The reality around us is constantly evolving, and with it the generations of people living on the planet. Companies around the world are beginning to feel the growing influence of Generation Z employees, who are characterized by greater assertiveness, openness and a desire to grow. However, conscious business organizations must not forget about the next Alpha generation, which will populate corporate work teams by 2025 and will be the largest, wealthiest and best-educated generation in the history of the world. What changes should entrepreneurs set their sights on in the coming years? How will the Alpha generation prosper in the labor market in just a few years? You can find out everything in this article.
What is the Alpha generation?
Generation Alpha, or Gen Alpha, is most often defined as the generation of people born between 2010 and 2025, all in the 21st century. Representatives of Generation Alpha are largely the children of Millenials and younger siblings of Generation Z, who will be entering adulthood intensively in the late 2020s of this century.
The term “Generation Alpha” was first used by Mark McCrindle, a researcher, futurologist and founder of the consulting firm McCrindle Research, who thus launched a new generational cycle using the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Generation Alpha owes its name primarily to the fact that its representatives are people born and fully raised during the rapid development of the Internet and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence.
It is estimated that the Alpha generation will number more than 2 billion people by 2025, which is why it is already described as the largest generation in world history.
Alpha generation – characteristics
Currently, businesses, as well as the education community, are focusing on creating effective communication with Generation Z, i.e. people born between 1995 and 2009. However, the Alpha generation will be on the job market in just a few years, and is likely to be the best-educated generation ever. Here are the key characteristics of Generation Alpha:
Technological proficiency
Representatives of the Alpha generation were born in the digital age, and their learning and play is largely based on technology. Interestingly, this generation began in the same year that Instagram debuted and Apple released the first iPad, 2010. Not surprisingly, the terms hyperconnected, always on, Net Gen or digital natives fit perfectly with Gen Alpha.
According to the UKE study, almost all children aged 7-14 (97.7%) own smartphones. The Alpha generation has been surrounded by technology since birth and sees digital tools as ubiquitous, not just fashion accessories. Alphas learn from mobile apps on smartphones, social media or online groups and rarely reach for the TV remote. They not only create content on their own, but also consume it in above-average quantities. With a mobile device in hand, they have the power to influence brands and even purchase decisions well beyond their age. In this way, they are shaping a new image of social media, becoming influencers and emerging consumers.
Such a state can, of course, have many advantages, which include faster mastery of the digital competencies of the future or the ability to adapt to change. However, adolescence dominated by technology can create challenges, such as shortened concentration, lack of time management skills or social withdrawal.
Diversity
Representatives of the Alpha generation are growing up in a globalized world, which means that they are shaped to a greater extent by mass culture, including brands, music, movies and news channels known around the world. Easy travel, drawing role models from different cultures and the ability to communicate that crosses national and continental boundaries make this generation fully global. And additionally, more diverse in race, ethnicity and worldview than Generation Z.
The Alpha Generation carries a range of diverse opinions about the environment in which they live every day, as well as the problems of the modern world. Therefore, in their case, the need to manage diversity and build an inclusive culture in those companies that want to pursue growth and business goals becomes even more apparent. That is, in practice, in all companies.
Health orientation and sustainability
Growing-up Alphas already have access to a wealth of information on sustainability, including data on the impact of the environment or widely available food on our health. Eco-development is projected to be even more important to them than it is to the Zetas, including buying products that don’t harm the environment and allow them to improve their own well-being. Alphas will also intensively convince their own parents of their choices, making them more environmentally conscious.
Generation Alpha in the labor market, in the footsteps of Generation Z, will entail an even greater focus on mental health. The 2023 YOUNG HEADS survey shows that 81.9% of Polish students aged 10-19 are overwhelmed by the stress of everyday life. In turn, 46% of them are those with extremely low self-esteem. What’s more, these young people were the group that spent a lot of time in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although Gen Alpha’s health-seeking attitudes are still forming, this generation is already described as one that will be open to talking and seeking help for mental health problems.
How do you prepare your company to hire Alpha generation employees?
In a rapidly changing world, a particular challenge for employers is to respond quickly to demographic changes. If organizations want to operate smoothly beyond 2030, but also grow dynamically, it will be necessary to understand the needs of the Alpha generation in the labor market.
Here’s what Alphas can look for in prospective employers.
Innovation
The Alpha generation is motivated by access to technology, which is an inseparable part of their lives. Representatives of this group are inherently innovation-oriented, and their digital competencies very quickly surpass their parents’ technological skills. For this reason, Alphas will look for employers who can constantly innovate and maintain a high level of innovation.
Empowerment
According to the Leader Sheep survey, current teenagers born after 2000 already envision the ideal employer as someone who is open to the employee, fair and kind. Given how self-reliant and self-confident the Alpha generation can be, companies that will hire young employees should create an organizational culture based on the concept of empowerment. The right step will certainly be to encourage employees to make decisions and take responsibility for their actions, so that they approach their responsibilities like owners of the company.
Wellbeing and health promotion programs
As Jean Twenge, an American psychologist who studies generational differences, points out, there is a correlation between the development of technology and social media and the emergence of depression, anxiety and feelings of loneliness in today’s youth.
In the case of the Alpha generation, it is very likely that employees in this group will begin to pay even more attention to their own well-being and work-life balance in just a few years. Expectations of employers will also increase especially in the context of mental health care and employee programs directly related to health. According to data from the IT Community Survey 2022, already 64% of the IT community from Generation Y and Z say that the most attractive non-wage benefit is private health care. Welcoming the Alpha generation to the job market with just such bonuses will address the needs of this generation.
Highly personalized learning
According to a Leader Ship survey, today’s young people, born after 2000, most often describe their dream company as a corporation with a recognizable brand, where you can earn a lot of money and get promoted quickly. What’s important in this ideal picture is first and foremost opportunities for advancement and constant improvement of skills through training. Because Alphas are accustomed to the immediate availability of information, distance learning and highly personalized and well-targeted learning experiences, will be crucial in any company.
Custom development programs
Using several screens at the same time, multitasking and quickly scanning information all contribute to the fact that the attention and concentration of those in the Alpha generation are impaired. All because Alphas grow up “immersed” in mobile reality. It may be that in just a few years the best way to educate Gen Alpha will be through the use of immersive technologies in the company’s L&D programs, which are already seeing high success rates.
The entry of the Alpha generation into the labor market may also provide another opportunity for higher education to develop in terms of offering the knowledge that tomorrow’s workers will actually need. Even more important will be the delivery of educational programs that are in line with market needs, with mixed reality technologies, online learning or virtual reality at universities taking center stage.
Get ready for Generation Alpha to enter the job market
Are you focused on the continuous progression of your employees’ competencies? Do you want to educate your teams through virtual and augmented reality and creative multimedia projects? Are you looking for expert advice on team development and training that takes into account the needs of the Alpha generation ?
Contact the specialists at Eduexpert and find out what we can do for your business.
