Agile Mumbai 19-20 Sep 2025 | Gen Z from Classroom to Boardroom by Radhika Wadhera

Editor's Notes

• #3 “A few days ago, I was talking to one of my friends who is an HR came out fresh from an orientation session of new employees- She shared, Instead of asking her about company policies or team structures, she asked: ‘Where can I find quick tutorials on the new tool? And how soon can I start contributing independently?’ One of my Gen Z students once built an entire coding project on YouTube tutorials—no textbooks, no formal coaching. But when asked to explain it to a group, she said: ‘Can I make a short video instead of a long presentation?’ That’s Gen Z—creative, quick, and unapologetically different. When someone from Industry came to scrutinize their project & gave feedback. He did not turn up in class for 3 days. She just shared her moment casually but it stayed with me. It reminded me—this is Gen Z. They don’t just want to fit in—they want to jump in, learn fast, and make an impact immediately – if things work their way. Pause, smile at audience “So today, let’s talk about how we, as leaders, mentors, and educators, can navigate this exciting generation at work.”
• #4 Now, let’s talk about how they work with leaders. Millennials love coaches, mentors, and collaboration. But Gen Z? They want clarity and autonomy. While taking feedback an employer once told me: ‘My millennial team asks for feedback every week. My Gen Z intern?They just say, “Tell me the goal, I’ll figure the path.”’ And when it comes to communication: Millennials write long emails. Gen Z? They’ll send you a one-line DM or a quick voice note. It’s not disrespect. It’s efficiency in their language Millennials are motivated by purpose and recognition. Gen Z is motivated by job security, growth, fair pay, and mental health benefits. I once asked a Gen Z student what excites her most about work. Her answer was simple: ‘If I’m paid fairly, if I grow continuously, and if my mental health is respected—I’ll give my 100%.’ See the difference? They are practical, grounded, and focused
• #5 In classrooms, Gen Z learns very differently. Traditional lectures? They lose focus in 10 minutes. But give them: A YouTube tutorial, A gamified quiz, or A project-based challenge— and they thrive. One student once told me: ‘Why should I wait for semester exams to know my progress? Can’t we just have instant feedback like apps do?’ That’s Gen Z—they want learning that’s real-time, interactive, and self-directed.* I understood, I need to change my teaching pedagogy, it's high time now. Introduced – Explanation of above pointers and impact it created. Keeping in mind - Shorter Attention span - 70-20-10 rule - Innovations in teaching pedagogy - Learner centric approach - Rely on feedback - Be a librarian for students
• #6 Last year, I got an opportunity to consult for an organization to find the reason behind rate of high attrition. My colleague & I were interviewing Chemical engineers when one of millennial who had been with the company for five years. She said, ‘I like the culture, I have opportunities to contribute, and I see myself here for the long term.’ Stability and purpose kept her loyal. But the Gen Z employee, who had been there only 14 months, walked in one day and said: ‘I enjoy the work, but I don’t see my next step. If I can’t grow here, I’d rather move somewhere that invests in me.’ Now, the manager was shocked—not because the employee wanted to leave, but because of how quickly she had reached that decision. And that’s the reality: Gen Z won’t wait 5–7 years for growth like Millennials often did. They believe time is too valuable. If career paths aren’t clear, they move on. Now, let’s talk about career growth. Millennials often stayed in jobs for 5–7 years if the culture matched their values. Gen Z? If growth is slow, they’ll move in 18 months. This is not disloyalty—it’s urgency. They believe time is too precious to waste. So, if we want to retain them, we need: Transparent promotion paths, Upskilling opportunities, and Honest career conversations. Because Gen Z doesn’t just want a job. They want a career that grows with them
• #7 During Summer Internship we hired a young Gen Z analyst. On his very first project, he was asked to prepare a report regarding how our social media channels were doing—a task that usually took the team three days. By the next morning, he had a polished draft ready. Admin was stunned and asked, ‘How did you do this so fast?’ The young intern smiled and said, ‘I used AI to gather the data, organize the insights, and even design the first version of the report. Then I spent my time refining the analysis.’ This is Gen Z with AI. They don’t waste hours on repetitive work. They use AI to handle the heavy lifting so they can focus on strategy, creativity, and decision-making.