[Flash] Not Enough Mentees? How Gen Z is Changing Mentorship

Historically, we’ve seen the opposite problem: too many mentees and insufficient mentors.

A recent study revealed that 94% of employees would stay with an organization longer if it offered mentoring.

So, then, why is there a dearth of mentees?

Introducing Gen Z

According to the Pew Research Center, people considered part of Generation Z (“Gen Zs”) were born between 1996 and 2012. Today, they are between 12 and 27 years old — our youngest employees in the workforce — ideal mentees.

As Jonathan Haidt highlights in his new, riveting book The Anxious Generation, two pivotal events occurred during Gen Z’s adolescence:

1. Launch of the iPhone
2. Proliferation of social media platforms

As Haidt explains, Gen Zs became the first generation whose social lives moved onto smartphones and social media. This resulted in a drastic shift from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood. 

According to Haidt, this shift robbed Gen Zs of essential growth and learning experiences. Isolated, they encountered a loss of shared stories, shared meanings, and human relationships.

In addition, Gen Zs experienced a “historical deprivation of freedom and unsupervised play” compared to previous generations. Why? Because their well-intentioned parents overprotected them from the real world and underprotected them from the new, virtual universe.

Ultimately, this digital intrusion has had an impact.

Surveys show that “Gen Zs are shyer, more risk averse, and less ambitious (due to risk aversion).”

Strategies to Mitigate the Digital Domination

Haidt advocates for:

• reinvigorating play and independence
• reimagining educational environments
• fostering real-world engagement
• bolstering resilience

Hello?! …Mentoring! 

But First, We Need to Reach this New Generation

While Haidt’s work helps explain the underlying factors shaping Gen Z’s psyche, we can’t engage them if we can’t reach them. 

Routinely mentoring program leaders invite participants using (1) mass emails promising career acceleration, and (2) general (often impersonal) announcements from leadership.

But these methods don’t kindle a generally shyer, risk-averse, and less outwardly ambitious population.

Solutions to Engage Gen Z in Mentoring

We need to create more personal communications and invitations that feel safer and are less assumptive about career trajectories while promising acceptance and belonging.

We also need to leverage their already trusting relationships to encourage the development of new trusting relationships.

• Look to managers, preceptors, and peers to personally encourage people to consider mentoring.
• Ask current participants to share stories about the difference their mentors have made.
• Decrease risks around participating (ex, nickname it a buddy program, set a time limit, give them an out).
• Deploy a structure with clear, uncomplicated expectations.
• Change the narrative from “drive your career success!” to “find a trusted champion.”
• Leverage group mentoring for smaller, safer environments.
• Incorporate in-person opportunities if possible.

Perspective and Empathy

While generational work always involves generalizations and hazards oversimplifying and categorizing people, it offers us greater perspective and empathy.

If we want to foster real-world engagement and resilience at work, mentoring is our superpower, but it only works if we effort to meet people where they are.

© 2024. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved.