Just like parents, bosses have their (not so) secret favorites. And when it comes to being managers pet, the most junior employees in the office are not often selected. Nearly three-fourths of managers find Gen Z to be the most difficult to work with, according to a Resume Builder survey of 1,300-plus managers and business leaders.
Many bosses are getting frustrated on a regular basis, with 49% reporting that working with Gen Z was difficult most or all of the time. Only 4% of respondents said it was never difficult to manage Gen Z.
As a Gen Zer myself, I cant help but roll my eyes to the back of my head in a quasi-possesed manner. Like ever generation before us, my generation has become the poster child of nearly every new workplace trend, especially anti-work movements.
Some might tell you that being a Gen Z whisperer is about saying slay or using a stale meme, but young employees arent some extraterrestrial creatures dropped from Mars. We want what all workers want: The same flexibility, fair wages, and good company culturewe just might be more proactive about it. But because only the oldest of us are in the workplace, managers are still trying to figure out how to work with ussomething that happens every time a new generation falls into the limelight.
Of course, we too have been learning how to navigate the workplace in unprecedented times. As a result of COVID-19 and remote education, its possible that GenZers lack the foundation to be more successful than older generations in entry-level positions, said Resume Builders chief career advisor Stacie Haller, adding that communication skills dont develop as well when we learn and work remotely.
But, she said, managers need to be aware of this when hiring. Plus, bosses are often missing the whole picture when it comes to some of their gripes about Gen Z workers, particularly around their tech skills and work ethic.
Gen Z is misunderstood
One of managers biggest grievances with Gen Z (at 39%) is that their tech skills arent up to par. But young workers are well aware of this skills gap, with many feeling that America failed to prepare them with the proper digital skills required to advance their careers.
Theres a glaring gap in accessibility and application of tech education resources between lower-income and affluent studentsa gap that was widened by the pandemic, Rose Stuckey Kirk, chief corporate social responsibility officer, wrote for Fortune. And we know this gap is more than an academic or social justice issue.
This lack of tech skills might be annoying for managers, but its just as challenging for us Gen Zers, who are often asked to explain the latest digital tools to our coworkers. Because of this pressure and the expectation that were expected to be skilled at tech because were digital natives, we tend to feel more shame than our older coworkers when encountering a tech problem.
Managers also reported problems with a perceived lack of effort, motivation, and productivity among Gen Z. The reputation weve gained for quiet quitting, in which workers dont put in more work than required of the job description, may be to blame for that. But, if anything, Gen Z is a generation full of workaholicsmany are juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet. Were also most likely to go into the office, with the goal of being more productive and furthering our career with mentorship opportunities.
Bosses would rather work with millennials
Regardless, its all enough for the majority of managers (65%) to put Gen Z at the top of their firing list before any other generation. Over half of respondents said theyve sacked a Gen Zer, and 12% said they fired one less than one week after a start date (which doesnt seem quite long enough to even know if someone is Gen Z).
Surprisingly, the favored employee among bosses is the once much maligned millennial who was blamed for everything and became a stereotype for laziness and selfishnessnot unlike Gen Z today. Of the respondents who dont enjoy working with Gen Z, 34% prefer to work with millennials for their productiveness and technological skills. They would next rather hire Gen X for their productivity and honesty.
Perhaps the foot is now on the other shoe because more millennials are now managers, who are navigating working with a new generation for the first time. The newest kids on the block always tend to get the most flak; even Gen X was pushing for the same level of seemingly unprecedented work-life balance at the same life stage.
Perhaps one day soon, Gen Alpha will take over as the least liked by us Gen Z bosses. Or maybe well finally be like the parents who say, I like you all equally and mean it.
