India’s Gen Z workforce can tremendously contribute to organizations. Hence, their optimal learning would contribute to the competitive advantage of organizations. The paper is a viewpoint with an aim to uncover the workplace traits, learning preferences and cognitive shifts in Indian Gen Z. It provides a holistic insight into possibilities of developing sustained learning opportunities to engage Gen Z in the workplace.
A focus group discussion was conducted with Chief Human Resource Officers with prior work experience of working with Gen Z employees. Analysis was conducted using NVivo14 for coding, grouping and presenting the data.
While Gen Z is a digital generation, they desire personal connection in learning endeavors. Major cognitive shifts that shaped their learning preferences were continuity in learning, tech-based learning, and mentoring. Distraction conflict theory was utilized to generate a narrative about the challenges of Indian Gen Z workplace learning. A practical roadmap to optimize learning from an organizational, managerial, learning and development (L&D) and finally the Gen Z perspective has been provided.
The viewpoint provides implications for practitioners to use artificial intelligence in personalizing learning for Gen Z, provision of continual learning opportunities and mentoring to engage Gen Z among others.
The viewpoint underscores the importance of cognitive shifts that reflect in Gen Z learning preferences as well as provides a comprehensive pathway for research to develop novel strategies to optimize learning for Indian Gen Z.
