SHRM Talent 2026 Sneak Peek: Engaging Gen Z at Work

As Generation Z reshapes the future of work, HR leaders must move beyond buzzwords like “quiet quitting” to adopt data-driven strategies for attracting, engaging, and retaining this influential talent pool.

Luke Goetting, future of work expert and keynote speaker, will present on Gen Z workforce dynamics and engagement on April 22 at SHRM Talent 2026. The session is open to both registered in-person attendees in Dallas and to registered remote attendees.

Goetting briefly discussed his upcoming session with SHRM. 

SHRM: What are HR leaders misunderstanding about Gen Z employees?

Goetting: As a Millennial with a Gen Z baby sister, I've had a front-row seat to a very familiar pattern. My generation spent years getting blamed for killing everything from department stores to diamonds … and if we’d just stop buying avocado toast, we could afford houses. Then, right on cue, as Gen Z began entering the workforce during a global pandemic, the spotlight shifted. Different generation, same criticisms and headlines — and that experience is a big part of what inspired me to write Unlocking Next Gen Talent (2026) and to spend time speaking on what’s actually driving the behavior leaders can find so frustrating.

The core misunderstanding is treating Gen Z actions as character flaws rather than logical responses to a new world of work. They entered an economy where the old “work hard and climb the ladder” formula was delivering far fewer rewards than it did for previous generations. That context matters enormously. When someone challenges the way we’ve always done things, it can instinctively feel like a problem. I help organizations resist that reflex and focus instead on how to evolve with this generation — maximizing their potential for a new way of working while staying true to the core fundamentals that got us here. That’s where the real opportunity lives.

Specialty Credential: Talent Acquisition

SHRM: What practical steps can employers take to build trust, develop future-relevant skills, and create retention initiatives that resonate with Gen Z?

Goetting: Start with purpose. Gen Z wants to understand not just what they’re doing but why it matters and how their individual contribution connects to something bigger. Organizations that keep mission and values front and center, woven into daily communication and management conversations, see measurably higher engagement and retention as a result.

But that foundation only works when it’s backed by genuine transparency and high-touch communication. Gen Z has grown up being able to look something up instantly or post something and get a response within minutes, so holding feedback for a quarterly review, or worse an annual one, feels completely misaligned with the digital native experience. Being the kind of leader who tells people where they stand, initializes career conversations proactively, and communicates decisions openly rather than from the top-down is what builds trust with this generation.

From there, the retention conversation becomes about growth. In my presentation I explore what I call the “Career Jungle Gym” — moving beyond the traditional ladder to embrace lateral moves, internal side hustles, mentorship, and dedicated development time. The message it sends is simple: we see you as more than your current job title. When Gen Z believes that, they stay and they bring their best.

SHRM: What will attendees take away from your session?

Goetting: First of all, I spend a lot of time speaking to HR and talent leaders about the importance of creating engaging, participatory experiences for their teams, so I’d better deliver that myself. Attendees will even be able to vote on which content areas to dig into, prioritizing what they most want to hear. And yes, there is a decent chance a TikTok dance gets attempted.

One of my favorite things to explore is the idea of the engagement span — because generations that binge entire Netflix series, master complex video games, and spend hours on TikTok don’t have an attention problem. They have a different relationship with engagement, shaped by a world of instant, on-demand everything. Once leaders internalize that distinction, a lot of the behavior they’ve found so frustrating starts to look very different.

Beyond that mindset shift, attendees walk away with the Career Jungle Gym framework for designing career paths, strategies for building the kind of transparent communication cultures that earn trust quickly, and a clear-eyed look at how AI and attrition are dismantling the leadership pipelines we’ve relied on for decades. Real organizations, real case studies, and strategies people can actually put to work Monday morning — not inspiration that fades by the flight home.