I am no longer part of the cool generation.
As a millennial, I've had to come to terms with that. Saying "YOLO" or adding a hashtag to any word is passé. Side bangs and skinny jeans are out — middle parts and baggy pants are in.
I even made friends with a Gen Z-er and, after admitting that I'm a millennial, they said "Oh, that's okay."
But it's more than just slang and fashion and being "cool." Career-wise, a lot has also changed.
Long gone are my coffee-fetching internship days. I'm now at the point in my career where I'm senior enough to hire.
And lately, that's given me some pause.
How should we approach hiring when it comes to Gen Z?
And, even more importantly, how do we make sure that we're creating an environment where they want to actually stay?
The future of the Canadian workforce is Gen Z
In 2026, these questions are no longer about forecasting the future. As business owners, HR leaders, and managers, we need to meet Gen Z in the workplace — here and now.
According to a new report by SunLife, Gen Z (born between 1997–2012) currently makes up "almost 20% of working age Canadians and, alongside millennials, they'll make up the majority of the workforce by 2030."
Think about that stat. One out of 5 of your colleagues is now Gen Z (and hey, if you're Gen Z and reading this, that's you!).
With this in mind, it's crucial for employers to understand what Gen Z values in a company culture.
So how can we hire and retain top Gen Z talent in the workplace?
I spoke with Kimberley LeComte, President of Rise Health, to provide some insights here for you.
Let's jump in.
Kimberley's Tip #1: Culture should be interwoven into everything you do
For Gen Z, traditional work perks won't cut it anymore.
"This is a generation that values work-life balance above all," Kimberley tells me. "So that's the main pull for Gen Z to join a company. Unlike older generations, they're not as focused on compensation."
At the heart of this work-life balance, Kimberley notes, is building and maintaining a strong workplace culture with wellness at the centre.
"If you focus on flexibility, mental health days, training and development so they can grow their career with you… These are the aspects that demonstrate your company culture is open-minded and supportive."
And that work-life flexibility goes beyond just logging off at 5 pm. Gen Z also places high value on company values aligning with theirs.
"That could look like an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)," Kimberley explains, "or a focus on company donations or volunteering opportunities."
But it's important to note that these workplace benefits or programs shouldn't just be marketing points on your website or one-offs.
As Kimberley explains to me, culture should be sustainable and woven into everything you do as a company.
"Constantly ask yourself, 'What can we do to make work good for Gen Z?'"
Kimberley's Tip #2: Invest in mental health support
When Kimberley and I went over the SunLife report, The Kids Are All Grown Up: Checking in On Gen Z, we zoned in on one big takeaway: Gen Z are facing greater mental health difficulties compared to other age groups.
From long-lasting impacts of isolation during COVID-19 to increased financial stress to depression/anxiety around the state of the world, Gen Z is dealing with a broad range of issues that affect their mental health.
"For Gen Z, it's hard to separate these external factors from their work life," Kimberley tells me. "That's because they bring their whole selves to work and don't check these issues at the door."
While this reality is a challenge to unpack, it's also an opportunity for employers to step up and support.
"Gen Z is breaking down the stigma with mental health, and they're more likely to seek care than older generations," Kimberley points out.
She encourages companies to invest in strong mental health support to build resilience, noting that broad support is best.
"As an employer, ensure you have an Employee Assistance Program for emergency support. And you can consider increasing the maximums on the mental health elements of your paramedical coverage like psychologist, social worker, and clinical counsellor coverage."
In addition to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Kimberley also recommends tools like Health Spending Accounts (HSA) and Wellness Spending Accounts (WSA). These accounts allow for flexibility and support all employees by letting them spend dollars on benefits they value.
And where possible, consider telehealth or virtual care options: "After all, this is the generation that is the most digitally savvy."
Kimberley's Tip #3: Create community… in-person
Even though Gen Z is used to being online, don't underestimate the benefits of in-person connections.
Kimberley vouches for different wellness-themed months. She tells me about an experience creating these for a client, where one month was about physical fitness and another was focused on financial wellness.
"Get someone in leadership to champion the idea and budget for awards to celebrate your team's progress," Kimberley suggests.
She also mentions it's important for senior leadership to get involved in the challenges and connect the themed months to company values. "Then you're actively creating an environment where everyone wants to be healthier, prioritize wellness, and learn new skills."
And that kind of environment is what encourages Gen Z to stay.
Another idea that Kimberley has seen work? Clear mentorship opportunities. Consider how you can pair up more junior members of your team with colleagues they can learn from. This can also be reciprocal — older generations would love to gain technical skills, so it's a great exchange!
Although Gen Z might have shorter tenures at companies than other generations, Kimberley's advice is to "keep the learning and support so rich that your top Gen Z talent doesn't leave. But also if they do leave, they will want to come back to your company eventually because they had such a supportive experience."
As we end our chat, Kimberley stresses that the key to hiring and retaining top Gen Z talent comes back to culture.
"You can offer all the fancy programs you want… But if you don't have the culture, none of this works."
If you're interested in learning more about flexible benefit options that will work for all generations, you can check out Rise Health right here.
This article was adapted from an edition of the Rise & Shine newsletter. If you want helpful HR insights like this with a dash of humour, subscribe on LinkedIn today.
