Managing Gen Z: a framework for being autonomous and agile

How do you manage a generation that wants to be autonomous, free, participate in strategic choices and do everything at once? Carine Chemin-Bouzir, a professor in NEOMA's People and Organisations Department, explores a few ideas.

A framework to be autonomous and agile

They want autonomy, they want flexibility, they want meaningful work... On these expectations, the young people of generation Z are perhaps a little more uncompromising than their elders. In the event of a setback, they could take to the skies. So what is the role of the manager? This is not questioned: they do not want to be freewheeling. But it is his role that is at stake. "In companies, management "à la papa" no longer appeals to young people", was the headline in Le Monde last November. Authoritarian hierarchical superiors who control and punish have never been in such low regard. Young people who have received a more flexible and "empowering" education are not ready to bend. It is impossible for them to be infantilised in the professional world. But that is not all.

In the company, young people want to learn, to learn quickly, they want to develop their potential, they want to gain in skills. They will not be fooled: tasteless missions, the obligatory passage to a place in the sun, are not for them. There is no question of being tired From the outset, they expect advice, they want to be accompanied, pushed and coached. The manager becomes a coach," says Carine Chemin-Bouzir. The manager must be present, he must be accessible and answer questions. Because these young people are eager to learn, to have fun and to build their CVs. She adds: "Today, they no longer have this notion of a job for life, and even less so in a single company. So if the work is too poor or too routine, if the job doesn't suit them, they leave.

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