Some American business owners and managers have a dismal view of Generation Z workers, shocking new research has revealed.
ResumeBuilder surveyed 1,344 people in management positions across industries in the US earlier this month and asked them about their experiences working with people born in 1997 or later.
Nearly half (49%) of those surveyed stated that Gen Z was difficult to work with “all or most of the time”, while a staggering 79% said they considered them the most difficult generation to have in the workplace .
Of that majority, 59% said they had to lay off a Gen Z employee and 20% even claimed to have laid off one of the young workers within a week of their start date.
Managers and owners commonly cited entitlement and a lack of effort, motivation, and productivity as the reasons they were discharged.
Some said the so-called “snowflake generation” was “too easily offended” and cited that as another reason to get rid of them.
One honcho went on record as to why he believed Generation Z was maligned in the workplace.
“In our organization, the Gen Zs I have interacted with can be exhausting because they lack discipline and like to challenge you,” Akpan Ukeme, head of human resources at SGK Global Shipping Services, told ResumeBuilder.
“I have bumped my head more than once with a Gen Z employee, because since our company is internet-based, they think they know everything about the digital world and can teach me. They think they are better than you, smarter than you, more capable than you, and they will tell you to your face,” he said.
Generation Z workers are currently 26 years old or younger, meaning much of their working life has occurred amid the COVID pandemic, which has upended traditional business structures.
ResumeBuilder’s Senior Career Advisor, Stacie Haller, believes this may be why many Gen Zers struggle in the workplace.
“As a result of COVID-19 and distance learning, Gen Zers may lack the foundation to be more successful than previous generations in entry-level positions,” he said.
“We know that with remote work and education, communication skills don’t develop as well and people tend to work more independently,” he continued. “Hiring managers need to be aware of this when interviewing Gen Z-ers for positions. This generation may need more training when it comes to professional skills.”
Adam Garfield, HairBro’s chief marketing officer, said that while Gen Z workers are often “savvy at using digital communication tools, they may lack some of the interpersonal skills necessary for face-to-face interactions.” .
It’s not all doom and gloom though, as the boss says he finds that young people bring positive attributes to the workplace as well.
“Compared to other generations, I think Generation Z is very innovative and adaptable,” he stated. “They are not afraid to challenge the status quo and bring new ideas to the table. They also value authenticity and transparency and expect companies to be socially responsible and ethical.”
ResumeBuilder’s research comes during a dark time for Gen Z, just starting their career.
A separate study surprisingly found that young workers already felt burned out and disconnected.
