Managing the Next Generation

Generation Z—that one-click, idealistic, social media-savvy, eco-friendly demographic—is entering the workforce, and many employers are finding themselves ill-prepared.

Three-quarters of managers say their “Zoomer” employees are more difficult to work with than older generations, according to an April 2023 ResumeBuilder.com survey. Similarly, 40 percent of business executives surveyed in July 2023 by Intelligent.com, a platform that ranks higher education programs, believe recent college grads are unprepared for the workforce—which may be at least partially attributable to their pandemic-era isolation.

Some employers have found Gen Z so inept at soft skills that a few major consulting firms—including PwC, Deloitte and KPMG—are offering young workers specialized training to help them develop work-appropriate communication skills, learn how to listen for verbal cues and read body language—in short, to understand how to “read a room.”

“Every generation has been maligned for something,” says Tara Ceranic Salinas, Ph.D., chair of management at the University of San Diego’s Knauss School of Business and the North American editor of the Journal of Business Ethics Education. “The parents of Gen Z want to give their kids a different childhood than they had. They don’t want their kids to come home alone after school or wander the neighborhood until it’s dark. As a result, Gen Z kids have been, perhaps, over-supervised.”

A New Workplace Vibe

By 2030, Gen Z—born from approximately the mid-to-late 1990s to the early 2010s, depending on the source—will make up 8.3 percent of the U.S. workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Based on data from a recent Glassdoor report, the number of Gen Z members in the workplace will overtake the number of Baby Boomers this year. Globally, Gen Z is poised to represent 27 percent of the workforce in leading Western countries and a full one-third of the global population by 2025.

It is widely acknowledged that the characteristics of Gen Z—shaped by a vibrant online culture and a long-running pandemic—are unique compared to other generations in today’s workforce. Adobe’s 2023 Future Workforce Study, which surveyed more than 1,000 Gen Z workers, concluded that the newest generation in America’s labor market is “poised to transform the post-pandemic workforce.” Among the observations this study made about the members of Gen Z:

• They want to do meaningful work and be “change-makers” in the workplace, and they aren’t shy about speaking up for that change. They expect the same of their employers; more than half (56 percent) say they want to work for a company that is outspoken about social issues.
• They readily speak up about workplace opportunities regardless of their seniority level, with 74 percent saying they feel comfortable giving upward feedback to managers or supervisors.
• They seek workplaces and managers that encourage them to be their “real selves.” “Survey participants ranked work/life balance, feeling connected to colleagues and equitable treatment as the top-most important aspects of company culture,” the study found.
• They prioritize an inclusive workplace, with more than half (52 percent) ranking “not getting along with managers or co-workers” as the No. 1 reason for leaving a job.

But this generation is also regularly accused of communicating unprofessionally, being too casual in their dress and behavior, having trouble separating their professional and personal lives, and being overly critical of their employers.

“Gen Z wants balance,” Salinas says. “They don’t want to give their life to an organization that may cut them loose, so traditional corporate jobs don’t hold much appeal. Some call them the ‘Hustle Generation,’ because many [want to] work for themselves rather than a company. They’ve grown up [knowing] the importance of one’s mental and physical health—so a desk job without a culture that doesn’t value well-being won’t appeal to them.”

In a 2023 survey of 2,000 18-to-24-year-old graduates in the United Kingdom and the U.S., 85 percent said social skills—such as influencing, persuading and including others—are essential to advance in their workplace. Yet 40 percent said they received no training, onboarding or support from their manager to develop these skills. “This misalignment ensures the graduate skill gap remains firmly in place, with detrimental consequences,” says Michelle P. King, Ph.D., who conducted the survey.

Coping with Ambiguity

According to King—a widely published author, researcher and founder of The Culture Practice, a global consultancy and coaching firm—Gen Z is generally uncomfortable with ambiguity. Raised in a world in which Google is always one click away, this generation is accustomed to getting instant, decisive answers to their questions, making them potentially uncomfortable with the ambiguity of the tasks their managers assign to them. Without the advantage of learning to make decisions based on limited information or through trial and error, this generation may be less confident in their abilities.

Indeed, more than one-third (33 percent) of the Gen Z respondents to King’s survey say they are not confident making decisions at work without all the necessary information. This can lead to trouble solving problems that don’t have clear-cut solutions, working on complex tasks and spontaneously brainstorming solutions.

King says learning to live with ambiguity for the first time is challenging. “The new world of work is a ‘hyper-social workplace’ because it requires one crucial skill: The ability to manage how you work with others,” she notes. “So, there is an ambiguity paradox facing younger generations as workplaces become more informal in terms of structure, processes, bureaucracy and how people collaborate. Yet, at the same time younger generations’ ability to navigate both tasks and social ambiguity is declining.”

King explains that managing ambiguity in social situations “means knowing how to interpret other peoples’ feelings and intentions so they can manage informal interactions.” Thirty percent of the respondents to her survey report increased stress due to ambiguous relationships at work. Remarkably, 9 in 10 say they avoid in-person events because of social anxiety, and nearly a quarter are uncomfortable speaking up in team meetings. King says the prolonged isolated necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic may have much to do with this phenomenon.

“Leaders are making snap judgments about what they think is happening, rather than taking the time to understand why younger generations may be less engaged or struggle with how work gets done,” King says. “While many studies highlight a widening gap between the interpersonal and technological skills that graduates have and those needed by employers, less known [are] the challenges facing graduates and what employers and students can do to close the gap.”

Managers Can Help

Managers are in a good position to coach younger generations of workers about what is expected of them by modeling how to adapt to a fluid workplace and adjusting their communication style to connect with colleagues of all ages.

Three-quarters of the Gen Z respondents to King’s survey say their relationships with their managers cause them stress. Addressing an issue directly with their supervisors can be particularly challenging for this generation, given that more than 36 percent say they feel uncomfortable having difficult conversations with colleagues. Managers can help by coaching their younger employees to be comfortable with not always knowing an answer and with continual change, the survey suggests.

Singling out an entire generation by mocking their challenges—as is often the case by the media at large—is self-defeating, Salinas says. The skills younger workers may lack can be taught, she notes. “No one would mock [executives learning] how to use AI, because that’s good for business. This is no different. If these employees bring cutting-edge knowledge and creativity to work, a workshop on corporate communication seems trivial. And research shows that Gen Z wants to learn. Organizations that hire Gen Z and develop their skills [are] ahead of the competition.”

Indeed, approximately 83 percent of Gen Z respondents to Adobe’s 2023 Future Workforce Study say having a workplace mentor is crucial to their career, but only about half of them (52 percent) report having a mentor.

“A manager is really a teacher,” King says. “When managers don’t provide clarity on things like working hours, deadlines, performance assessments or expectations, it can become a significant source of stress.” Salinas agrees, pointing out that time spent investing in Gen Z’s development at work can pay off, as the knowledge they bring to companies about the power of social media and artificial intelligence can be invaluable to them.

She notes, “Companies are missing an awesome opportunity if they aren’t playing into the skills that this generation has.”

Dana M. Wilkie is a freelance journalist living in Panama.