Flexible Generation Z

Phil: Earlier we spoke about the nuances of the great resignation – as we look at foodservice jobs in particular, there are benefits especially for Gen Z – but with a generation that is known for job hopping what can we do? Sally? 

Sally: Tim Weiderhoft, the CEO of Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade is suggesting that maybe we think about today as not the great resignation, but the great migration while hospitality and restaurant jobs were among the first layoffs. When the pandemic shutdown began in March of 2020, these are also employees that we found out society leaned on and we needed them a lot more than we realized, but they aren't feeling respected. They're working in toxic environments. They have low pay and no benefits. And those are just a few of the reasons why after time off and reflection that many of them do not want to return to these positions. Weiderhoft talks about gen Z employees specifically and suggests that they aren't looking to climb the corporate ladder. They're looking for weekend money, gas, money, and a job to help them support them while they attend colleges. So the job needs to offer up the values that are important to this generation in order to retain these employees. 

Sally: So what are those values? Well here are some of Wow Wows values that are on their website that I really enjoyed reading. We want to inspire others to pursue their passions and make a positive impact on the next generation. We believe life is an adventure and we should live it to the fullest every day. We value our local community and being a positive force with our teams and customers is of great importance to us. We value sustainability and leaving the things better for the next generation. So if you want your workers to stick around, make coming to work more meaningful than a paycheck. 

Phil: Absolutely, absolutely. Right. I'm glad that we're starting to see CEOs publish these things and really have a keen interest in their workforce rather than just, you know, signing paychecks all the time.