This blog is about really bad managers but really bad employees exist, too. And when it comes to identifying good and bad employees, there are definite generational differences.
Generational Differences Have Always Existed
I’m a Gen Joneser—essentially, the last half of the very large Baby Boomer generation. (Jonesers are those folks born between 1955 and 1965 or so; I was born in 1958.) In my first corporate job, almost the entire management team was Jonesers, with a few olders Boomers thrown into the mix. I distinctly remember when we started hiring our first Gen Xers, those “younger” people (younger back then, anyway) who were born between 1965 and 1980 or so. These “kids” were, at the time, in their early-to-mid 20s and we saw from them a much different work ethic than what we “older” managers possessed.
Compared to us hard-driving Jonesers and Boomers, the Gen Xers had more trouble adapting to the work ethos, were less eager to work long hours, and were more skeptical of the enterprise as a whole. In reflection, that made sense. For example, us “old folk” all had worked part- or full-time jobs when we were in high school. The Gen Xers, in general, didn’t have that high school work experience, so when we hired them it was often their very first job. They didn’t know how work worked, what was expected of them, and how to play the game to succeed in the organization. They were different because they were brought up different; they brought different backgrounds and experiences into the equation.
That didn’t make Gen Xers bad workers; they just worked differently. (And, as they’re starting to reach retirement age now, they somehow survived and even thrived.) There are, no doubt, subsequent generational differences with subsequent generations.
Generation Z Really is Different
Which brings us to our topic of the day, how to manage the latest batch of new recruits—Gen Zers. Zoomers, as they’re often called, are those born between 1997 and 2012 or so. That puts the oldest Zoomers in their mid 20s and the youngest ones still in their teens. They’re the young folks who are just starting to enter the real workforce—and whom managers are starting to see in job interviews.
Perhaps not surprisingly, employers are now starting to complain about these new workers. Some say the Gen Zers are not as mature, not as professional, not as hard working as previous generations. And they may be right.
According to a survey by Resume Genius, 45% of hiring managers say Gen Z is the most challenging generation to work with. A similar ResumeBuilder.com survey reports that a third of managers try to avoid hiring Gen Z workers, because they lack “workplace etiquette.”
In what ways might Zoomers be bad employees? That same ResumeBuilder.com study noted the following:
- 58% of Zoomers dressed inappropriately during a job interview
- 57% had trouble making eye contact during the interview
- 47% asked for unreasonable compensation
- 19% used inappropriate language
- 16% were in an inappropriate environment during a virtual interview
- 13% refused to turn on their cameras during a virtual interview
- 9% brought a parent to the job interview
These hiring managers went on to say that Gen Z candidates acted entitled (41%), lacked communication skills (39%), weren’t prepared (36%), and didn’t seem engaged or interested during the interview (33%). It almost sounds like they didn’t want to get hired—or had no idea what is required to be successful.
What Makes Generation Z Different?
Why are Generation Z kids acting this way? Some blame COVID, and there’s probably something to that; the pandemic upset normal activities in all sorts of ways we’re still trying to figure out. I can vouch that my school-age grandchildren are still having troubles in school that are definitely the result of the online classes and lack of in-person interaction during the COVID years. That thing just messed a lot of people up.
In addition, many Gen Zers do not have the same social or interpersonal skills as did previous generations. Not that they have zero interpersonal skills, they’re just different. You might look at a Zoomer and say they don’t have any friends because they don’t go out and socialize with others like we did when we were their age. But if you look closely, you’ll discover that they have lots of friends, but that they communicate with them not in person but via text messaging, Snapchat, online gaming, and the like. It’s not that they lack interpersonal skills, it’s that (because of changing technology, COVID, or whatever) their skills are much different from ours.
That said, it does appear that each subsequent generation feels less obligated to their employers than did previous generations. My Silent Generation father complained about how lax we Boomer/Gen Jones kids were, and we complained similarly about the Gen Xers who followed us. Every generation apparently feels that they’re better than the generation following them.
As to the lack of connection to employers, there’s some justification to that—in no small part because employers today are increasingly less loyal to and supportive of their employees. Few companies today offer pension plans, defined growth tracks, and long-term job security. The days of working for the same company for forty years are long gone; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average employee today stays with the same company for only 3.9 years.
Maybe it’s a good thing for the Gen Z kids to have a better work-life balance—even if it means they’re less willing to work overtime, take work home with them, be available for calls and texts evenings and weekends, and the like. The relationship between employers and employees has changed over the years, and Gen Z attitudes simply reflect that.
How Should You Deal with Gen Z Employees?
How do we older managers deal with this new, less dedicated, less traditionally professional generation? Experience has shown that it is difficult, if not impossible, to force younger generations into the mold of older ones. That means, to some extent, accepting Zoomers as they are. What we once might have considered unacceptable traits will become the norm, and we have to get used to that. If we can’t change the way Zoomers are, we have to adapt to accommodate them and their needs.
On the other hand, we need to work with our younger employees to help them adjust to what to them is a new experience. It’s likely a new Gen Z employee has never had a job before and isn’t used to all that involves. You’ll need to train them how to do meetings, how to interact in a group setting, how and when to take on more responsibility, and the like. Don’t assume they know what is expected of them. It’s increasingly important to take your new employees by the hand and teach them the basic life skills of the business world. They need the help.
Bottom line, this new generation really is different from older ones, for wholly understandable reasons. Don’t be shocked at that and assume that they’re all bad employees—they’re just different.
We need to learn to work with Gen Zers in their own way, because we need them and their fresh blood in our organizations. The rest of us will continue to age and eventually retire; it is inevitable that today’s twentysomething Zoomers will take over from us and run things on their own one day. We need to help them learn how to be productive and successful in tomorrow’s business environment.
It’s the old adage: if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Like it or not, Generation Z is the future—and it’s our job to help them get there.
