The advertising industry is grappling with a new challenge – the difficulty in retaining Gen Z talent. While young, creative minds are entering the industry in droves, lured by the glitz and glam of innovation, many are leaving just as quickly, leaving the agencies scratching their heads.

Generation Z (born between mid-90s and early 2010s), are the first true digital natives. They bring a fresh perspective and a deep understanding of the digital world, making them a highly sought-after demographic, both as consumers and employees. Why then are advertising firms finding it difficult to hold on to these brains?

The Fundamental Paradox

According to Ashutosh Sawhney, President, DDB Tribal, DDB Mudra Group, there is a fundamental paradox in the business of advertising and the way Gen Z leads their lives. “Advertising is about building brands, and having a long-term relationship with consumers. Gen Z doesn’t think too much about loyalty, they are always such an excitable lot that they want to move from one thing to the next in no time,” he said.

Sawhney also highlighted that advertising is a buyer-led industry, and while at some levels it needs creativity and fearlessness, at another level it requires maturity.

For instance, he explained, the Gen Z in an agency might not know how client conversations generally happen and they may feel rubbed the wrong way. “They cannot handle ‘rudeness’. Gen Z would ideally say that ‘I do not accept this’, which is a good thing, but maybe the industry is not ready and is still seeking some level of maturity,” Sawhney said.

The Bigger Picture

While the fundamentals of retaining talent remain constant across generations, the pace of change and instant gratification demands of Gen Z necessitate a new perspective.

Sandipan Bhattacharya, Managing Director & CCO - South Asia, GREY Group, suggests that Gen Z tends to prioritise the bigger picture. “It's all about understanding their ambitions, their priorities, their way of looking at the world, and then trying to harness that. If we do it the other way around, it is going to be disastrous. You can never keep them motivated or you can never retain them,” he says.  

Bhattacharya further explained that priority-wise work-life balance and the likes of it come secondary.

“In my experience, whatever I've seen with this bunch, most important is the need to be big before 30, the need to prove yourself, the need to have your identity, the need to be heard and not dismissed, not always taken lightly, or just taken as Gen Z. A healthy agency thrives on a culture, not a generation. And a culture by definition should transcend a few generations at least, if not more,” he added.

According to Chirag Raheja, Co-founder & Director, Human, says that Gen Z are part of a much faster or more instant generation, which is why their patience might be relatively lesser.

“It's all the generation that they were born into, it's the time, it's not them personally. Yes, it might be true at one level, but it's a two-way street. It would be wrong to just spend the whole blame on them. It's not them all the time. If we have enough value to offer them, they will stay back,” Raheja added.

Sharing an experience from one of his previous stints, Raheja said that he remembered speaking to one of the youngsters moving out, into a job that pays just a few thousand more. Asked why he was moving out, the employee said he wanted balance in life and was looking for more than just spending 10 hours in office. “So it's not just the smallest incentive, it's something larger in their head. When they announce it to us, they may use the incentive as the reason. But inside, there are other things that are at play, it is never just the money. It's never just the work hours,” he said.

No Shortcut to Success

Adland veterans also feel that Gen Zs do exude confidence and a resolutely positive attitude, that distinguish them from their predecessors. However, beneath this vibrant exterior, there exists a notable gap in rigour and preparation.

“In the pursuit of short-cut success, they tend to underestimate the power of consistency and training. While the zest for life and hunting for diverse experiences are appreciative and we learn a lot from that, systematic progress needs a certain amount of relentlessness. Overall, I think Gen Zs are on a perpetual mode of WIP. Only time will tell how that pans out,” feels Abhik Santara, Director & CEO, ^atom.

Not Just the Gen Z 

Some experts shared that the retention issue is not unique to Gen Z and that today adland is facing this trouble across age groups. Amit Wadhwa, CEO, Dentsu Creative, says that while the case might not be unique to Gen Z, they sure would be slightly restless as a generation that is very young. “But honestly, we have some of the younger generations who have stuck around with us for a very long time. So it's not that everyone on that side would not be sticking around, but possibly, you'll have to work slightly harder when it comes to retaining the younger,” he said.

As for Pallavi Chakravarti, Founder & CCO, Fundamental, “Advertising, by and large, is undergoing a retention problem. But, obviously, GenZs come up the most in conversations because that is the belt at which we have the most need.”

Another problem across demographics, as per Chakravarti, is the pay scale. “Advertising is not giving people the kind of remuneration that is needed in today’s day and age, to keep them hooked. People are also actively seeking work-life balance.”