There’s a changing of the guard happening in engineering departments across North America, and if your B2B marketing strategy hasn’t evolved to match, you’re already behind.

Here’s the reality: 57% of engineers now have 14 or fewer years of experience. Millennial and Gen Z engineers aren’t the “next generation” anymore—they’re the now generation. They’re specifying components, influencing supplier decisions, and increasingly holding the purchasing power that drives your revenue.

But here’s what most B2B marketers miss: these engineers don’t just represent a younger demographic. They represent a fundamental shift in how engineers work, learn, and buy.

This Isn’t Just About Age—It’s About Approach

The differences between Millennial/Gen Z engineers and their seasoned counterparts go far deeper than birth year. Our latest research reveals a professional cohort that operates on entirely different principles.

They’re interdisciplinary by default. While Career Pros built expertise in narrow specializations over decades, Millennial/Z engineers are blending mechanical, software, and systems engineering from day one. They’re not just hardware engineers who dabbled in code—they’re building careers at the intersection of multiple disciplines.

They’re digitally native, not digitally adapted. When researching components, Millennial/Z engineers are 17 points less likely to use manufacturer websites than Career Pros. They’re not starting with Google either. Instead, they’re going directly to peer communities, forums, and aggregators. They expect information to be where they are, not the other way around.

They’re collaborative decision-makers in a world built for solo experts. Only a fraction of Millennial/Z engineers are singular product decision-makers. They rely on supervisors, teammates, and procurement teams. Your marketing needs to equip the entire buying committee, not just the engineer with the purchasing authority.

The Trust Equation Has Changed

Perhaps most striking is what influences their decisions. While Career Pros prioritize technical specifications above all else, Millennial/Z engineers weigh factors differently:

• They’re four times more likely to cite brand loyalty as a decision factor
• They prioritize product authenticity and supply chain reliability over breadth of catalog
• They’re significantly more likely to contact suppliers during design—54% reach out on at least half of their projects, compared to just 36% of Career Pros

This generation wants partners, not vendors. They’re more open to supplier relationships, but they’re also more demanding of the experience. When asked about their biggest frustrations, inadequate manufacturer support ranks significantly higher among Millennial/Z engineers than their senior peers.

The AI Divide Is Real—And Growing

Here’s where the generational gap becomes a chasm: 45% of Millennial/Z engineers are currently using AI tools in their workflows, with another 22% planning to adopt soon. Among Career Pros? Just 21% are using AI today.

Millennial/Z engineers aren’t just using chatbots for quick questions. They’re integrating AI across the entire design lifecycle—from conceptual design to prototyping to validation. They’re using design assistance tools at nearly double the rate of Career Pros (45% vs. 25%), and they’re experimenting with image generation, product visualization, and automated routing.

If your content strategy doesn’t account for how AI-assisted engineers discover and consume information, you’re invisible to nearly half of your target audience.

Why This Matters Right Now

This isn’t a trend to monitor for the next five years. The shift is already complete. Millennial/Z engineers are designing today’s products, and they’re doing it differently than the generation before them.

They work at mid-sized companies where agility is high and long-term supplier relationships are still forming. They’re concentrated in emerging sectors like utilities, energy, and infrastructure—not just traditional strongholds like aerospace and healthcare. They’re the engineers who will define supplier partnerships for the next two decades.

The question isn’t whether to adapt your B2B marketing strategy. It’s whether you’ll adapt in time to capture this audience while they’re still forming their supplier preferences—or whether you’ll watch competitors build relationships that last for careers.

Get the Full Picture (While It’s Still Free)

The insights above barely scratch the surface of what we uncovered in our comprehensive survey of over 1,000 electrical engineers. The complete Engineering Insight Report reveals exactly how Millennial/Z engineers research, evaluate, and purchase components—including the specific content formats they prefer, the design tools they rely on, and the channels where they’re most active.

For a limited time, we’re offering the full report as a free download. This is the last year we’ll make this data available at no cost—future editions will be premium content for purchase only.

[Download the free 2024 Millennial and Gen Z Engineering Report] and get the data-driven insights you need to reach the engineers who are reshaping your market—before your competitors do.

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*The window for free access is closing. Get your copy of the report today and discover the tactical strategies that are actually working to reach Millennial and Gen Z engineers.*