As layoffs continue to ripple across industries, much of the attention is understandably focused on the exiting employees and their transition in the workforce. It’s rarely acknowledged that the post-layoff period can also be a time of upheaval for remaining employees, who are often left carrying heavier workloads with tasks they were never trained for. Even rarer is how this leaves one group of employees particularly at risk: Gen Z. With less professional experience and training to draw from, as well as fewer workplace connections, many Gen Z employees find themselves ill-equipped for the rapid reshuffle of a post-layoff organization.
According to the Layoff Survivor Survey, nearly 8 in 10 Gen Z employees say they made a costly mistake or felt unprepared or hesitant to act at work because of a lack of training after layoffs. This increased pressure and lack of support has led almost three-quarters of Gen Z employees to consider leaving their company.
Not only could this lead to organizations losing innovative young talent and potentially becoming unsustainably short-staffed. It also means that many Gen Z employees who stay will not be prepared to deliver a strong performance. Currently, only 39% of Gen Z professionals feel fully prepared for their role at work, even without the turbulence of the post-layoff transition. Leaders should take this as a critical warning signal: for Gen Z employees to successfully rebuild productivity and efficiency after layoffs, they need focused support and guidance to navigate their new workplace reality.
Leaders can start developing a more effective post-layoff strategy for Gen Z with these three key strategies:
Target Key Skill Gaps with Re-onboarding
Without training, employees taking on new tasks and responsibilities after layoffs can waste a significant amount of time trying to figure out processes on their own. Re-onboarding can be a powerful strategy to quickly get employees up to speed in their new roles. Start with knowledge and skill checks to better understand what kind of support and training employees need. For some, it may be as simple as learning how to use a certain software program. For others, particularly Gen Z professionals who are newer to the workforce, they may need more guidance in core professional skills, including communication, collaboration, and time management.
Low-stakes formative assessment activities – such as gamified quizzes or surveys – can provide valuable data on employees’ knowledge and skills, enabling trainers to spot gaps and deliver personalized support. This also ensures that employees are trained in relevant skills that can boost their productivity and performance, rather than simply adding to their already strained workloads.
Deliver Instant Feedback with Interactive Learning
According to Gallup and Workhuman, regular feedback is essential for both engaging and retaining employees. Why? Because feedback provides clarity – specific guidance on where employees are performing well and what skills they need to hone. Younger employees especially benefit from clear pathways to improving their skill sets, with many still accustomed to the more structured learning environments of the classroom.
Digital interactive learning tools can provide immediate, real-time feedback throughout re-onboarding and ongoing training, without requiring major time investments or planning. Research also shows that an interactive format, such as game-based learning, can help increase learning retention. This “sticky learning” improves training ROI by helping employees get up to speed quickly and step into their new roles with confidence.
Help Gen Z Employees Build Skills and Connections with Peer Learning
In the transition period after company layoffs, many Gen Z employees will have questions and need guidance on their new tasks. However, Gen Z’s struggle with soft skills may be cutting these lines of communication short. Over half of Gen Z employees say they fear asking “dumb questions” due to their lack of interpersonal training.
Peer-to-peer learning can offer Gen Z employees a more psychologically safe environment to learn and grow their skills. When younger professionals have the space to comfortably ask questions, they can not only avoid potentially damaging miscommunication and mistakes; they can also build more confidence speaking up, expressing their thoughts, and offering new ideas and insights.
Leaders can also pair younger employees with older employees as “mutual mentors.” For example, tech savvy Gen Z employees can help upskill their older coworkers in key technologies, while more experienced professionals support their early-career colleagues in building soft skills and networking.
An Opportunity to Rethink Work Routines
Adapting to new ways of working after layoffs isn’t easy for employees of any demographic. However, Gen Z stands out – not only for the support they need, but for their willingness to speak up and surface issues the rest of the workforce often stays quiet about.
As layoffs shake up organizational routines, this opens the door to rethinking how work gets done. Workforces in this period have the opportunity to build more efficient, collaborative, and innovative ways of working than ever, and Gen Z professionals can help drive organizations in this direction with their fresh insights. By giving Gen Z the support and training they need and the space to share their perspectives, leaders can unleash their potential to excel in their roles and transform their workplaces for the better.
Sean D’Arcy, Chief Solutions Officer at Kahoot.