Is Gen Z so difficult to manage that their bosses are getting overly stressed and even quitting? That’s the suggestion from a new survey of 1,000 U.S. managers who oversee Gen Z employees, conducted by Intelligent.com.
Every new generation that comes into the workforce has its unique perspectives, working styles, advantages and challenges. Much is made by labor market observers and commentators about the emerging dynamics between new and existing workforce cohorts.
Perception is Reality When Managing Gen Z
One growing impression of Gen Z has been the difficulty in managing this group and what is perceived by many to be a lack of work ethic and a tendency to be overly demanding. While this characterization certainly doesn’t apply to every single member of Gen Z, and while members of Gen Z themselves may strongly disagree with these impressions, perception is often reality in people management.
By that we mean that perceptions by managers of certain employees—whether justified or not—influence how those employees are treated by those managers, by organizations, and by the labor market more broadly.
Employees that are perceived as being difficult to manage will have more difficulty finding and keeping a job, let alone finding opportunities for advancement.
A Look at the Perceived Challenges
The results of the Intelligent.com survey illustrate some of these perceived challenges.
- 18% of managers have considered quitting because of the stress of managing Gen Z employees.
- Managers say Gen Z employees engage in excessive phone use and demonstrate poor work ethic.
- Two-thirds have altered their management style to accommodate Gen Z reports, and 75% say this age group requires more time and resources.
- Half report that Gen Z staff cause tension among other generations in the workplace.
- 27% of managers would avoid hiring Gen Z if possible, and half have fired a Gen Z report.
Whether employers are ready to embrace them or not, Gen Z is the future of the workforce. That’s simple demographics. As the population ages and older workers retire, Gen Z’s proportion of the labor market will increase. Either organizations will need to find a way to accommodate those workers or find a way to mold them into the workers they want.
What approach will your organization take to reap the rewards, while avoiding the potential pitfalls of this newest generation in the workforce?
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.