The Top 4 Reasons Your Gen Z Staff Are Not Motivated or Engaged

While previous generations would "grin and bear it" and "do it for the mission" in nonprofits, times have changed.

Corporations can more easily adapt to these shifting workforce values, but most don't.

Meanwhile, nonprofits face a growing challenge in attracting and retaining younger talent. The mission alone no longer justifies the traditionally low pay and high stress of nonprofit work.

Studies show that Gen Z is more skeptical of nonprofits, mostly larger organizations that mirror corporate behaviors—especially regarding lack of transparency.

Gen Z tends to place higher value on:

1. Mental health

2. Flexibility

3. Diversity and inclusion

4. Career development

Actions to improve in 4 areas:

1. Mental health - Check in regularly with your team. Learn their strengths, motivators, and passions to boost engagement. We all know this uncomfortable truth: Many times, people don't care about your organization’s goals until they know you care about theirs. 

2. Flexibility - Offer flexible schedules when possible. Consider implementing sliding work hours to accommodate both early birds and night owls. Let people work during their peak energy hours—for instance, allowing start times between 8:30 AM and 9:30 AM with corresponding end times 8 hours later. This maintains collaborative overlap while respecting individual preferences.

3. Diversity & inclusion - While this remains a dynamic social issue, we can’t afford to backslide into the past. Research confirms that humans are wired to seek community and connection. We can create this environment at work. Success comes from building diverse teams, welcoming varied perspectives, and creating an inclusive environment. The best leaders consistently pursue a culture of belonging for all.

4. Career Development - Foster a culture of learning and growth through regular career development discussions. Invest in professional coaching and training for essential management and leadership skills. Effective leadership ranks among the top three factors for maximizing organizational potential and driving innovation and financial results—alongside trust and values/culture. Keep building your leadership pipeline.

Why is this important?

“The costs of replacing an individual worker can range from half to four times the employee’s annual salary. That means, if you’re hiring for a job that pays $60,000, you could be spending upwards of $180,000 to fill that role.”

Consider this real-life story:

A valuable fundraising director unexpectedly resigned, catching her CEO off guard. 

When asked why, she explained she'd found a role elsewhere that better matched her career goals. 

The leader was devastated—he could have created that opportunity internally had he known. 

His key regret? Not proactively asking about her career aspirations or job satisfaction. 

This oversight led to unnecessary turnover costs, lost productivity, and the time-consuming process of hiring and training a replacement.

What else can you do to stand out in the competitive talent market? 

Ask your staff how the organization can improve in the four areas above to evaluate your performance. Get input where it makes sense, and implement quick wins. 

Build a culture of dreaming. Ask about our Dream Manager coaching program. A happy, healthy employee is a productive, high-performing one. This program is a powerful way to raise trust, morale, and loyalty while integrating the career development, inclusion, and mental health priorities of Gen Z and all generations. 

Ultimately, you are strategically building human momentum to power your mission and financial success.

Caring + Accountability is the Secret

You can never go wrong taking care of your employees if you are also giving them high-performance metrics to hit.  One does not work without the other.  This balance is the secret to keeping high-performing employees engaged while reducing people's problems, conflict, and resentment. 

Gen Z is eager to learn and advance in their careers. If you have complacent, uninterested, stagnant employees, they will not help your organization grow. 

Find people who are internally motivated to grow, and you will achieve success. 

Gen Z seeks inspiration, coaching, and guidance to soar to the next level. Support their dreams and goals, and your organization will thrive.