Last modified: 2019-12-19
Abstract
Members of Generation Z (Gen Z), one of the largest and most diverse generations, are now entering the workforce. To help their employers contend with the global landscape, they must possess various skills and technical knowledge. As individuals and companies face the barrage of data and information, they need to discern its usefulness, reliability, and relevancy. Gathering, evaluating, and effectively using data for key decision making has become a more discriminate and technical task. While the typical soft skills like leadership, communication, and collaboration are indispensable, other skills like critical thinking, information literacy, problem solving, and the perpetual ability to learn are needed for gaining and sustaining that competitive edge. This paper explores who Gen Zers are, how they learn, what they need for career success, and strategies to help them become information literate, honing skills for the ethical use of information, critical thinking, problem solving, and lifelong learning needed in the workplace.