Gen Z 360

Book excerpt: Generation Z doesn't play by the same rules or wait for permission. They don't stand for social injustice or splash cash with reckless abandon. They innovate. They influence. They side-hustle. They disrupt. Their arrival is changing everything we know about culture, work, and commerce and understanding who they are and how they think and behave will be crucial to educators, business leaders, and policy makers alike. Born between 1998 and 2016, this 78-million-strong cohort of young Americans is a generation like no other. They have never known a world without a search engine, cell phone, or social media and they grew up amidst constant economic, social, and political changes that have shaped their values. The combined effect of the two - technology and values - is creating a new set of norms and behaviors that will not only challenge everything we know about business but will also trickle up and spread to other generations. Getting to know Gen Z is therefore a business imperative and Gen Z 360 is your ultimate guide for what's to come. Based on in-depth research and years of experience advising global brands and retailers, author Hana Ben-Shabat-an award-winning management consultant and founder of research firm Gen Z Planet- not only describes the unique characteristics of this upcoming generation, but also digs deeper into the "why", explaining what's behind the change and thus what it will take to navigate it. From how to recruit, train, and integrate this hardworking and hungry generation into today's multigenerational workforce, through to how to market to them - Gen Z 360 is packed with insights and no-nonsense guidance that can make all the difference during one of the most transformative periods in business history.Believing that if you want to know a generation, just ask "what's your biggest dream," Ben-Shabat in her ongoing research collected thousands of dream statements from Gen Zers. With the help of artists from all around the world, a selected number of these statements turned into illustrations. These are shared throughout the book, providing a unique perspective into the hearts and minds of this generation.