A recent study has revealed that seven in 10 bosses struggle to manage Gen Z employees but appreciate their creativity and adaptability in the workplace. So, how can you unlock the creative potential of Gen Z for your competitive advantage?
The research, conducted by HiBob, found that managers feel creativity and adaptability are lacking in older employees, yet a quarter (25%) would replace a Gen Z employee with a worker from another age group if they could.
Difficulties managers reported facing with younger employees include attitudes towards authority (41%), emotional intelligence (38%), and level of professionalism (34%).
In addition, a previous study that set out to highlight the full potential of Gen Z identified their biggest strengths in the workplace as adaptability, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
Guy Thornton, Founder of Practice Aptitude Tests, explains below how aptitude tests could be the key to unlocking Gen Z’s full potential in the workplace, and the benefit these assessments have during the hiring process to identify skills and opportunities and reduce friction further down the line:
- Analyse cognitive abilities
Aptitude tests identify key cognitive strengths, such as creative thinking and problem-solving skills, which allow managers to understand and leverage a younger candidate’s natural talents.
Identifying these strengths during the hiring process helps managers gain a deeper understanding of a candidate’s potential, and enables them to assign relevant tasks that align with their creative and problem-solving abilities further down the line.
- Tailor management strategies
Utilising tests that assess a candidate’s personality and work preferences will help managers understand how Gen Z employees prefer to work, communicate, and collaborate.
For example, while some younger employees may thrive in a flexible and independent environment, others might benefit more from clear guidance and structure. By identifying these characteristics early, managers can tailor their strategies to better suit diverse employee needs, alleviating challenges in managing the younger generation while allowing them to thrive creatively.
- Improve communication and collaboration
Aptitude tests are a great way to reveal potential communication barriers or styles that may differ between managers and younger employees.
Identifying these differences through assessments will help managers implement communication strategies to reduce misunderstandings and create clear and effective channels for collaboration with Gen Z employees.
- Highlight adaptability
Gen Z are known for their ability to adapt quickly to changing environments. Since aptitude tests can measure cognitive flexibility, managers can utilise this to assign younger employees to more dynamic roles.
This ensures younger employees are suited to roles that highlight their strengths and help them flourish in positions that value their flexibility.
- Reduce friction through role alignment
To ensure Gen Z employees are placed in roles that match their skills and preferences, aptitude tests can be conducted in the interview process to help minimise potential friction further down the line.
The assessments will reveal the candidate’s strengths and preferences within the workplace, which allow for better role alignment to reduce performance-related tensions.
