moving for the future

who is gen z?

Gen Z includes anyone born from 1997 to 2012, and today, they make up the newest group of interns, employees, and young professionals. According to Zurich (April 2023), Gen Z accounts for 30% of our current global population. If you relocate a new hire in the next few years, they will likely fall into this demographic. In our experience at Cartus, many Gen Z employees are eager to relocate. They know it provides them with new experiences; nevertheless, they still may be unsure if this life-altering move will benefit them professionally and personally.

Employees can prepare for a move, but it is ultimately the company’s job to ensure they feel comfortable and prepared at every step of the relocation process by offering them suitable support. 

top tips for supporting gen z employees during the relocation experience:

1. Promote a positive employee experience! Today, experience is everything, and companies can make their employees feel valued and supported by creating a culture that provides duty of care and ensures employee engagement. Gen Z employees, like Casey, care about employee experience, and it is not uncommon for them to look for new opportunities if they feel undervalued. This need for a positive experience is magnified during the relocation process. 
2. Get to know your employees and address their specific pain points. For relocating families, a key need may be settling in children and finding them a suitable school. One priority for a younger employee, like Casey, who may be single or have no children relocating with them, could be to find a community within the host location. One way for companies to meet such a priority is through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). They can provide a support network of like-minded people with shared identities or shared experiences and are a great resource for someone new to a location and/or company. Be sure to take the time to identify your relocating employees’ specific needs to ensure you create those “I belong” moments.
3. Speak their language. Language training and cross-cultural training should not be viewed as nice-to-haves but as ways to better ensure an assignment’s success. Feeling safe and a sense of belonging within an unfamiliar environment is important to Gen Z employees, and cross-cultural training is the key to fulfilling that Duty of Care.
4. Lean into DEI. Companies that have strong DEI objectives create spaces for their employees to be authentic and feel as though they belong. DEI is not just “the right thing to do,” it is a critical success factor, and as highlighted by Inc. (August 2023), 3 out of 4 Gen Z employees, like Casey, choose to work at companies that value DEI and mental well-being. 
5. The more flexibility, the better! Today, families look different than they have in the past, so it is key to ensure your policies and programs provide flexible benefits to support the expanding definition of families and their diverse requirements (i.e., children with special educational needs, single parents, LGBTQ+ relationships, etc.). Offering flexible benefit options (e.g., a single parent assignee the option to fly a friend to the host location to help during the settling-in process) that align with the values and needs of your employees can help them feel seen by the company and empower them to embrace their new move. 
6. Let’s work together. Partner with a relocation management company to guarantee that your Gen Z employees and the rest of your assignee population receive the tailored support they want (and expect). A relocation services partner knows how to assist younger employees while still empowering them with the autonomy and freedom they require. Cartus’ inclusive Selection Manager and Receiving Manager Coaching and Workshops are good examples of ways companies can help relocation managers during the pivotal moments of “selection” and “assignee onboarding” during the relocation journey.  Cartus’ Inclusive Consulting Solutions will work with you to create “I Belong” policies and program strategy.