Gen Z on the Job

One hears tell of the antics of Gen Z from time to time. Those who have the unenviable task of managing that generation in the workplace are invariably pessimistic about their futures. One hates to say it, but if an entire generation is filled with dysfunctional losers, our country is in some serious trouble.

If you are musing about the revival of American industry, you need also consider that we might not have the human capital to effect the recovery.

The New York Post reports the bad news:

Gen Z employees are entitled, too easily offended, lazy and generally unprepared for the workplace — according to their bosses.

The dismal assessment of workers born between 1996 and 2010 comes in a poll of 966 business leaders across the country taken last month by the online education magazine Intelligent.com.

The survey found 75% of execs felt most of the recent college grads they hired were unsuccessful — and 60% said at least some of them had to be fired.

Dare we mention that this represents a colossal failure. Educators have failed children, and, dare we say, parents who are taking their cues from psychologists are also failing. Whatever they think they are teaching, their charges end up being fundamentally dysfunctional.

About 17% of leaders believe Gen Z, who range in age from their teens to about 28, is often “too difficult” to manage, and 39% said they have poor communication skills.

Jessen James, an international entrepreneur, business mentor and speaker, said some Gen Zers struggle to articulate themselves, don’t look you in the eye, and don’t project their voices.

“They lack charisma and personality skills,” he told The Post, adding, “I don’t feel they are in tune with what it takes to impress others.”

One wonders how much of these problems derive from a culture of DEI, where hiring and promotion have less to do with ability, less to do with hard work, and more to do with extraneous factors. If such is the case, young people have been trained to see that good conduct and hard work is not rewarded.

Psychologically, the younger generation is weak and ineffectual, prone to meltdowns and to emotional self-indulgence.

James has seen what he calls “snowflakeism” — some Gen Zers “crumbling” under even a little pressure.

“It’s almost like you have to walk on eggshells around them, being super sensitive when managing them, in case you offend them, upset them, or push them too far,” he said.

Some twentysomethings have even brought a parent with them to job interviews for support.

The first rule of adult behavior: don’t bring your mother to a job interview!

Let’s see. A generation that was brought up on therapeutically correct principles is filled with people who have mental health problems. Could it be that making therapy a way of life is not very therapeutic.

Now, corporate environments have tried to adapt to the new cohort:

Corporate environments and office culture have relaxed in recent years, Nguyen noted, and are viewed differently between generations.

But even with a more laid back office environment, recent college grads don’t dress professionally and don’t use “appropriate” language for work, 19% of those surveyed said.

For those who think that perhaps managers are misperceiving the behaviors of their Gen Z staff, the Post continues:

While some of the beliefs are subjective, others are not, he said, like being on time.

About 20% of respondents said Gen Zers are often late to work, and 15% said they frequently hand assignments in late.

The younger generation is also more likely to use up their sick days than their older colleagues, recent studies have found.

So, managers consider Gen Z to be chronically immature. They have been trying to teach them better social skills and better work habits.

But many bosses are trying to tame the immature hires, even mandating “office etiquette training.”

Fifty-four percent of the company leaders surveyed said they offer the training and many mandate it for new hires — and a quarter of them specifically require it for Gen Z recruits.

Nearly 80% of companies surveyed reported placing at least some of the disappointing hires on “performance improvement plans.”

At the least, they all have high self-esteem.

As for how you develop better work habits, if all else fails consult with me, via StuartSchneiderman@gmail.com. I will be happy to coach you through the process.