According to respondents, the reason they feel Gen Z is difficult to work with is because they lack technological skills, effort and motivation. But those shortcomings hint to deeper, more convoluted issues that date back to the pandemic.
A new study reveals that nearly 75 percent of managers of business leaders say that Gen Z — anyone born from 1997 onward — are "more difficult to work with than other generations."
According to a recent survey of 1,300 managers, three out of four agree that Gen Z is harder to work with than other generations — so much so that 65% of employers said they have to fire them more often.
About 2 in 5 (39%) of Gen Z respondents ranked inflation and gas prices as one of their top three issues, followed by abortion (30%), jobs (26%), and climate change (23%). Both Gen Zers and Millennials in our survey cited the same top two issues: inflation and access to reproductive healthcare.
“Gen Z are digital natives and they've always communicated online, so their interpersonal skills, or soft skills, have suffered,” said Salinas. “They took an even bigger hit because of Covid-19, and it has shifted the way that we need to interact with them in the workplace.”
The idea of social isolation makes them even more anxious and uneasy, and makes them want to be socially involved all the time. Social anxiety can also be attributed to the changing nuclear family setup in modern India, where gen z are subject to helicopter parenting (J. L. Young, 2017).
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z has little to no memory of a world without the internet, smartphones, and social media. Technology is a substantial part of their life. Being continually connected can also result in self-esteem issues and feeling pressure to conform.
Many Gen Z respondents reported experiencing stress, sadness, anger, and frustration due to climate change and its related disasters. More than 50 percent of total respondents expressed fear and anxiety about the future, with Gen Z demonstrating greater concern than other generations.
According to Cigna International Health's 2023 survey of almost 12,000 workers around the world, 91% of 18-to-24-year-olds report being stressed – compared to 84% on average. Research indicates Gen Z are emerging as the most stressed demographic in the workplace, and struggling mightily to cope.
Gen Z employees are very pragmatic and don't count on others to succeed. 76% of them believe their career path is their responsibility, according to a Monster multigenerational survey. The good thing is, if you meet their needs, they will do everything to develop their skills, climb the professional ladder and thrive.
Over 50 million workers said goodbye last year, and it's a trend that's shown no signs of slowing, based on the latest months' data. The Great Resignation was increasingly dominated by Gen Z.
However, research shows that Gen Z may be struggling with engagement at work. According to a 2022 Gallup Poll, 54% of Gen Z employees, slightly higher than any other generation, are ambivalent or not engaged at work. As such, it is essential for managers to support their Gen Z employees and earn their full engagement.
In a recent Resume Builder survey of managers, 74% said Gen Z is the most difficult age group to work with. Half said they are difficult all or most of the time. Only 4% said they almost never find it difficult to work with Gen Z employees.
Bonfini, co-editor of the second edition of Casebook for DSM-5: Diagnosis and Treatment Planning, observes that Generation Z as a whole lacks many of the social skills that previous generations learned through face-to-face interactions.
A CM Group consumer research effort that polled 1,000 consumers found Gen Z consumers are better educated, more practical, more ambitious and more skeptical than Millennials.
In addition, 34% of Gen Z say they are worried about the future, and 24% are concerned about a lack of learning and jobs. This concern doesn't keep them from looking for the next opportunity however, with 48% of Gen Z and Millennials (those ages 18-35) planning to look for a new job in the next 12 months.
The survey found more Gen Zers reporting that they have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or depression. 18% of Gen Z reported an anxiety disorder diagnosis, and 23% reported they had been diagnosed with depression.
Gen Z has been called the 'most depressed generation' with the least positive outlook and diminished emotional and social well-being. They have more unmet social needs than any other generation. The statistics for their behavioural-health issues – mental and substance disorders – are alarming.
Gen Z's struggle with loneliness is striking. According to Psychology Today, a staggering 73% of Gen Z individuals admit to feeling alone either sometimes or always. In stark contrast, only 24% of Baby Boomers reported experiencing such levels of loneliness at a similar age.
From record collecting and the resurgence of Kate Bush to '90s grunge and Y2K aesthetics, Gen Z is obsessed with nostalgia.
Born between 1995 and 2010, this generation have already found themselves up against immense challenges as they make their way into adulthood: climate change, inequality and social unrest, political division, economic distress and more. It's already mobilised many of these young people into action.
Generation Z considers itself more accepting and open-minded than any generation before it. Almost half of Gen Zs are minorities, compared to 22% of Baby Boomers, and the majority of Gen Z supports social movements such as Black Lives Matter, transgender rights, and climate change.
Meanwhile, more than half of Gen Zs (54%) told us they liked to shower or take a bath to relax, which studies show activates the vagus nerve and decreases our sympathetic nervous system (known as our fight or flight response) – reducing stress, tension, anger-hostility.