Peter Done is Group CEO and founder of business services specialist Peninsula Group.
Be honest: When you hear “Gen Z,” what’s the first word that comes to mind? For me, it’s driven.
I’ve seen it firsthand. At the age of 16, my grandson is now entering the workforce, and I can see that the desire to work hard is by no means lost. I also welcome interns and graduates into my businesses every year, and there too, I see nothing but a willingness to grow and learn.
However, not everyone feels the same, and it’s clear there’s a clash between managers and the emerging new workforce. Take a quick scour online, and you’ll see articles decrying Gen Z workers—those born between 1997 and 2012—as “lazy” or “entitled.” Three out of 4 bosses admit they find it difficult to work with Gen Z staff and 1 in 8 managers have fired a Gen Zer within a week of their start date. The reason, according to respondents, is that this age group lacks motivation and effort and are too easily offended. But is it really the case that the future working population is just “lazy”? Or are there deeper issues at play here?
Let’s consider what could be driving divisions between employers and Gen Zers and what employers can do to close the gap.
Work through communication issues.
The pandemic significantly shaped the working experience for many Gen Z staff. While some businesses already favored digital-first collaboration, this became default for many. Meaning that, when Gen Z began to enter the workforce, they didn’t have a chance to build their face-to-face communication skills at work. Now, 36% of managers have reported poor communication skills among young hires. This could contribute to a culture clash between those who are more comfortable communicating digitally and those who aren’t.
It’s not that young staff want to hide behind a screen. On the contrary, 72% of Gen Z prefer in-person contact in the workplace—perhaps because it’s a more of a novelty to them. It’s simply that they’re inexperienced. So, consider prioritizing in-person meetings, team building and events to help younger staff build up their communication skills. Allow younger employees to shadow their older counterparts to help them to learn the fundamentals.
Consider mental health strains.
Gen Z suffers from stress and anxiety more than any other age group. According to a Deloitte study, nearly half of Gen Z claim to feel stressed all or most of the time. And 46% feel burned out specifically due to the intensity of their working environment.
If staff feel you are the main creator of their stress, it will undoubtedly cause divisions at work. It’s why there are so many TikTok trends that encourage workers to reduce effort at work. From “Bare Minimum Mondays” to “Acting your Wage,” there are countless campaigns with one common theme: Gen Z needs to prioritize their well-being over work.
It would be easy to dismiss these as signs of a lazy workforce but it appears to be a self-preservation tactic to combat rising stress levels. Try to alleviate workplace stress so staff don’t feel the need to take drastic action on their own.
Consider using an employee assistance program and providing third-party support so staff can ease their worries and mental health concerns with help from a trained expert. You can also conduct a stress risk assessment to figure out how your workplace could lead to stress and map out how you plan to reduce these hazards. Lastly, hold regular catch-ups to identify stress factors and allow for greater visibility into staff workloads.
Don’t let stereotypes shape your management.
Many employers have unfair preconceptions about Gen Z staff. A lot of the common assumptions—like Gen Z being “too sensitive”—are baseless. But if management have these preconceptions, there’s a risk they could be writing off Gen Z staff before they’ve even had chance to prove themselves.
It’s easy to blame a workplace rift on generational differences. But often, difficulties connecting with staff stems from a lack of emotional intelligence or managerial prowess. A successful manager adjusts their management style around each individual, regardless of characteristics like age.
For example, some employees thrive in collaborative environments. Others are more receptive to direct instruction. Each employee has a different way of working, and it’s a manager’s job to discover what that is.
Focus on the individual. With regular one-to-ones, managers should learn over time what motivates—or de-motivates—each employee at work. Dedicated training could help line managers become more attuned to different styles of management. Ideally, managers should follow fair and consistent frameworks for all employees, like appraisals, and then tweak their management style within these systems.
Learn from each other.
In my experience, when a business really embraces diversity, it thrives. So it’s not a case of gritting our teeth and pretending our differences don’t exist. Instead, leverage the power of diversity and ask yourself: What can we all learn from one another?
It’s not just a case of asking older workers to mentor their younger workers. It works both ways. Gen Z workers are often characterized by having a knack for technology. This is an essential trait in the modern working world, and it’s crucial that we listen and learn from them. Because remember, in the not-so distant future, they will form the majority of the workforce.
Try to increase collaboration between different age groups by adjusting hybrid working patterns. Working remotely might deepen the disconnect between older and younger staff. When you allow different age groups to regularly collaborate in person, you allow staff to learn valuable lessons from different demographics. Also, encourage knowledge sharing. Give all staff a platform to share their expertise, whether that’s in communication, technology or something else.
Within the right workplace environment, I believe Gen Z will flourish. When employers look past damaging stereotypes, they will reap the rewards of a highly innovative and respectful workforce.
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