Analyzing Talent Trends in Generation Z College Students

Abstract

Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, are flooding university campuses and new employee orientations. This study provides an insight into Clifton Strengths talent theme trends of U.S. Generation Z college students based on archival data from a tier-one public research university in the southeastern United States. A sample of 592 students, over seven semesters, were administered the Clifton Strengths assessment as part of their undergraduate agricultural leadership courses. Results from this assessment were analyzed, looking at the participants’ generation, differences based on sex, and comparing the participants' generation to older generations in academic spaces and the general population. This information has been examined to determine if a talent theme trend for Generation Z does exist, and how this information would be used to enhance learning environments and agricultural education. The results indicate that U.S. Generation Z college students have the top five talent themes of Achiever, Restorative, Empathy, Strategic, and Futuristic. A ranking of talent themes for the sample was determined, along with rankings based on sex. Significance, using the chi-square test of independence, was found in males being more likely to have one-or-more Clifton Strengths in the Influencing domain, and two-or-more in the Strategic Thinking domain.