Who is part of Gen Z and why should colleges pay attention?
The 16-19 year old generation of students currently applying for colleges are all part of Gen Z and this generation will continue to be the primary target for colleges for the next 10 years.
How technology and social media changed the way Gen Z communicates
Millennials, as the generation before Gen-Z, were considered “digitally native” as they grew up alongside the development of communication technology. Gen Z, however, is the mobile and app-native generation.
The widespread usage of mobile communication devices transformed the way they learnt to communicate, as they grew up in a world where a single smartphone can replace previously independent forms of communication (email, text, phone call, etc.), as well as the function of many previously separated devices (alarm clock, camera, music player, etc.). Gen Z’s lens to the world became a screen with multiple apps running simultaneously.
As a result, this generation, more so than others, exhibits a dependency on technology which, at times, acts as an extension of self.
A study from 2015 shows that 92% of Gen Z'ers go online daily, 89% use at
least one social media site, and 88% have access to a mobile. They spend an
average of 9 hours per day connected to their phones and send or receive an
average of 20 to 80 messages per day.
Gen Z communication preference and behaviour
Messaging is rapidly becoming the most popular communication channel for
Gen Z, especially when acquiring small pieces of information. This is
partially influenced by the ease and convenience of this channel, and
partially because, psychologically, they have the inclination to believe that
that this channel will provide them answers the quickest.
Email is one of their least preferred channels of communication when it
comes to general questions and queries, and what they perceive are urgent
or trivial questions.
Most Gen Z'ers report that they do not mind being contacted by email, as long as this is not frequent. Although a majority report checking their email regularly, they tend to read their emails, but not respond. This is why communication through this channel should be done with the assumption that it will be one-way: sending information that the student needs to know without asking for an answer.
Messaging time patterns
An interesting pattern that emerged with Gen Z is that, being a mobile and
app-native generation, their engagement in formal and informal
communication does not follow the traditional times found with other
generations.
We analysed over 68,000 messages received over there months (August - October) to observe if there are any patterns. What we observed is that a significant percentage of messages received fell outside of core working hours (8:00-18:00).
Nearly 20% of all inbound messages were received outside of these hours, regardless of month, with October showing a slight drop in outside hours messaging (17%). This finding is in line with research consensus on this topic – that Gen Z prefers texting at night/early mornings.
This is important because, as previously shown, Gen Z prefers instant responses to their questions and queries. If you engage in a conversation with a Gen Z'er (either through messages or email) and they respond outside of core working hours, chances are their response will pushed to the bottom of your inbox. Major delays in receiving a response can cause anxiety and stress and even lead to disengagement from all communication.
How to communicate with Gen Z
There is a direct relationship between the communication style of a college and the response and engagement rates of students. Colleges who use prescriptive language, offering general information and instructions, get the lowest engagement rates and can jeopardise their relationship with the student.
As a general rule, breaking down chunks of information into smaller pieces is especially useful. Using a friendly tone and reflecting an understanding back to the student can make a significant difference in engagement rates.
It is crucial for colleges to not only communicate important matters to
students, but to also ensure that they offer tools for students to enquire
information. Having a team available for contact reassures the students that
they are not alone in their journey and can ease the stress and anxiety they
are experiencing.
Knowing when to initiate a line of conversation is also crucial. One of our
clients sent a “good luck” message to a group of students before the results
of their exams and only 20% of them responded. However, the following week
when grades were announced, 90% came back with questions, queries, or
general thank you messages.
This shows how important it is for students to
know that their wellbeing matters to you and they have an open line of
communication should they need it.