Over the last two months, a number of students have finished their studies and are planning to join the labour force, unless they have already done so.

Generation Z has been slowly creeping into the labour market but now we will be getting a significant influx of them. Much has been written about them, but in very generic terms. Moreover, members of Generation Z in Malta are bound to be slightly different from the members of Generation Z in other countries.

There are three reasons for this. The first is that most, if not all, Generation Z members in Malta are still living with their parents, while in other countries they may have already moved out of their parents’ home.

The second reason is Malta’s economic situation and the labour market. Our economy is more buoyant than the economy of other countries. The third is that Maltese students who are finishing their studies are not burdened with debt as students in several other countries, which do not have free tertiary education, are.

In spite of this, there is bound to be elements of similarity in their outlook.

Generation Z is a group marked by the internet and all it brings with it. Smartphones and other technology products have been a part of their life since they were born. This impacts their behaviour significantly − in the way they communicate, in the way they view the world, in the jobs they would like to do, in the way they develop relationships.

So the pertinent question is how do Generation Z Maltese think? They judge the current situation of the Maltese economy and their current job position more positively than older people. They are also more optimistic about the future of our country’s economy than older persons. Their main concern is inflation, like other age groups, but less so. They express a greater level of concern about housing than older age groups.

Moreover, they are more pro-European than the rest of the Maltese. They feel less attached to Malta and far more attached to the EU. For Generation Z, peace and democracy have far less importance (probably because they take it for granted) and human rights and individual freedom have far more importance than they have for older persons.

How does Generation Z look at work? It is indeed risky to generalise as one’s view of a job depends on family values, previous work experience, experiences of other family members, and so on. However, I find that the expectation of Generation Z is that an employer has to align to their own set of values. This represents a great challenge as employers put in significant effort to create a purpose, a vision and an ethos for their organisation. Do we have the ingredients for a clash of cultures here?

Generation Z also expect their employer to invest in their career growth. It is as if the career growth of the employee is the responsibility of the employer, with the employee not giving much back in return. Again, do we have the ingredients of a clash of cultures here as well?

I believe that we still need to learn how to manage Generation Z. Maybe we have not yet learnt how to manage the millennials. However, at this stage, the millennials are starting to move into the ranks of management.

The influx of Generation Z into the labour market is bound to bring about significant changes at the workplace, and these are as yet undefined. It is like having a map which risks being out of date.