While everyone's individual experiences are unique, there are certain events and cultural hallmarks which separate one generation from the next. Whether it's an unforeseeable global incident or the rise of a world-changing technology, the environment we experience as children and adolescents has a real impact on our values and expectations. 

For a long time now, conversation has dwelled upon the Millennial generation and their place in the workplace. But with the oldest Millennials pushing 40, and Generation Z entering the working world at speed, it's time to assess how these two generations differ in both their expectations and their life experience.   

There's an app for that

Millennials like to think of themselves as digitally competent - and in comparison to Baby Boomers and Generation X, they certainly are. Yet Generation Z could speed text and Snapchat them under the table. While most Millennials will remember dial-up internet and mobile phones which resembled bricks, Generation Z joined the world a bit further down the digital pipeline. After all, the first iPhone didn't come out until 2007 - a time well into adulthood for many of the older millennials, whereas Generation Z have been aware of smartphones since their teenage years (if not before). 

So what does this mean in terms of their workplace expectations? Well, for one thing, Generation Z will expect technology to be seamlessly integrated into the everyday work process. They've grown up knowing that there's an app for every problem. If your office is still shuffling papers, then expect to see your filing cabinets packed away and your whiteboards gathering dust. By the time Generation Z hit your office, you'll discover there really is an app for everything. 

Show me the money

We hear all the time how Millennials have high values and are motivated by purpose, as well as by money. While this may also be true for Generation Z to some extent, don't think that they'll work for peanuts. This generation is pragmatic, arguably more so than Millennials. 

The financial crash of 2008 is one of the defining global disasters in Gen Z'ers memories. Indeed, they likely saw their parents affected and probably felt the knock-on consequences themselves. Subsequently, Generation Z value a good salary more than their job-hopping Millennial counterparts. Not to mention, they are less trusting of corporations. So, if you think that you can attract Gen Z'ers with a fluffy mission statement alone, you may need to think again. 

Talk to the face

Perhaps it was somewhat ironic that Millennials grew up saying ‘talk to the hand' as they have become famed for their distaste for face-to-face interactions. Why say in a phone call what you can say in an email or text? That's the whole Millennial ethos. And Generation Z? Not so much. 

Maybe it's because Gen Z'ers have grown up with video chat and Instagram, or perhaps they've been put off by the introversion of the generation before them;. Whatever the reason, they're much more fond of face-to-face interaction. So if you're expecting the youngest work generation to dodge meeting requests and let the phone ring out just like the generation before them, you may just be pleasantly surprised. 

Innovation lovers

If you think Millennials are entrepreneurial, wait until you see what Generation Z have up their sleeves. Raised in a tech-driven economy where startups make it big - think: Netflix, Spotify and Airbnb - Gen Z'ers believe in the power of innovation. Coupled with their drive for financial gain, expect to see some big things from these up-and-coming entrepreneurs.  

After all, one US survey found that 75% of Gen Z high school students want to start a business. So all you doubters - watch this space. Plus, employers looking to attract these innovation-lovers can do so by offering Gen Z'ers creative freedom and the scope to shape their own role and career trajectory. 

Identity can be sliced many ways - the generation we belong to is just one way of cutting it. Still, with the shiny, young things entering the working world we can certainly expect a shake-up. With their tech-wizardry and entrepreneurial minds, Generation Z are bound to add a new dimension to the traditional workplace.       

By Chris Griffiths and Caragh Medlicott. Chris is creator of the app Ayoa.com - a platform used by top thinkers to boost productivity.