There is a saying in Vietnam that said: “As bamboos grow old, young shoots spring up” — which describes the continuity between one generation and the next and implies the hope that the young will carry on to complete what is left unfinished by the old. This is also a reflection of the Vietnam workplace as the younger generations are taking over with hard work and creativity and are set to become the future of the country. As Millennials and Generation Z begin their careers and enter the workforce, it is important for companies to understand the thoughts and beliefs that these generations carry in order to attract and retain them in the workplace.
Millennials (also known as Gen Y) are those who are born between 1981 and 1996 and they make up 35% of the Vietnamese population. Generation Z are those who are born between 1997 and 2012 and they’re about 20% of the Vietnamese population. Obviously, speaking from a work perspective, millennials are already building their careers while the early Generation Z are just fresh graduates and about to enter the workforce. However, these two generations have a lot of similarities within their thinking and functioning, thus, knowing both would allow companies and managers to utilize and gain the best human capital.
So, where do the similarities lie? Firstly, they are both experience-driven people who find joy in travelling and discovering new things. As they are given the luxury of a much more decent life thanks to their parents, they find fulfillment in more sentimental and immaterial things rather than in physical assets. As a result, when it comes to working, these generations really prefer companies who can give them the work-life balance that they very much value. Not only that, they care less about the money and more on the experience and quality that the job could provide them.
Secondly, they are skeptical customers to your products and to your companies. They are born into the decade of the Internet and everything being only one click away, it is not difficult for them to just pull out their phone and type the names of whatever it is they want to research on. They can read online reviews or ads from big influencers and take it as a recommendation but they would still need affirmations from close relationships to make sure they are making the right decision. This applies to even their working career. Companies know their employees are their most important customers, be prepared for the millennials and gen Z as they will definitely be difficult ones.
Thirdly, they have purpose-driven expectations and are heavily interested in social justice. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, animal rights, consumers’ rights and environmental sustainability are all major concerns. Both generations are driven by these issues, and they expect the same level of commitment from the companies they work for. Both generations have been exposed to an ever increasing volume of ads and information online. Over time, this digital deluge has resulted in a significantly shortened attention span.
Having a clearer understanding of what goes behind their brains, managers also need to feed the demands that they may have when it comes to working — from their office preference, hours flexibility, job experience, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented these two generations with the opportunity to work from home and it has now become their preferred choice.
They mostly want to work in person only if it is group projects and they also favor innovative, open space offices over cubicles like the old days. The office of their dream is comfortable, professional, modern, creative, playful. They also have a tendency to work more independently as they tend to do their research, work on projects themselves and only ask for help later when they are stuck. Having said that, they have the constant need to be given feedback, at least once a week, as they want to continuously polish their skills and improve on their work. Their real need is to learn — especially technical job skills and soft skills like Networking and Communication.
As mobile and social devices have defined the everyday life of Millennials and Generation Z, this habit has also been integrated into their way of working. Communication by instant messaging is most loved by both of these generations, in comparison to video calls and email as well as in-person meetings and phone calls. The reason for this is that IM allows them more flexibility in the work location and saves time in coming up with a formal way of saying or writing something.
Therefore, the best ways to design a way of working that fits both these generations are to: firstly understand their ways of communication and preferences; secondly, allow them to work both in in-person groups and remote independently, allow them to explore and research on their own and support them once they come to you for questions; and thirdly, give them frequent feedback in ways that help them grow as a professional and a human being.
After all that demands, many would wonder what exactly would they contribute to building the company and shaping the future of society? With their keenness and adaptability with the new devices , they are utilizing the best technological solutions out there to deal with repetitive tasks and focus more on fundamental and business planning. Also with their need for self-growth, they will be more proactive when it comes to training and upskilling in order to better themselves professionally.
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Their skepticism can also help play a role in digging deeper to find the best and most satisfactory answers to work problems. By having a multi-generational company, Not only can more experienced colleagues provide mentorship to young people who are just starting their careers, but younger generations like millennials and Gen Z can also help educate older generations about how to adapt to the ways the world is changing. Older generations and younger generations working together can create a strong combination of experience and innovation that leads to a successful, steadily evolving and improving workflow. The difference in their life experience adds diversity to the overall mindset of a work team.
Understanding millennials and generation Z in Vietnam workforce is a good step to building a more stable and sustainable company because in a blink of an eye, it will soon be them who are in charge. Training and supporting them as they enter the workplace is both a duty and an honor because you are not only building the next generation of your company, you are also shaping the future of Vietnam.
JobHopin Team
Bibliography:
Indeed Editorial Team. (n.d.). Gen Z vs Millennials in the Workplace: What Are the Differences? Indeed Career Guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/gen-z-vs-millennials.
Duong, D. (2020, November 26). Here are key success factors to attract and retain Vietnam’s Gen Z in the workplace. Vietnam Insider. https://vietnaminsider.vn/here-are-key-success-factors-to-attract-and-retain-vietnams-gen-z-in-the-workplace/.
Rossum, D. van. (2021, July 16). Vietnam’s Gen Z In The Workplace — How They Want to Work. Vietcetera. https://vietcetera.com/en/vietnams-gen-z-in-the-workplace-how-they-want-to-work.
Nguyen, T. (2021, May 4). What Vietnam’s Millennials and Gen Z want from brands. We Create Content. https://wecreatecontent.asia/content-marketing-blog-asia/vietnam-millennials-gen-z.