Gen Z, the Challenges we Face in the Workplace

It has been almost a year since I wrote a blog on here, but I think that I have been able to acquire a lot more knowledge and skills that make me feel more suited to write this type of content for people to read! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope this blog post provides you some insight on how to utilize or better understand your Gen Z employees.

As we look at the generations that are still with us, Generation Z has grown up in the most transformative time that we have seen since the wheel was invented. That is absolutely a bold claim to make, however I hope to share with you why I believe it to be true. Generation Z, also known as Gen Z has watched the adults in their lives lose their jobs during one of the largest recessions since the Great Depression. The 2008 financial recession hit when I was about 9 years old. I saw people in my life fear for their well being and I truly could not quite understand what was going on at that age. Cut to about 15 years later as Gen Z is entering the work/career force and we are watching, once again, a recession hit, specifically in the tech industry. It is not longer the adults in our lives raising us and paving the path, we are the ones being directly affected. Whether is is egotistical billionaires telling employees that they must sleep on the floor of a cubicle to keep the company afloat, or opening their laptops to see they are locked out with little to no explanation, we are feeling the heat. To make things worse, we are seeing it all on a more personal level through platforms like TikTok as users share the news.

Gen Z grew up with divorce rates rising, the economy crashing, and technology's importance skyrocketing. Hell, I am a perfect example. My parents sat me down in 2010 during my first week of six grade and handed me a phone. I mean they also told me they were getting a divorce, but that phone was in my hands at 11 years old and I have had a screen in my pocket since! We have watched platforms like Myspace tank, platforms like Instagram and Facebook emerge and platforms like Vine rise and fall, then inspire platforms like TikTok with over 1 billion users, yes B as in billion. Social Media has changed the way companies brand themselves, and even market to their audience. These platforms have made it more accessible to reach a larger audience and I think people find that overwhelming, but not for Gen Z.

Gen Z is the most diverse generation we have ever seen, which leads me to another challenge Gen Z faces in the workplace. Whether it is sexuality, gender identity, race, religion, or age, Gen Z has shown a desire for social equity and been incredible vocal about it. Language evolves and one of the major generational differences I have seen is the resistance from older generations to accept this. An example of this was a previous boss of mine using a slur in a meeting, led to me sending them a message privately after the meeting. As an attempt to not embarrass my boss at the time, I sent a gentle reminder message urging them to not use derogatory language as well as reasoning why that language is no longer tolerated and I received months of retaliation. They even spoke with their boss to advocate for my termination. When brought to HR, I was told to "avoid" my supervisor and "limit communication" when possible. I was not being sensitive, or playing the role that older generations love to say Gen Z plays as snowflakes, I was advocating for social equity. Another example at a previous job, I sat with my boss showing them a viral video to which they responded, "that is so gay". I was very much closeted in the workplace for this exact reason. I had to sit and have my identity used as an insult out of fear of termination. As previously mentioned, Gen Z is vocal about social equity and I had to advocate for myself as a queer man, in order to not have my identity be weaponized in the workplace further. I left that job a couple months after and I am thankful that my boss at the time was able to understand where he went wrong and apologized. My story here is not unique. Intersectionality brings life to a workplace that we should all lean into it as much as possible. We must do this in order learn more about the people we interact with every single day and in doing so, we can better understand the strangers we see on the streets.

I think this is a common story we see in any generation, that we underestimate the generations below us, but truly to grow, you must utilize your Gen Z employees. You must understand that they know social media more than you do, you must understand that they have persevered through some of the most significant hardships of the 21st century. I urge you to walk away from this blog post with the idea that Gen Z was forced to grow up under a microscope and watch our peers under the microscope as well. We will advocate for those around us and we will develop change. I encourage you all to reach out to the Gen Z employees in your workplace and ask them about some of this that I have spoken about. Lastly, I will provide some questions that may help guide or initiate the conversation with them to help you better understand where they have come from and how that affects them.

Questions to ask your Gen Z coworkers/employees:

-Have you ever felt the need to conceal your identities to ensure job security?

-Have you ever felt the need to stay quiet out of fear of losing your job, when faced with inequality?

-How do you feel your intersectionality has changed your perception working here?

-Is there anything you would like to see change to make the workplace feel safer for you?

-Do you feel that the company has policies in place that educate on diversity, social equity, and inclusion?

Thanks,

Brady