The Organizational and Social Complexities of Managing and Retaining Generation Z Employees in the United States Retail Industry

Abstract

U.S. Retail Industry employed 4,528,550 retail salespersons, as stated by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics (2017). Tang, Liu, Oh, and Weitz (2014) assert that even though retail is the second largest industry in the United States, the retail stores’ employee turnover rate remains a staggering 60% for full-time employees. Gaining a better understanding of how to reduce turnover in this industry could be of significant value to organizations related to business sustainability and labor costs management. Generation Z represents people born in the 1990s and represents one-third of the U.S. population, a significant potential workforce (Fuscaldo, 2020). For the retail industry to flourish, it needs to hire, develop, and retain Generation Z employees. The study uses qualitative focus group research to discover applied human resources and talent management workplace leadership applications by exploring the ideal organizational culture and approaches to recruit and retain Generation Z employees.