As Generation Z joins the workforce, they’re being welcomed by a tsunami of stereotypes and disparagement from older generations in corporate America. Accusations of being lazy, entitled, and unreliable ring out in the lunchrooms of countless firms. According to experts, ignoring the potential of this generation could put your organization at risk for failure. In the words of Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist, there’s a really important distinction. He thinks both older managers and Gen Z employees need to rise above preconceived notions and teach each other.
In a rapidly evolving job market, Gen Z prioritizes flexibility, purpose, and employee well-being over traditional markers of success such as overtime hours and promotions. Marketing agency Madeline Miller cautions that businesses that don’t prepare for how Gen Z will change consumers’ lives and expectations will be at risk of “imploding.” The generational divide continues to be emphasized by older workers who often compare their own strengths with Gen Z’s perceived weaknesses, exaggerating the differences.
As is often the case with young people, contrary to the doomsday narratives about them, members of Gen Z are using creative new ways to structure work. They continuously innovate AI technologies to do more with the greatest efficiency. This underscores their emphasis on achieving “smart work” rather than work for the sake of long hours. Jahnavi Shah, a tech worker, challenges the stereotype of entitlement among her peers, stating that the pressures of past generations to prioritize work over life are no longer acceptable.
“The generations before us, they were just all about work and then life would take a back seat. We are a really smart generation that hustles, but we also don’t want to burn out and want to be paid adequately for the value that we bring in.” – Jahnavi Shah
That shift in attitude is evident in Gen Z’s outlook on work in general. Career-ready too often means job-ready. Critics claim they could be unemployable, a line made famous in a viral op-ed from the Wall Street Journal. Countless Gen Zers such as Nadya Okamoto, co-founder of August, would have you think otherwise. She points out that the jobs they excel in today, such as social media marketing, were nonexistent two decades ago.
“If you look at a lot of the jobs that gen Z is known to do really well, like social media marketing, they weren’t jobs 20 years ago, so in this sense we’re obviously employable.” – Nadya Okamoto
Okamoto is under fire for his unrealistic expectations regarding work-life balance. More than that, he says, is his conviction that Gen Z’s demands arise from an authentic yearning for equity and dignity. She points out the fact that this generation has more higher expectations going into the workforce than their predecessors.
“There’s more ways to make money outside the corporate cog that grants freedom and flexibility, so we enter the workforce with much higher standards.” – Nadya Okamoto
Older generations usually voice complaints about the way Gen Z is doing things. As Adam Grant reminds us, each generation tends to look down upon the one that comes after. Luckily, this trend reminds us that these kinds of complaints, while they seem unprecedented, are not new.
“Every generation tends to complain about the one next to us.” – Adam Grant
This generational conflict is largely fueled by contrasting values and experiences in the workplace. Many older workers had the idea that if you worked long hours, you were successful, and you were loyal. Conversely, Gen Z is changing the rules on what value means in the workplace.
“We tend to compare [the younger generation] to our current selves, which is a mistake because most people are more narcissistic and self-centered at age 20 than they are at age 40.” – Adam Grant
Miller paints a hopeful picture of this new approach as a much-needed evolution, arguing that American capitalism is growing more and more extractive and ultimately unsustainable.
As this new generation explores their careers, they’re focusing on mental health and growing tired of burnout. In fact, millions in Gen Z are already leading the way by rejecting rigid, old-school ideas about how people should interact with work.
“The capitalist system is extractive, and gen Z are starting to say: ‘I’m tired and I’m going to get nothing out of this.’” – Madeline Miller
This conflict of generations is an enormous threat and opportunity for corporate America. As organizations grapple with integrating Gen Z’s values into their cultures, they must recognize the potential benefits of a diverse workforce that includes various perspectives on work and life.
“We realized we don’t actually have to be that burnt out any more and … American capitalism needs a change in which people are actually valued.” – Nadya Okamoto
The clash between generations presents both challenges and opportunities for corporate America. As organizations grapple with integrating Gen Z’s values into their cultures, they must recognize the potential benefits of a diverse workforce that includes various perspectives on work and life.