A panel discussion on Generation Z at the Global Islamic Economy Summit has
highlighted the characteristics of the generation after Millennials.
Gen Z individuals have not experienced a time without the Internet or
mobile phones, and other than being more technologically savvy, also
have clear differences in outlook.
“The group is increasingly on the radar of governments who are beginning
to question whether the existing education and employment ecosystem can
cater to their expectations,” said Sunil John, CEO, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller. John quoted from the ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey 2016, which
found that most young Arabs – 58% – want to further their education,
and that more than a third of young Arabs – 36% – want to start their
own businesses. Traditionally, young Arabs have looked to the government
to provide them with jobs.
“These findings are really
interesting in terms of the Gen Z effect,” he said. “If you really look at it, these are very
positive findings. Government will see light at the end of the tunnel.
They will see a young generation that has a hunger to be successful;
people who have an appetite for education, and who want to start their
own businesses.”
John added that change will not be gradual. While 95% of nationals in the UAE for example
work in the public sector today, depressed job markets
and unemployment rates in countries such as KSA mean that the public sector cannot continue as the main employer for long.
Marcie
Merriman, Executive Director, Growth Strategy and Retail Innovation at
Ernst & Young contrasted Generation Z and Millennials. Millennials,
she said, expect companies to do the heavy lifting, and patronise firms
they respect in terms of environmental and sustainable practices.
“When
I talked to Generation Z, however, who I originally thought of as young
Millennials, I began to see something very different: they immediately
talked about what they were doing about the environment, as opposed to
what the companies were doing.
“The key difference
between these two groups, apart from age, was their self-awareness. Gen Z
see themselves as having responsibility for their ecosystem, whereas
Millennials were looking at others to do things.”
Commenting on their choice of employers Merriman said: “Gen Z has seen what has happened with Millennials. They say this isn’t
going to happen to us, we’re not going to let other people tell us what
to do. We’re going to take charge of it. And that’s what underlies the
entrepreneurial spirit. They have nothing to lose.”
Amani
Al Khatahtbeh, founder of Muslimgirl.net, a US website for Muslim women
and herself a Millennial, agreed. “For Generation Z, a lot
of industries are outdated. They want to be disruptors. They want to
flip these institutions upside down, and that gives us a lot of hope.”
