Timing has never been kind to Gen Z. From growing up in the shadow of the Great Recession to spending some of the most formative years of their education in a global pandemic, they seem to have inherited one disruption after another.

Now, it’s the upheaval caused by a convergence of challenges that have fundamentally reshaped the journey into the workplace. As more entry-level roles are assumed by AI—as onboarding and mentorship are deprioritized under leaner teams and heavier workloads—and as the gap between employer expectations and new-hire experience continues to widen, it’s no surprise that so many young people are feeling insecure.

In the latest episode of Wellbeing at Work, a podcast by Workplace Options, a TELUS Health company, President and CEO Alan King joins marketing specialists Emily Morgan and Abbey Elias to discuss what organizations can do to create a more supportive work environment and empower the next generation of talent.

Together, they explore how leaders can balance technological advancement with employee development, create a more personalized and organic onboarding experience, and embed a culture of leadership at all levels of the organization.

Read the transcript of their conversation below:

Emily: To get us started, I want to talk about the issue that’s top of mind for most Gen Z workers: AI. Last year, it was reported that over two-fifths of global leaders reduced or cut entry-level roles due to AI, while another 43 percent plan to do so this year. As entry-level jobs disappear and more tasks are assumed by the new technology, how can leaders ensure Gen Z’s talent is still developed—and that AI is used in a way that’s empowering? 

Alan: I think it’s a very interesting question—not just because it’s about AI, but more importantly, because it’s about how we use talent in different organizations. And the one thing that I think I would preface everything with is that while AI is certainly the newest technology on the horizon, it is not the first time that, as a society, we’ve been impacted by entirely new and what many had determined to be entirely transformative types of technology. So I think the first step is to recognize that AI is in fact a tool, and can assist what the human being can do, but it cannot replace what the human being can do. That’s number one—understanding what the technology is capable of doing and what it is not capable of doing.

Secondarily, organizations need to figure out how AI then fits within the realm of their workplace. It’s interesting because in this conversation, we’re talking about Gen Z. But I’ve had other interviews where people have asked me the same question for existing workers, for more mature workers, “What does this mean?” So, as I said, for me the number one goal here is to understand what the technology can do for each organization that it’s a part of, but the other piece of that is having an open discussion as an organization about what it is, what it is not, and how it affects each individual workplace.

Abbey: Thank you so much for that insight. Continuing off of that, as we’re thinking about how we can empower Gen Z within the context of a changing workplace, how can organizations ensure they’re creating a culture of inclusion and belonging right from the beginning? In my own experience, I found the job application and hiring process to be rather impersonal, and especially now with the rise of remote and hybrid work, it’s rare to receive proper onboarding. So how can leaders make sure Gen Z enters the workforce feeling confident and supported? 

Alan: You’re going to hear me say this a lot, and it’s probably not the best answer for a podcast that’s about Gen Z, but I think it really comes down to how organizations onboard any new person into their organization. Generational age may impact individual expectations, but it doesn’t impact on what an organization needs to do in order to successfully introduce new people into its organization. 

And in some ways, it’s a little bit easier if you’re talking to someone who’s brand new to the workforce, because there are no prior expectations. There are no prior experiences. Someone coming in is coming in fresh and new. And so in that regard, the onboarding experience—if it’s a good experience—isn’t just about telling someone about the company they’re joining, but it’s also about getting their perspective on that process of coming in and learning and understanding through a new set of eyes in order to build a better onboarding and overall employee experience.

One of the things that we are working on now as we’re part of this broader telehealth community is how we blend the cultures of the different organizations together so that it isn’t about one culture winning while another loses, but about celebrating the fact that culture is an evolutionary type of thing. That as each new person comes into the organization—just by nature of their uniqueness and who they are—they have the opportunity to impact on how that culture is expressed and understand. If it’s done well, it’s organic. So, in my mind, the key part of this is defining the culture of the organization and then having that definition be applicable to every generation of worker and looking thoughtfully to ask people for their thoughts and ideas as they come in and grow with an organization.

Abbey: Absolutely, and I think in order to talk about that culture-building we have to talk about leadership. Because without effective leadership, none of these strategies can take root.

At this time, research shows that managers are clearly struggling, with many reporting high levels of stress, burnout, heavy workloads, and time constraints. In the face of these challenges, how can organizations ensure their managers are in a position to support incoming talent?

Alan: A couple of things. One of them goes back to what we were just saying earlier about AI. This is exactly an area where AI can assist—by getting rid of those mundane tasks that get in the way of what managers and leaders need to do.

If you’re spending all of your time on administrative work, then you’re not spending that time interacting and engaging with your team. And it’s not just about cultural change. It’s not just about leadership for leadership’s sake. It’s about education, understanding, two-way communication, and keeping people engaged in the organization.

So, number one, I think what companies can do is identify what they’re really paying managers and leaders to do that are consequential to their job, and then review how they’re spending their time. Are they spending the vast majority of their time on those tasks? Or has the company put in place such rigid bureaucracy or boundaries or rule-making that their time is spent filling out forms or working on tasks that are less valuable in the outcome? That is certainly a piece of it.

The second piece is that leadership needs to be first and foremost at the heart of an organization’s culture. And within that, it also needs to be defined not as a title, but as a skill. So if you are an entry-level person just starting out with an organization and you figure out a better way to do something, you become a leader in being able to share what you learned with others. Leadership often gets confused with title, and that’s a problem because the potential for leadership is within every individual.

I think it’s really important to elevate leaders who are vulnerable, who are open to learning, and accept the fact that we don’t get everything right or necessarily have all the answers. The right idea or the right solution can come from all levels of the organization. So embedding that culture of leadership at all levels, I believe, is the number one thing organizations can do to ensure Gen Z workers feel supported and empowered to contribute.

Emily: Absolutely. Thank you, Alan.

Well this has been a fantastic conversation. Thank you so much again, Alan, for joining us today and taking the time to answer our questions. And to our listeners, thanks for tuning in. Be sure to visit our webpage for more information about our services and stay tuned for future episodes of our Wellbeing at Work podcast.

Until then, thanks for listening, and take care.

To learn more about our services and how we help develop resilient, thriving teams, connect with us today.