5 Gen Z Values Associations Need to Know
Not every young professional is interested in membership. I know, blasphemous. But they can’t always afford it. And sometimes they don’t get what an association is all about. In our previous post on Gen Z, we looked at five of their values—that list continues here. When you show Gen Z how your association can help them live these values, you have a better chance of drawing them closer as attendees, customers, and even as members.
5 More Gen Z Values—and How To Appeal To Them
Generation Z was born between 1997 and 2012, making them about 10 to 25 years old. The focus here is on young Gen Z adults, 18 to 25 years old. This post and the previous one share what I’ve learned from many research reports about Gen Z values and how your association can appeal to them.
#1: Professional Development
Generation Z knows and believes lifelong learning is imperative. 70% of them view a company’s professional development and training offerings as important considerations when accepting a new job. Remind member companies what they need to do if they want to attract and keep talent: give employees the budget and time to attend your professional development and credentialing programs.
Because many employers don’t provide a professional development budget to early-career employees, make sure you offer affordable educational programs for Gen Z. Ask industry suppliers to sponsor scholarships for Gen Z too.
Gen Z has plenty of experience with online learning, but their attention spans are as challenged as ours. Focus on microlearning—short videos and course modules that are easy to fit into a busy day. If your association doesn’t already have a year-round mobile app, now’s the time to offer one. Gen Z wants access to information, news, education, and community on their phones.
They don’t want to spend years earning a credential. Offer early-career digital badges and stackable microcredentials they can earn in weeks or months.
Young professionals who work remotely are missing out on informal social learning. They can’t learn by observing co-workers, overhearing conversations, and watching interactions. Help them get the cross-generational exposure they need. Design events where Gen Z can meet with industry professionals 5, 10, or 15 years ahead and learn how they found their first jobs or built their careers. Host AMAs (Ask Me Anything sessions) where industry leaders give younger members inspiration and direction.
#2: Community
The 20s are a disruptive time of life. Friends and acquaintances come and go. People working remotely find it harder to make work friends than older colleagues did when they started their careers.
Gen Z is used to socializing in online communities, for example, Fortnite and other games, Discord, Twitch, and Reddit. Invite them to participate in discussion forums (professional and personal) in your online community where they can get to know peers and older mentor types.
They love in-person events but can’t usually afford or take time off for them. Share tips with your chapters and other affiliated networking groups on how to attract and retain Gen Z attendees.
#3: Trust and Authenticity
Gen Z is all about being real. They’re done with the social media performances of selfie-obsessed, show-off Millennials in their feeds. They like TikTok’s unedited, live streams. Another popular platform is BeReal. Unlike filtered, edited, and curated Instagram, BeReal prompts users once a day to take an in-the-moment, back and front view photo.
Gen Z is twice as likely as Millennials to make a purchase based on a recommendation from an influencer. Authentic influencers are more relatable, like a friend giving advice, unlike wealthy celebrities who live in a bubble. To find the influencers in your industry, search podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Develop mutually beneficial relationships with them. When you hire Gen Z staff, see if they’re interested in acting as association ambassadors on social media.
#4: Affordability
Gen Z is coming of age in a bad economy. Corporate budget tightening may eliminate support for membership dues or registration fees. No wonder thriftiness is a virtue with Gen Z, just witness the booming popularity of resale sites. ROI is everything for them. They will decide if your value proposition is really worth it. You’re more likely to recruit them as members if you offer discounted young professional or virtual membership tiers.
Membership isn’t the only way to connect with Gen Z. Nurture relationships via online education, early-career credentialing programs, learning subscriptions, webinar passports, and online cohort programs.
#5: Personalization
In Gen Z’s online life, they are used to brands and platforms knowing their likes and dislikes. They expect the same level of personalization and relevance from you. Don’t ever waste space in their inbox or you’ll never get in there again.
The research findings I’ve shared here are general overviews. To learn about your Gen Z audience, do your own research using:
- Newsletter, website, Instagram, and LinkedIn polls
- Surveys
- Focus groups
- Automated conversational engagement tools
Track the behavioral data of Gen Z customers, attendees, prospects, and members. You get a fuller picture of each person when your AMS is integrated with your other systems. Then, you can learn from what your data tells you through email opens, clicks, page, and video views, attendance, and other engagement metrics.
See how MemberSuite’s AMS can help you build this type of ecosystem by requesting a demo today.