On the 30th of January 2025, Sinéad D’Arcy, a good friend of NCI, was chatting to Mary Wilson on Morning Ireland about the many strengths of Generation Z.
Sinéad D’Arcy has previously lectured in Candidate Strategy & Introduction to Recruitment on the BA (Hons) in Recruitment Practice, and she has served as a dissertation supervisor for postgraduate students across the MSc International Business, MSc Management, MA Human Resource Development, and MSc Entrepreneurship programmes.
In Nov 2024, Sinéad became a Founder at FUTURE-ROOTS. FUTURE-ROOTS nurtures growth by partnering with employers to define their early talent strategy focusing on the full 360 employee experience for interns, apprentices, and graduates across areas such as attraction, selection, pre-boarding, onboarding and beyond.
Harvest have recently partnered with Sinead D’Arcy, who is also an Early Careers Strategist, on their latest comprehensive research on the challenges and opportunities facing Early Careers in Ireland. On the 30th of January 2025, Harvest launched their early careers research to employers in NCI’s Spencer Dock.
Alongside this exciting event, it was wonderful to hear Sinéad speaking on Morning Ireland as she offered listeners a refreshing perspective and much needed insights into the many crucial strengths that Gen Z employees bring to the workplace. We asked PR & Events Executive – and Gen Zer – Kate O’Brien to review and share her own thoughts on this subject.
In an era where many people automatically associate Gen Z with the term “snowflakes” and where many people, from celebrities to members of the public are proclaiming that “nobody wants to work these days,” it was refreshing to hear Sinéad provide context surrounding how Gen Z have studied and learned. Speaking from personal experience, during my undergraduate programme there was no option other than adjust to the virtual classroom. During the pandemic lockdowns, the options were complete the degree online, defer, or even drop out. As I moved on to my postgraduate degree, slowly we were coming out of lockdowns, but I would say that I have been working either fully remotely or on a hybrid model since mid-2020, both at work and in my studies, so it was encouraging to hear Sinéad acknowledge and highlight that a new model of working and studying has emerged in the context of the cost-of-living crisis, in Ireland specifically, the housing crisis, and of course during and in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Sinéad explains that Gen Z consists of people aged between 12/13 -27/28, as mentioned, these are people who were raised in a cost-of-living crisis, who are currently battling the housing crisis which is a huge issue as many people are struggling to be able to afford to move out of their childhood bedroom, whether they’re saving by themselves or saving alongside a partner, and crucially, Sinéad noted many people's studies were heavily impacted by COVID-19. Taking these factors into account is incredibly significant, because these factors have hugely contributed to the model of working and studying that is Gen Z's “base model norm.” On another personal note, had the COVID-19 lockdowns not taken place, my own college experience would have been entirely different. I would have had a completely different on-campus college experience, and while I can say that studying virtually worked out positively in my case, I really appreciated hearing Sinéad talk about how remote and hybrid working became the norm for a lot of people, because it was a big shift that happened rapidly and if I had not been able to adjust as I did, the progression of my studies could have taken a very different route.
When discussing Gen Z’s approach to work, Sinéad spent time noting that Gen Z’s “normal” approach to work and/or study is remote or hybrid, and because of having to readjust massively in those uncertain times, flexibility is hugely important. Gen Z is very values driven and clarity is key. Gen Z employees want to know what is expected of them, but also what security can be expected in return regarding pay, benefits, and progression routes. When asked if members of Gen Z are reluctant to work in the office, Sinéad explained that this is not the case, and in fact, the topic is far more nuanced than it is often given credit for. She explains that Gen Z are, in fact, very happy to be physically in the office to collaborate with others and learn from others when there is a reason to be in office, but because of having to adjust to an almost entirely (and in some cases, an entirely virtual) model during COVID-19, a time in which many realised that so much could be done remotely, members of Gen Z are more likely to question presenteeism for the sake of presenteeism. If a task can not only be completed remotely, but completed well remotely, and if the day consists of online calls anyways, then why force people to come into the office simply for the sake of presenteeism? It is not authentic, and authenticity is also hugely valued.
Sinéad states that Gen Z are digitally savvy, entrepreneurial, highly skilled at working in diverse groups of people, and very creative. The challenge for employers is to meet the positive changes that Gen Z bring to the table and attempt to understand that their base model for how they operate is one that has not been presented before. Gen Z are not kids straight out of school, they are skilled, talented people, many of whom with postgraduate degrees, who are moving/have moved into junior management roles, and they will continue progressing into leadership roles, so it is important to understand that we are seeing a different way of working, instead of equating change, questions, or different ideas with negativity. In a short amount of time, Sinéad made some excellent points and shared some valuable insights about connecting with different people and different working styles so that we can all be collaborative at work and appreciate everyone's range of skills.
You can tune in here if you would like to listen to Sinéad D’Arcy’s segment on Morning Ireland.
At National College of Ireland, many of our students who have begun their third level studies with us in recent years are students who faced significant upheavals, particularly those students who did not get to sit their Leaving Certificate examinations due to COVID-19 lockdown protocols. Many of our students had to adapt to a virtual led environment in recent years, and of course, staff had to adjust too in what was an incredibly challenging time for many. For some of the first-year students who have recently sat their Christmas exams at NCI, that would have been their first experience of a formal exam setting because they did not have that experience during their Leaving Certificate, so we want those students, and all students as well as staff, to feel supported in their studies and at work.
We continuously strive to be a progressive place so that everyone in the College, both students and staff, feel that they can thrive here at NCI. We achieve this by welcoming the points made by someone like Sinéad D’Arcy, as well as the many brilliant others who offer their expertise. We hope to always keep improving, to always be known for our inclusivity, and to support innovation when it is happening in practise and that includes doing our best to be collaborative, so that all staff and all students, no matter their age or working style, can feel inspired and supported at NCI.
#ChangingLivesThroughEducation