Generation Z, the Driving Force in Future Industries

By Yvette Cruz.  

Welcoming younger generations to the roofing industry and connecting with their communities for more opportunities and growth.  

In this Coffee Conversation, sponsored by Beacon, Megan Ellsworth sits with an entire panel of guests who are under twenty-six years of age! Featuring Gen Z, we welcomed Elli-Ann Oskar of OMG Roofing Products; Angel Hernandez and Kaci Atherton who work with Brian McPartlon Roofing; and Julian Salazar of Beacon Building Products. All are professionals within the roofing industry and shared how they got into roofing and they discussed the community that rallies around them. 

Angel and Julian both had parents who worked in the industry growing up. For Angel, went he started, he had already known most of his coworkers and bosses because he was around them for most of his life. Julian definitely thought of a different career path but seeing technological advancements and room for growth attracted him to this field. Kaci and Elli both “fell into it,” but have never felt more sense of community within their companies. 

Being younger than those who have been in the industry for over ten years, has opened their minds that anyone who wants to be involved can be involved. Angel stated, “In high school, [I] never really had the best grades and stuff, so my options were limited.” Having this opportunity has led him to reach out to schools and promote programs for youth involvements, teaching kids that college isn’t the only opportunity for careers. 

Being young adults, an important factor as to why they chose these companies is the community and mentorship behind them. Julian notes, “Community definitely is something that I look for in a work environment...I think that having that community and being close and comfortable with the people that you work with definitely allows you to perform better and just communicate better with the rest of your coworkers.”  

The people who encourage the younger members of the group have proven to have better communications with their peers. Kaci mentions, “Mentorship and career growth opportunities are really important; having a strong mentorship program where I can touch base with someone who's been in the field a lot longer than I have and has more experience.” 

When asked about other mentoring programs and the recruitment of other generations all agreed that representation and mentorship is the driving force in the continuation of the industry. 

“It's similar to when you grow up, you want to see representation for yourself on screen, you want to see yourself represented. If I don't see a woman or a woman of color in leadership, how will I get there? Am I going to be the one that perseveres and makes it happen? I want to make sure that the company cares about or prioritizes having diversity in not just the company as a whole, but leadership as well,” Elli summarizes. 

Listen to the entire podcast or read the transcript to learn more about Generation Z’s takeover. 

Learn more about Beacon Building Products in their Coffee Shop Directory or visit www.benc.com.