Here come the Zoomers
By Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report March 2023
Are we ready to connect?
Generation (Gen) Z, people born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, are attracting considerable attention from marketers and demographic researchers for a very good reason.
Many people in this age group, sometimes referred to as Zoomers, are currently between 18-25 years old and studying in universities or entering the workforce. Most notably, they represent the technical and scientific workforce of the future. For STLE, they are tomorrow’s membership base and volunteer leadership pool.
About one-third of the global population fits the Gen Z profile. So, out of about 7.4 billion people in the world, 2.56 billion belong to Gen Z. They constitute about 20% of the U.S. population, according to The Brookings Institution, and will comprise 27% of the workforce by 2025 (
www.truelist.co).
Data from STLE’s recently completed Membership Needs study makes it clear that this trend represents a major challenge for membership organizations. The study showed that 70% of current members are between 35 and 64 years old—Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. Gen Z represents no more than 10% of the membership at the present time.
So how can membership organizations like STLE and companies that employ our members adjust what we do, and how we talk about what we do, to create a connection?
In a recent blog post, Jane Nassiri,1 senior director of customer success and professional services at MemberSuite, Inc. (an association software supplier), defined the challenge. She wrote, “Not every young professional is interested in membership. I know, blasphemous. But they can’t always afford it. And sometimes they don’t get what an association is all about.”
This is a sobering thought for STLE national leaders and STLE Local Section leaders who are trying to secure our future members. Programs and services that were created by and targeted to the Baby Boomer and Millennial generations will need modification or substitutes to attract a different audience.
Nassiri’s blog, based on her review of research reports about Gen Z values, offered up some practical ideas on how to attract Gen Z members as they become more of a factor in the workforce over the next three to five years.
One of the areas valued by Gen Z is professional development, which has been at the center of STLE’s value proposition since it was founded in 1944. However, many employers don’t give early-career employees the budget and time to attend professional development and credentialing programs.
On this point, several of STLE’s existing or planned initiatives match up with Gen Z needs for affordable and accessible learning. Among them are:
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Online learning modules and videos that are inexpensive and fit a busy schedule. Visit www.pathlms. com/stle to view this content.
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A 24/7/365 mobile app. STLE’s mobile app is available for free from the App Store or Google Play. For more information, visit
www.stle.org/mobileapp.
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Digital badges and certificates that track achievements and serve as a steppingstone to certification credentials. For more information, visit
www.stle.org/badges.
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Mentoring groups offered at the local level so that younger professionals can connect with more seasoned professionals.
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Association ambassadors from Gen Z who become trusted and authentic influencers on social media, such as the STLE Member Ambassadors.
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Personalized marketing messages that mirror what a young professional receives from commercial brands and platforms.
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Discounted young professional or virtual membership tiers to get individuals involved even if their employer does not reimburse for dues or registration fees.
Clearly there’s no shortage of ideas on relating to Gen Z. The challenge will be to redefine STLE’s value proposition—Connect, Learn, Achieve—in ways that appeal to a new generation of technical professionals and members.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.