Human Resources strategies for Integrating Gen Z into labor organization in Germany

Abstract

The young Generation Z, which for the first time has grown up "digital", seems to have a special understanding of work and places other demands on potential employers. While personal managers in Germany are just beginning to deal with the expectations of Generation Y, the first representatives of Generation Z, todays generation of children and young people, are already ahead of their career decision. In the German labor market, generations of baby boomers, X and Y are predominantly represented because of their current age. Meanwhile, the next generation is already in the starting holes and has partially arrived in the working world. These generation, designated as Generation Z (also Gen Z or iGen), are currently found in controversial articles in Germany. “Generation Z imagines the working world to be like a Facebook party and has less loyalty to the employer than to their gym shoes”. The extent to which such statements on personal patterns and individual ideas regarding the working world are correct, cannot be adequately documented, because the majority of these Generation Z born from 1995 are not yet employed. The "War for Talents" is the reason why companies will become an essential task in the next years to adjust to Generation Z and win them over for themselves. From a company perspective, it is therefore necessary to position itself on the labor market and to win the best talents for one´s organization. This article examines which Human Resources strategies German companies are pursuing. Based on these results, current strategies are compared with the labor organization requirements of Generation Z. Subsequently, recommendations are made for companies. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and practice in the area of Integrating Generation Z into labor organization.