interesting time in the evolution of the Early Careers space as it is being influenced by evolving graduate and employer expectations and wider economic shifts, according to Sinead D'Arcy, founder of Future-Roots.
'The University of Limerick recently published their 2025 Early Careers Employer Survey which highlighted stabilising graduate recruitment activity, with 88% of employers expecting graduate vacancy levels to remain the same or to increase in 2025/26.'
The report also highlighted a growing adoption of hybrid working, and rising salary expectations. 'While the interest in early careers initiatives remains stable from an industry perspective, the approach is evolving.
"For example, employers are increasingly moving away from credential-based hiring to skills-based hiring, rotational programmes are under question and internships and placements are increasingly hard to find.'
The Early Careers space is seeing an increased interest in apprenticeships from both an employer and an employee perspective, and, from a talent perspective, the option to earn-while-you-learn is an increasingly attractive option.
'From an employer perspective, in an increasingly competitive labour market, it broadens and diversifies the talent pool, opening it up to school leavers and career changers. There are clear challenges in the Early Careers space around employers understanding of how to attract, engage and retain young professionals, the role of AI in early careers hiring, work readiness of graduates and an increase in graduates accepting offers and subsequently withdrawing. All of which place a focus on employer branding, candidate experience, and communication throughout the recruitment process.'
Sinead D'Arcy, founder of Future-Roots.
Sinéad partners with organisations to define and refine their early talent strategy across the full 360 employee experience from attraction to selection, onboarding, ongoing development, retention and off-boarding.
She explains that the modern workforce is generally made up of four generations: Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y (Millennials), and Gen Z (Centennials). Gen Z are the newest entrants to the workforce and range in age from 13-28.
'Organisations tend to view Gen Z as students and recent graduates. However, the reality is, the eldest Gen Zer is already in team lead or junior management positions. According to the World Economic Forum Gen Z will account for 27% of the global workforce by the end of 2025.
'This generation are firmly in the spotlight as more Baby Boomers move towards retirement, Gen Z are replacing them, bringing a different perspective on how to succeed in the workplace.' Career progression is not about traditional vertical moves for this generation, she adds; it is equally about role enrichment, lateral moves, diagonal moves and opportunities to work cross functional with diverse groups.
There are multiple stakeholders in the successful execution of an early talent strategy, according to Sinead and the most important stakeholder is that of direct line manager. 'A common myth regarding Gen Z is that they are hard to manage. However, what if, in reality, they are under managed?
'Across all generations managers play a central role at each stage of our employee journey from their role in drafting a job description to interviewing at selection stage to onboarding, objective setting, ongoing development and career progression to offboarding. However, those promoted into people manager roles are often not given the support or training they need to effectively lead and manage teams.'
She increasingly works with employers to design and deliver manager training as organisations recognise the critical nature of the manager role.
'In my work with managers, I help them understand the multi-generational context and how to unlock the superpowers of Gen Z. The world of work is evolving at pace and Gen Z has grown up with a lot of uncertainty which is why they are attracted to employers who can provide clarity, transparency and stability.
'That includes knowing what's expected of them in their role, as well as what their career progression path looks like.' A generation who grew up in a world of 'perma-crisis' With over 20-years' experience establishing and leading graduate programmes across banking, telecommunications and FMCG sectors, Sinead has had the opportunity to work across the full 360 employee experience from attraction to selection, onboarding, ongoing development, retention and off-boarding.
Over that time, she has evolved offerings to fit the needs of Gen Y, prepared organisations for the arrival of Gen Z and is now looking ahead to the arrival of Generation Alpha to the workforce in 2030.
'This experience has provided a unique insight into different stakeholder perspectives in the Early Careers space, the evolution of the workforce and the future of work. This has led to establishing Future-Roots where I bring that experience to partnering with organisations on specific elements of the candidate or employee experience to unlock the potential and power of its early talent strategy to have maximum organisational impact.'
Each generation is shaped by their unique experiences, cultural touchstones, and the technological context in which they grew up.
'Gen Z grew up in the shadow of the pandemic and now, post pandemic, continue to grow up in what is increasingly referred to as a state of 'perma-crisis' in which climate change, housing shortage, cost of living crisis and geo-political unrest are an everyday reality. It is no surprise then that this generation seek out stability from employers.'
Gen Z completed a significant portion of their second or third level education online, some university graduates missed out on placements and internships, the option to study abroad and the opportunity to make in-person connections with teachers, lecturers and fellow students.
'This generation may be tech savvy, but they need our support in understanding how to show up at work, how to build relationships and how to understand the needs of older generations. Equally, older generations need to understand how Gen Z are reshaping how we work through their digital fluency, adaptability, appetite for continuous learning and focus on values.'
According to the CSO, the unemployment rate in Ireland currently stands at 4% which translates to a tight labour market where employers are competing for talent at all levels.
'This reflects an active job market and employer brand is proving increasingly influential in a candidate's consideration of where they want to work. Employer branding has both an external and an internal role to play for organisations,' she says.
'Externally it is an employer's reputation in the talent marketplace. Internally it is the employer's reputation among its own workforce. When executed effectively, employer brand strategy successfully attracts potential employees and retains existing employees.' Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is a key element of employer brand.
'Done well, EVP establishes employer expectations for performance and behaviour and clearly outlines what employees stand to gain for meeting them.' Sinead readily admits her interest in Early Careers stems from a broader interest in the multi-generational workforce and the impact each new generation has on shaping the now and the next of work.
'It is particularly inspiring to partner with employers who proactively look to the next generation for inspiration and guidance instead of seeing them as a threat or a challenge.'