Related: Infographic: Gen Z's perception of the remote work environment

Members of iGen were born between 1995 and 2012. They are unlike Millennials, who are confident, optimistic and willing to take risks, with high expectations. iGen experiences more depression, is insecure about "making it," is not as entrepreneurial as believed and wants a defined career path.

"There is now a lot of emphasis on having a life outside of work," Twenge said. "There is a focus on getting a good job, even if it might not be the most interesting, if it is a steady job that pays well. iGen doesn't care as much about what industry they work in; they just want a good job. There is a shift toward extrinsic values and away from intrinsic values. A possible exception is in terms of helping others, which has ticked up."

iGen'ers also crave:

• Recognition. "Because people change jobs more frequently now, you have to think more carefully about how people have the opportunity for being promoted and building their careers," she said. "They ask, `how can this help me build my skills so I can get a better job where I'm going next or get promoted?' They always are thinking ahead."
• Promotion. "Previously, you wouldn't think about getting promoted until you had been on a job for two years," Twenge said. "For a lot of iGen'ers, it's, `I want to know now how I can build my career and get promoted faster.'"
• Mentoring. "iGen has a very close relationship with their parents, so they are used to the idea of getting help, mentoring and advice from people who are older than them," she said.

A different mindset requires a different approach to recruitment and retention.

"One thing not to emphasize is the idea of making friends at work," she said. "It's much less important compared to previous generations. That's just not as much of a focus now, maybe because of social media helping them keep up with friends from high school or college."

Once onboard, iGen workers want to contribute immediately.

"It's hard in an organization where things have been done a certain way for a while and a young person comes in and says, `hey, I want to change it,'" Twenge said. "Sometimes there is a good reason why something can't be changed, and that person might not have that context. Other times, you know what? Maybe we should change it. Let's listen to these ideas, because many of them are going to be good ones."

These employees desire structure and clear directions.

"Things need to be spelled out," she said. "That's partially from schools changing because of No Child Left Behind, and it's partially from the way parenting has shifted. There are a number of reasons for it. The end result is that you really do have to be more precise in your instructions."

iGen also has a strong sense of equality in the workplace.

"There will be an increasing discussion about whether we will have safe spaces at work and about emotional safety at work," Twenge said. "That will come to fruition in the next few years. If you have had any issues around inequality in terms of language or representation, pay attention to that now. The more young people you hire, the more focus there will be on that."

The question for every generation is how much the world will change to accommodate them and how much they must change to adapt to the world.

"It's always going to be both," she said. "Lots of changes already have happened, and there will continue to be more. What we have to focus on is balance. We want to meet this generation where they are, but we also want to make sure the workplace works and that we are preserving our bottom line."

It's all about achieving balance.

"We have to consider what things we can do that help everyone, that sometimes we have to give the generation what they need instead of what they want, but sometimes we can find solutions that are both what the generation wants and that are good for the organization in the long run," Twenge concluded. "The organizations that can find that balance will be the most successful now and in the future.

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