Value-Driven Media Management and Leadership Practices: Strategies to attract and retain Generation Z in the workplace

Attracting, retaining and managing talent has never been an easy task. This is also true for Generation Z, whose members are gradually entering the labour market. Recently, it has become popular topic to research how to appease this generation, as they are very susceptible of societal influences and will provide the workforce of the future. However, there is a gap in research regarding the specific values they hold and how compatible these values are with existing organisational cultures. Moreover, there are questions about how to communicate effectively about these values. This research explores how companies view Generation Z and identifies strategies they have used to attract and retain young talent what methods and ultimately answers the question: What is the meaning and relevance of values in leadership and media management strategy practices to attract Generation Z in the workplace? Ten semi-structured, in-dept interviews were conducted among HR managers, employer branding specialists and marketing professionals who provided insights into their practices and perspectives. This data was analysed using thematic analysis, which ultimately resulted in 4 main themes, 7 subthemes and 84 codes. The 4 main themes are: 1. Navigating the challenges of the youth labour market, which provides a framework for interpreting the entire research - what awaits Generation Z, when they enter the workforce and what opportunities they have; 2. Aligning organizational and Gen Z values, which provides an insight into the work-values of GenZ, the organizational values companies operate with, and how to align the two; 3. Leadership and Communication for Gen Z, which explains how any interaction with Generation Z should take place, whether it be managing, motivating, or communicating, 4. Strategic Communication and the Employer Brand, which describes how different organizations identify employer branding and what methods are worth using to attract talent. It was found that, according to respondents, Generation Z has to compete in an extremely competitive job market, where, although structured internship and graduate programs are available, it is still difficult to find employment. In addition, most people, especially careerists, prefer multinational companies because of their stability and opportunities. Flexibility, learning opportunities, and open, authentic communication are the three main values that Generation Z and companies can agree on, but a conflicting value has also emerged, namely Generation Z's high salary demands, which no company can justify. The reason for this is the unstable financial situation in which this cohort grew up and now seeks stability. Furthermore, feedback, trust, and support are most important to this generation, and the easiest way to reach them is through social media with peer-generated content. They are also very responsive to offline event communication. Last but not least, there is still debate among respondents about where employer branding fits in and what its most important components are. The results showed that the candidate/employee experience works best as employer branding, because people listen much more to a personal, familiar voice than to any marketing message.