Cracking the Gen Z Code: How Franchisees Can Recruit, Retain, and Inspire the Next Generation of Front-Line Workers

If you're running a service-based business today, chances are you've felt the pressure of hiring and keeping Gen Z workers, especially teens stepping into their very first jobs. In an industry where turnover can feel like a revolving door, it’s become clear that traditional approaches just don’t cut it anymore.

Like many franchisees in service-based brands, the front-line team is largely made up of young adults. They’re the face of the brand — greeting guests, leading birthday parties or events, running the floor or the front desk. These roles require energy, responsibility, and strong people skills. And yet, for many of these young team members, this is their first real experience in the workforce.

If you want Gen Z employees to show up, stick around, and do more than the bare minimum, treat their time as more than “just a job.” Build a culture that matches their values — one that is focused on purpose, connection, and growth. Here are three key strategies to build a workplace where young people want to both work and stay.

Create clear pathways for growth and recognition

One of the most common misconceptions about younger employees is that they’re only motivated by money. While pay matters, recognition and growth opportunities go even further.

Franchisees should make it a point to show team members that their work is seen and appreciated. That can mean small things, like shoutouts in team huddles or an “employee of the month” wall, or bigger things, like giving a 17-year-old the opportunity to lead a shift or train a new hire.

Owners can also map out clear growth paths, even if they’re short-term. For example, a front-desk host can become a birthday party lead. When young employees see that effort leads to advancement, they take more ownership, and they stay longer.

Train for life, not just the job

Most teens aren’t joining your team to build a lifelong career, and that’s okay. But we’ve found that when you position the job as a chance to learn real-world skills that go beyond the workplace, they are more engaged from day one.

Proper training emphasizes communication, teamwork, responsibility, and leadership. For example, great leaders teach how to give and receive feedback, how to de-escalate a tense situation with a guest, and how to run a team huddle. These are skills they’ll carry into future jobs, school, and life, and they know it.

That shift in framing from “clocking in” to “building life skills” changes how teens show up for work. It gives them purpose.

Build a culture that feels like a team, not just a gig

Perhaps most important of all: culture matters. Today’s young workers want to feel like they belong. They’re not interested in transactional work environments where they’re just another body on the schedule. They want to be part of something.

At Altitude Trampoline Park, we focus on building team connection from day one. We host team outings, celebrate milestones, and encourage peer recognition. Managers are trained to lead with empathy and approachability. We also actively seek feedback from our teen employees and take it seriously. They know their voice matters.

That sense of belonging is what turns a part-time job into something meaningful. It’s what keeps them coming back, season after season. For franchisees and service-based business owners, the message is clear: if you want to win with Gen Z, you have to meet them where they are. This generation expects more than a paycheck. They want community, respect, and the chance to grow.

The good news? When you invest in your young team, they invest back with energy, loyalty, and a better guest experience. It’s not just good for culture. It’s good for business.

Brandon Gadish is a multi-unit franchisee with Altitude Trampoline Park.