According to experts, GENZ is not Prepared for The Workplace. Yes, though the millennials have been stereotyped for years as the group of young adults most sensitive as well as uncooperative, experts are saying the issues that older generations have with them will pale in comparison to what’s ahead for Gen Z.
A social media firestorm erupted in April after a manager of a Dollar Tree store in Indiana posted a sign disparaging Gen-Z’s work ethic, while also proclaiming a “Baby Boomers ONLY” hiring plea.
The handwritten sign by the manager on the store’s door read:
“I apologize for us closing AGAIN. My 2 new cashiers quit because I said their boyfriends could not stand here for their whole shift. Do not hire Gen Z’s. They do not know what work actually means. NOW HIRING! *Baby Boomers ONLY, thanks!”
Social posts on that incident had elicited thousands of comments which lead to widespread media coverage. While age discrimination as well as cautions around stereotyping generations were widely noted, many commentators were agreeing with the sentiment that Gen Z is entitled and is also unmotivated to make the incident trend viral.
A commentator in response to a Newsweek article commented that “Dear Gen Z as well as those who love to pander to them; if you spent as much time doing your job as you do spend complaining, you would be top paid pros by now. The world owes you nothing.”
As many Gen-Zers approaching employment age, the research into their working habits generally aligns closely with that of Millennials.
In fact, significant research is showing that not only there is an ongoing mental health crisis in the United States and beyond as well, but on top of that, the effects of it are most transparent in young adults who are entering the workforce now. With the first class of them having recently graduated, bosses, as well as managers, are finding themselves unprepared for a generation that thinks as well as works differently than any previous generations.
LinkedIn’s most recent “Workplace Confidence Survey” found out that 36 percent of Gen-Z employees (in the age bracket 24 or younger), as well as 42 percent of Millennials (in the age bracket 25 to 40), are willing to take a pay cut of up to five percent of their current salary for better work/life balance. Which doesn’t seem bad, until compared to 25 percent for Boomers (57 and above). The younger generations also prioritized more enjoyable work also flexibility to work onsite as well as remotely.
If you were to ask me why GENZ is like this, or what is the reason behind the unwillingness of GENZ to adjust to corporate life? I would not have a definitive answer, as I am no scientist, and I have not conducted any research to prove otherwise. However, being GENZ myself, I might be able to give you a few reasons.
Why is GENZ having a problem meshing within the corporate system?
We have seen the ways corporate companies treat their employees; we have seen how replaceable any level of employee is to the company. In one of the direst times, during the Covid Pandemic, we have seen major corporations lay off employees like it’s nothing, laying off people like they are flies, just snatching away their livelihoods.
The irony is that the corporates you run to for job security, are also the ones that provide you near to none. Add on to the constant pressure of knowing you are replaceable at any moment, the hectic work environment, the soul-sapping deadlines with just a few bursts of liveliness, and asking to go work for a corporate seems pretty less convincing.
It is the Always Trust your Feelings.
I feel that a feelings-based mode of operating makes for illogical and irrational behaviors and beliefs, despite knowing that feelings are what motivate our actions. While all feelings are valid, I mean they are something that is experienced by a person, they are not true in most cases than not, as in, they are not reflective of reality. This basing of decisions as well as ideas on feelings is dangerous, as feelings are not always correct, and we are in this cycle.
We consider the Exceptions as the Norm
We as GENZ are exposed to so much information, there is just a barrage of information, day in and day out, and this makes nearly every scenario public. We can see the people our same age be millionaires or being extremely popular, and get caught up in the state of mind, that if someone has achieved it so can we.
However, there are a lot of downfalls to this, we might never know the work the other person put in, there are a lot of uncalculatable variables, a lot of unfair advantages, and a lot of nuances that have to be taken into consideration. We see these people, those that can be considered exceptions, we follow them on a daily basis and consider them the norm, thus setting the bar too high for ourselves to climb.
Why do we as GENZ not want to work hard in a Corporate Scene?
I mean I could just cite the countless distractions that are available to sap our concentrations, but that would just be me stating excuses as to why I don’t work hard. But it is hard to look at the older generation working tirelessly just to make enough money to survive and pass-through life and consider doing the same. And it is made even harder since there are people who do stupid dances and make stupid faces on social apps and somehow manage to amass followings that are larger in number than a few religions that have been around for centuries.
Yes, we do feel like we are entitled
There might be near no to room for debate when I bring up the fact that the majority of GENZ feels as if they are entitled to whatever that is. The majority of GENZ feels entitled for whatever they seem fit, completely discrediting the fact that no one owes us anything, we don’t deserve it until we earn it.
The Whole My Opinion Matters
To me, the whole concept of providing unsolicited opinions that no one wanted makes absolutely no sense. However, the constant publishing of our uninvited opinions has made us think that our opinion is what matters, even on affairs that are in no way related to us, which has in turn robbed us of our critical thinking and problem-solving. Why do I say so? Because we as GENZ are quick to tweet about a minor grievance or complaint, instead of finding solutions or ways to solve our problems. People just put up the most random insignificant complaints in the public eye to show their incompetence.
I could keep presenting you reasons on reasons, however, all of those would be in my perspective which would not help in this case, as you could not be considering them as a solid reason why GENZ is not willing to take the corporate crap anymore.
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