Welcome to a special edition of the Catalyst podcast, Breaking with Tradition filmed live at the 2024 Catalyst Awards! This is season 1, episode 3: What does Gen Z want in a workplace?
Everybody’s talking about the new multigenerational workplace—and for good reason. The newest generation, Generation Z, will soon make up over a third of the global population and a quarter of the global workforce.
Born after 1996, Gen Z is bringing new expectations and priorities to the workplace. From better work-life balance, a bigger investment in mental health, and their preference to work with companies that prioritize DEI, this generation is already making waves.
On this episode, join hosts Lucy and Victoria as they sit down with Remington Bennett, former Content Writer and Producer at The Female Quotient to talk about how the multi-generational workplace will shift future workplace cultures and priorities.
Our conversation will help you learn how companies can successfully manage the challenges a multigenerational workplace brings, while still accelerating diversity, equity, and inclusion progress.
Hosts and guest
Lucy Kallin, Executive Director, EMEA, Catalyst
Victoria Kuketz, Director, Corporate Engagement, Canada, Catalyst
Remington Bennett has diverse work experience spanning multiple industries. At the time of filming, they worked as a Content Producer at The Female Quotient since 2022. Prior to that, they held various roles at The New York Times from 2019 to 2022, including Assistant to the Managing Editor, Executive Assistant for Global Enterprise Subscriptions, and Executive Assistant for Advertising. From 2017 to 2019, they were a Production Coordinator to the Chief of Staff at OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.
Remington Bennett has pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
In this episode
- 1:44 | About Remington. Who is Remington Bennett and what is The Female Quotient all about?
- 2:44 | A clash of workplace values. Gen Z (or Gen Zed according to Lucy) is quickly changing the demographics at work—how do their ideas square with older generations?
- 5:18 | Leaving no one behind. How can the generations work together to accelerate DEI in an evolving workplace?
- 7:42 | Creating belonging cross-generation. Women in each generation share universal experiences that shape them.
- 10:34 | Mentorship works both ways. Regardless of age, professionals both young and old have something to teach each other.
- 11:23 | Misconceptions about Gen Z. How do we “close the gap” of the assumptions and stereotypes older generations may hold of Gen Z?
- 15:13 | Creating a space of safety, inspiration, and productivity. Prioritizing diversity creates a space where many voices have a seat at the table.
- 17:28 | Men as advocates for change. Remington shares a story about bringing together a powerful all-male panel to support gender equity in the workplace.
Favorite moments
- 4:00 | Remington: Now as we’re starting to come back to work, RTO, returning to the office, is top of mind for a lot of leaders. But younger generations are looking at that and saying, well, what’s happening to this workplace flexibility that we were experiencing before during the pandemic, is that now going to be desolate?
- 4:52 | Lucy: The dynamics have changed now… there’s [more of a sense that] we want a different world for this new generation that’s coming in.
- 7:05 | Remington: I think there needs to be more opportunities for mentorship for the two [generations] to come together, because… often there’s no communication between the two.
- 9:17 | Remington: When we connect with each other, let’s look for what’s similar about your life that’s similar about my life. Even though we exist in different times, how can I relate to you in a way that every human can?
- 14:03 | Remington: [On assumptions that Gen Z employees are ‘lazy’] I think it’s all about reframing how we have these conversations… Instead of assuming that they don’t want to do anything, ask questions first and then lead with empathy, lead with emotion, lead with vulnerability—that’s effective for this new generation.
- 15:30 | Victoria: When I think about what that really means [to have a truly inclusive workplace], it comes down to feeling safe, feeling inspired, and wanting to create and be productive and do something in the world.
- 16:13 | Remington: A story is the voices of many, right? And if you only have one type of person telling that story, then to the people reading or watching or looking at that story, they start to feel like their voice doesn’t matter.
Research you can use
- Generation Z, the Future Workforce (Trend Brief)
- 7 Lessons From 4 Generations on Working Together
- Retaining Frontline Retail Talent: Focus on Caregivers, People from Marginalized Racial and Ethnic Groups, and Gen Z
Statistics & References
- Deloitte: Understanding Generation Z in the workplace
- World Economic Forum: Gen Z Demands Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
- European Parliament: Next generation or lost generation? Children, young people and the pandemic
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