1. Hard-working and moving up the ladder. Members of Generation Z don't envision starting at the top, but do expect the training it takes to get there. Sixty-four percent pinpoint career growth opportunities as their top priority when they seek a full-time job.

2. Financial stability is the dream. When you think about the uncertainty that has inundated their lives – school shootings, terrorism, the financial crisis – it's no surprise they're looking for security, including jobs that pay well. They expect to make about $47,000 a year in their first job out of college, and 83 percent believe saving money is important at this stage in life.

3. Digital is the name of the game. They've never known life without the internet, so when it comes to information-seeking – and shopping – members of Gen Z are digital consumers. And they're twice as likely to prefer shopping via mobile than millennials.

4. One-on-one, face-to-face. While it may be tempting to think Gen Zers prefer to communicate screen-to-screen, the truth is 74 percent prefer to communicate face-to-face with their co-workers. They expect direct, straightforward communication, and they pick up on it when it isn't genuine.

5. The briefer, the better. Don't count on holding their attention for long. In fact, the average attention span of a Gen Zer is about eight seconds. They're used to the immediacy of social media, and they look for images to convey a message. They sort information quickly and filter out anything they feel isn't relevant. That doesn't mean they can't focus. They can – when the message matters to them.  

When communicating about benefits, help clients deliver content and share it in a way that resonates with this particular generation. And help your clients create benefit programs that speak to Gen Z. How? Here are some ideas:

• Recommend specific benefits – like disability insurance – that help them protect their income, their ability to save, and their future.

• Offer benefit communications that aren't focused on the product and how to purchase it.  Instead, highlight the value that it can provide or the gap it can help fill. And, remember to be genuine.

• Work with carriers that offer online, digital education and enrollment solutions.  But, rather than an electronic version of the traditional enrollment process, it should be reengineered to be direct, visual, succinct and actionable. 

Five generations working together – each with different expectations, different needs and different preferences.    As the newest, Generation Z will influence the other generations as their numbers continue to grow in the workforce.  Be ready for this emerging workforce – know how to engage them and find carrier partners who can do the same.  It'll be time well spent.