Managing Gen Z Employees During a Pandemic

We’re eight months into ongoing COVID-19 shutdowns and remote work, with no end in sight. In fact, states across the country are now seeing huge surges in virus cases that dwarf the highs set in the summer months. Meanwhile, remote work has its benefits – comfy clothes, minimal (or no) makeup, no stressful commute – but there are downsides; it turns out, even for the most introverted among us, we miss the in-person interaction we once took for granted. We’re finding that valuable rapport among team members is built in the little side conversations during the day that we’re not having over video meetings. As a result, millions of people are feeling isolated. This is certainly a challenge for Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2012, many of whom have recently taken or are looking for their first jobs in the corporate world. They’re missing the in-person interaction that not only helps them build relationships with their colleagues, but also forms them into productive team players in a multigenerational work environment. Fortunately, the combination of available technology and savvy employers has eased the transition. One example is Doing Good Works (asi/222095) in Irvine, CA, a distributorship that sells branded merchandise to benefit the fostered youth community. In this episode of Promo Insiders, Sara Lavenduski, Advantages executive editor, speaks with Logan Altman, director of customer experience, and Jolene Pringle, customer experience liaison and a member of Gen Z, on what remote work has been like, the challenges of working from home and how Doing Good Works is effectively managing Gen Z employees at a distance.