With only around 17% of young Rwandans employed in the formal sector, you would think that finally securing a job in a respected organisation would be cause for celebration. Yet many company leaders report that their youngest employees are among the hardest to engage.
This is not solely a Rwandan phenomenon. For more than a decade, Deloitte has surveyed Generation Z employees (born between 1995 and 2007) and Millennials (born between 1983 and 1994) around the world. The findings consistently show that many young employees expect work to provide more than financial security. They want meaningful work, opportunities to learn, flexibility, supportive leadership and a genuine sense of purpose. When those expectations are not met, engagement suffers.
Older managers may see younger employees as entitled. Equally, many young employees experience traditional management as unsupportive and out of touch. The result is mutual frustration. Rather than viewing these differences irreconcilable, organisations can help employees understand each other better. Deloitte’s research, together with our own experience working with organisations in Rwanda, suggests that Generation Z performs best when four fundamental needs are met.
Purpose: Young employees want to know that their work matters. They are more motivated when leaders explain how their role contributes to the success of the team, the organisation and, where possible, society more broadly. They do not simply want instructions. They want context. They want to understand why their work is worth doing and how it contributes to something larger than themselves. Leaders strengthen this sense of purpose by regularly connecting everyday work to meaningful outcomes and recognising the contribution each person makes.
Empowerment: Having grown up with immediate access to information, Generation Z expects a degree of autonomy that many previous generations did not experience early in their careers. They want opportunities to solve problems, make decisions and learn from experience rather than simply follow instructions. They also expect regular feedback, transparency and a clear understanding of how they can progress. This does not mean they want to be left alone. On the contrary, they value leaders who coach them, share information openly and provide the support needed to take ownership of increasingly challenging work.
Belonging: Generation Z wants to feel included rather than kept at the edge of the organisation. They value leaders who explain strategy, share information openly and involve them in conversations about the future of the business. They also need opportunities to build genuine relationships through mentoring, teamwork and regular contact with colleagues. When people feel informed, connected and trusted, they are far more likely to contribute their ideas, support one another and remain committed to the organisation.
Career choice: Deloitte’s research suggests that many Generation Z employees think differently about career success than previous generations. Leadership is not automatically seen as the obvious next step. Many recognise the demands leadership can place on time, family life and mental wellbeing, and are prepared to wait for the right opportunity rather than pursuing promotion as quickly as possible. This should not be confused with a lack of ambition. Generation Z still wants to earn more, take on greater responsibility and build successful careers. However, they increasingly expect to make those decisions on their own terms. They want careers that fit the lives they want to lead, not lives built around their careers.Start writing here...