Asheville Native Hannah Grady Williams: Unlocking Gen Z

 With a record 10.1 million open US jobs, the “great resignation” has turned the employment market upside-down. Employers are looking for new talent markets – one of which includes an increasing majority of Gen Z students who are transitioning straight from high school to career. As the market remains competitive and younger workers enter the marketplace, 23-year-old Hannah Grady Williams, an Asheville native, is the Gen Z DEMYSTIFIER - helping native analogs understand digitals for recruitment and retention to gain the competitive edge in the workplace. Williams, a Gen Z’r herself, recently released, A Leader’s Guide to Unlocking Gen Z, the first of its kind handbook for leaders, capturing how to leverage the power of the next generation at work.

Hi Hannah! Thanks for catching up with Carolina Spark readers! There are so many people who read this magazine – women and men alike – who will be interested in your story. To start, where in this world are you right now?

I’ve just arrived in New Jersey to conduct undercover research for a client – the Gen Z version of Undercover Boss. One way I help organizations is by auditing how they currently engage Gen Z’ers so I can help them set realistic goals for improvement.

What motivated you to carry the torch for an entire generation?

I want the work of the future to be something I'm proud my siblings get to be part of [Hannah is the oldest of seven siblings!]. I want to help shape a workplace where my six-year-old sister can voice her ideas and opinions and be respected – and I want to see this happen globally. I'd love to be part of leading the charge to transform the employees of the future to operate within a global economy that allows true communication and understanding for corporate engagement worldwide.

Who inspires you?

Gary Vaynercuk is a huge inspiration for me. I love watching people who change the world in a really blunt way. Gary V is Gen X, but there are a lot of similarities with Gen Z. He takes almost a belligerent approach for what we want work, family, and life to look like. He stands his ground and isn't afraid of being unliked. This is how you make change.

What is your normal day?

Right now, my professional life is divided into three main areas of focus: automating my family's property management company, developing my own real estate company, and developing my consulting business. My day starts early, catching up on my phone with email and social engagement from the comfort of my bed – a total Gen Z thing to do! Then I work from the office two days a week, and from home three days a week. My official work day consists of collaborating with our virtual assistant; content creation for LinkedIn, podcasts and video; lead generation calls, coaching calls, client audits, property management tasks, and more! I spend the evening working on business development or professional writing. Every day is different and that's what I love about my life!

How do you stay focused on the task at hand with so much going on?

Hiring a virtual assistant gives me the time to focus on important work versus “busy” tasks. I turn off laptop notifications when I move to “deep work” and set a timer and a goal for that time period. If there is time leftover before the timer goes off, I jam a few tasks in before starting the next goal.

Who is your dream client?

My dream is to work with a company close to my hometown – perhaps in Knoxville or Greenville – in a manufacturing or textile company that is willing to change and make strategic sustainable efforts. Now, I work with clients who are already doing well in many areas, and those are wonderful, but my dream client is actually a company whose leaders have struggled in the past and now want to make a 360 transformation.

You do so many interesting things for work! Is there something you do for fun that might surprise people?

I love going to three or four different restaurants in a row and ordering appetizers. The servers give weird looks but it’s a blast to try multiple places!

Interested in how to reach Gen Z for your own company? Check out www.hannahgwilliams.com for me.

Brooke Parker Photography

Written by Emily McCollin