There are many factors that are holding young Gen Z workers back from achieving their full potential, but the lack of career mentorship might be their biggest limitation. A new study of career mentorship among Gen Z found that an increasing number of them lack confidence in securing their futures, mental health, work-life balance, and finances. The feelings of isolation could be attributed to many beginning their careers in isolation due to remote work setups, however, even those enthusiastic about returning to the office feel uncertainty in their careers.
The mentorship crisis within the workplace is a problem across generations, but the issue is most evident among young workers at the start of their careers, unsure of what comes next. Providing Gen Z with guidance at work could be the single most critical factor to improving engagement and building up the future workforce of any given industry, but this requires the active involvement of HR teams and employers.
Increasing career mentorship opportunities for Gen Z can not only help them fit into the workplace better but also help shape the future of the workforce. (Image: Pexels)
The Lack of Career Mentorship Being Extended to Gen Z Is Causing Confidence to Dip
Gen Zers are facing overwhelming uncertainties, and that lack of career mentorship is partially to blame for it. A new survey by The Harris Poll and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) found that nearly three in four young people lack access to mentorship, despite it being a critical resource that could transform the confidence they feel in their careers.
Only 41% of the youth feel confident about navigating the job market as it stands today, and the number declines further when mentorship is absent. “Despite having the highest educational achievement rates in history, our youth are facing a confidence crisis,” Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer of The Harris Poll, said. “This isn’t about work ethic – it’s about a generation that needs guidance.”
Why Should Mentorship and Gen Z Guidance at Work Be a Priority?
Is the provision of mentorship really that critical? Certainly! Mentorship can narrow the margins between learning and applying, providing a more curated path towards success. The Harris Poll report also focused on the life-changing impact of mentorship and found that 84% believe mentorship opens doors to new opportunities and possibilities.
Around 83% say that mentorship helps bridge the gap between what they learn in the classroom and how it translates into the real world. This connection is often hard for workers to derive on their own, especially when employers are impatient with them, but a guiding hand can turn things around considerably. For 81%, it was easier to feel confident, not just about work, but about school and life as well, thanks to mentorship.
You might point to parents as possible mentors if the industry is short on experts sharing their expertise, however, the role of the family is limited here. There is only so much insight families can provide, with 65% claiming that a conversation with an adult outside of their family changed the trajectory of their careers. Gen Z’s mentorship crisis is an easy problem to solve, but one that requires active intervention from employers or experts in every industry.
Gen Z Workers Are Stuck In a Precarious Position
Growing up, Gen Zers, digital natives of the highest order and the most educated of the generations that came before them, were promised fruitful careers if they kept their eyes focused on their education. Right from the start, the relevance of college degrees as the ultimate goal has been emphasized to them. But now that many have successfully finished acquiring an education, it is evident that the job market isn’t ready to hire them.
Entry-level roles are being increasingly filled with AI tools, blocking off their way into the workforce. Employers have written off the generation as a whole, vowing not to hire from their ranks due to their demands and overt preferences. Finding work is growing harder than ever, forcing these workers into relying on part-time jobs and side gigs to make a living.
Not only does this limit their career opportunities, but it has also led their confidence in their careers to fall. These young workers are growing increasingly unsure of where to picture themselves a few years down the line, and while this decline in confidence is unhealthy for them, it is also risky for the job market.
It’s up to HR to Address the Gen Z Mentorship Crisis
Gen Z lacks career guidance or any form of support in the workplace. Unlike what we typically believe of the population, these workers aren’t looking for shortcuts or an easy way out. Many are ambitious and willing to do whatever it takes to find success while also holding on to the values that define them. This does not have to be a bad thing. Gen Z workers who are passionate about their work-life balance or personal goals are likely to be equally passionate about their jobs.
The mentorship crisis within the workplace shows that the labor force has grown more scattered and segmented over the years, operating in silos rather than as one cohesive team. The growing sense of division within the workplace and the threat of layoffs have pushed workers to look out for themselves over everything else, contributing further to the abject decline of mentorship.
Organizations that want to come out stronger will do well to reorganize the workforce to be more cohesive, allowing knowledge and learning to trickle down through the ranks. If Gen Z workers appear unprepared for the workforce, mentorship can help them fit in better.
In the coming years, Gen Zers will make up the majority of the workforce; this is an inevitable outcome. Avoiding hiring from their ranks or choosing to skip them during promotions will only leave them further unprepared for the responsibilities that are to come. Increasing career confidence among Gen Z is essential not just for their well-being, but for the future of work as well.
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