Generation Z has a reputation for holding employers to high standards. Research from Deloitte found that 77% of Gen Z respondents consider it essential to work for a company whose values align with their own. For defense contractors, that finding creates both a problem and an opportunity. Margarita Howard, sole owner, CEO, and president of HX5, a service-disabled veteran and women-owned federal contractor, has leaned into the opportunity rather than treating generational expectations as an obstacle.

Values Alignment in a Regulated Environment

HX5 supports NASA and the Department of Defense with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics services across more than 1,000 employees and 90 government locations spanning 34 states. Howard argues that few employers can match the significance of that work. Moon missions, defense programs, and critical government operations are not abstract corporate initiatives. When she tells prospective hires to picture themselves supporting a mission to the moon or contributing to overseas defense operations, she is describing what HX5 employees actually do. Howard has said she regularly tells recruits that they need to feel energized by the specific program they are supporting each morning.

Alongside mission-driven messaging, Margarita Howard has made concrete operational changes. HX5 has adopted hybrid work arrangements where security requirements permit and updated its internal technology stack, moving toward instant messaging platforms and interactive project management tools that younger workers find intuitive. Howard has explained that the company has modernized internal communication processes to include platforms Gen Z workers find comfortable.

Where Standards Hold Firm

Howard draws a clear line around what will not change. Security standards in defense contracting are not negotiable, and HX5‘s regulatory environment requires meticulous documentation and compliance reporting. Artificial intelligence has become practical here: the company uses AI to help manage proposal development and the detailed documentation required for government audits. Howard expects that by 2035, AI will play a larger role in how agencies evaluate contractor performance and predict procurement needs. Keeping HX5 ahead of that shift is a stated priority, making Gen Z recruitment and technology investment two expressions of the same organizational strategy. Visit this page for more information.

Find more information about Howard on https://www.finsmes.com/2026/01/margarita-howard-on-how-hx5s-defense-origins-launched-its-expansion-into-nasa-contracting.html