The arrival of generation Z into the world of work is being hectic for managers in the broadest sense of the word. The young people who join the workforce do not have the same concept of work as their colleagues and bosses from generation boomers and these differences are being felt in their stress levels: some managers are thinking about resigning because they can’t stand Generation Z.
Overcome by stress. According to data from a new survey Intelligent.com surveyed 1,000 American managers who manage teams made up of members of Generation Z, 18% of managers have considered resigning due to the stress of dealing with the new generation of employees who have just entered the workforce.
Feelings of frustration (51%), increased stress levels (44%) and disappointment (31%) have become part of managers’ daily lives when dealing with their younger employees. The generational clash becomes more pronounced among older managers, belonging to the generation of the Baby Boom and the youngest.
A different work ethic. One of the main triggers of intergenerational tensions highlighted by the survey data is the excessive use of smartphones during the work day, something pointed out by 50% of managers. They also highlight a notable lack of work ethic (47%) – something that a previous survey of Intelligent.com also put on the table—, and the lack of initiative (46%).
27% of managers avoided hiring young people from Generation Z. 50% of managers surveyed in this new study claim to have fired a Generation Z employee. When asked a reason to continue hiring them, the 54% do it to fill positions that require less experience.
Communication problems. Communication is one of the main intergenerational hot spots, as recognized by 40% of the managers surveyed. These communication problems were already evident in a study published by LinkedIn, which revealed that young people from generation Z did not know how to communicate with their colleagues and bosses from previous generations, and that was putting their future work at risk.
Huy Nguyen, Senior Education and Career Development Advisor at Intelligent.com highlighted that, “While soft skills such as communication, time management and teamwork are essential, it is worth considering that recent graduates, especially those In recent years, they have had fewer opportunities to develop these skills through traditional methods such as internships or in-person work, in part due to the pandemic. Generation Z employees arrive with stronger technical skills than previous generations, but they can. lack the practical experiences acquired in traditional work environments.”
New employees, new strategies. According to data from Intelligent.com, 65% of managers surveyed have had to change their management styles with the arrival of new Generation Z employees. Managers claim to have changed to models based on micromanagement (38%) to To compensate for the lack of initiative of newcomers, 35% offer more work-life balance options, while 32% have chosen to give them more time to complete their tasks.
“There is a possibility that new employees develop an over-reliance on feedback and guidance, preventing them from establishing their own autonomy, which is crucial for career advancement,” Nguyen recalls in his report.
Managers aren’t the only ones stressed. The study has revealed that bosses are not the only ones who have increased their stress levels with the incorporation of the new generation of employees: their colleagues have also noticed it.
52% of the managers surveyed assure that genzers They are generating tensions among their colleagues from previous generations. 76% say that tensions arise from the attitudes and expectations in the workplace of newcomers, showing reluctance to assume responsibilities and showing differences in work priorities (47%).
“With each new cohort entering the workplace, there is a natural period of adjustment in which existing employees, who have been working for many years, may feel challenged by the attitudes, priorities and work styles of the next generation. With Generation Z, the differences have been magnified by the amount of online content and the rapid spread of content from non-traditional channels,” says Huy Nguyen.
In Xataka | Generation Z is hooked on workplace “ghosting”: not attending interviews or disappearing on the first day of work
Image | Unsplash (Nick)
Add Comment