CREW Up: Does Gen Z Want to Work in CRE?

Wendy Mann, CEO, CREW Network. Image courtesy of CREW Network

They’re too demanding, they’re entitled, and they want it all—this is pretty much what we hear or read about Gen Z. But they’re also creative, tech-savvy and eager to learn. And all these traits bode well for the future of the commercial real estate workforce. The pandemic forced many employees—particularly females—to give up their job and take on a new direction for their careers. Boomers of retiring age also left the workforce earlier than planned, urging employers to go talent hunting.

According to CREW Network’s 2022 industry research paper, 88 percent of the companies that participated in this year’s survey were actively trying to hire. Commercial real estate companies have been taping into the potential of younger generations to fill in open positions, but they come with their own set of challenges. Studies show that Gen Zers expect bigger paychecks, more flexibility and time off, and they also pay much more attention to their employer’s diversity, equity and inclusion policy, as well as their commitment toward sustainability.

READ ALSO: The CRE Workforce of the Future

For this year’s last episode of Commercial Property Executive’s quarterly podcast series with CREW Network, Senior Editor Laura Calugar invited CEO Wendy Mann to talk about what the younger generations expect from their workplace, and how they will shape the future of CRE.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll hear about in this episode:

• Do Gen Zers want to work in commercial real estate? (1:03)
• How flexible is a career in commercial real estate? (3:53)
• CRE companies that Gen Zers want to work for (6:13)
• Turning challenges into opportunities (9:06)
• Retaining top CRE talent today (12:00)
• Can CRE companies offer Gen Zers all they want in an employer? (14:17)
• How an economic downturn would impact the Gen Z workforce (18:40)

Don’t forget to follow CPE’s podcasts on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!