Age is only a number, but for some managers, one age group stands out as harder than others.
A survey of 1,344 managers and business leaders by ResumeBuilder said 74% of managers find Gen Z harder to work with than other generations, while 49% said they found Gen Z difficult to work with all or more often than not.
Respondents named lack of technological skills (39%), motivation (37%), and energy (37%) as the highest reasons for managers being dissatisfied with Gen Z’s work performance. Other reasons were poor communication skills (36%) and being easily offended (35%).
“In our organization, the Gen Zs I actually have interacted with will be exhausting because they lack discipline, and so they prefer to challenge you,” Akpan Ukeme, head of HR at SGK Global Shipping Services, said within the report. “They think they’re higher than you, smarter than you, more capable than you, and they’re going to inform you to your face.”
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Moreover, 65% of respondents said that they had to fireplace Gen Z employees greater than another generation and 12% said they’ve had to fireplace a Gen Zer lower than one week after starting.
“GenZ must work to know what skilled skills are needed to reach today’s workforce. Nevertheless, the responsibility goes beyond GenZ,” said ResumeBuilder chief profession advisor, Stacie Haller, within the report. “Educational institutions have to properly prepare students and managers and business leaders have to to learn to work with GenZ. Bias against younger employees is unacceptable and no different than the ageism that we typically see against Baby Boomers.”
The disconnect between Gen Z and the workplace could partly be on account of the pandemic. In keeping with a 2021 study, 46% of Gen Zers said the pandemic made pursuing their educational or profession goals harder. Plus, when work and faculty moved to a web based format, many Gen Zers never had the chance to totally experience an in-person office dynamic.
If Gen Z employees need to improve their workplace presence, Jennifer Stapleton, a number one manager at social media marketing and software company Social Rise, told ResumeBuilder that younger employees should give attention to stronger communication skills, being open to feedback, and adaptableness.
Related: All the pieces You Must Know About Hiring and Retaining Gen Z Talent
