A letter to employers from Gen Z
Dear Employers:
We work very hard with you, but not for you
Mean regards,
Gen Z
During my Sunday night scroll of shame on TikTok I’ll inevitably see a few videos mocking Gen Z’s work ethic (or lack of it).
My favourite are the Gen Z email sign offs, they show print screens of emails signed off Another day, another slay; Bless up; Mean regards.
Whether or not these emails are authentic doesn’t matter, there’s a clear theme across them all felt by employers: Gen Z don’t care.
The stat we see everywhere – Gen Z will make up a third of the work force by 2025 – is an obvious reminder that yes, these young people are growing up and aren’t a separate subspecies.
As a borderline millennial-Gen Z (I identify as neither!), I get quite frustrated by this rhetoric. It’s simply not true, Gen Z do care, and based on our research into this hot young generation, there’s a lot employers can do to get the best out of this crowd:
Here’s how
1. Collaborate, don’t order
‘Being seen and not heard’ was not a motto they grew up with. They have a voice and being involved in decisions is important to them.
2. Encourage that side hustle: multi faceted employees = multiple skillsets
Thanks to the digital world, this cohort are diversifying their income sources, and over half want to run their own business. A company culture that celebrates this will reap benefits, from retention to increasing knowledge.
3. Don’t just accept boundaries, encourage them
Gen Z are more comfortable saying ‘No’ to their employers than the bend over backwards mindset of millennials. They are open about balance and their mental health – this is something we could all learn from.
4. Show them you care – because they do
Infinite sources at their fingertips mean that Gen Z know and really care about pressing global issues. It’s more than taking a stance on key issues, employers need to live these values in everything they do.
5. Be playful: it’s called being young, try it
Maybe those email sign offs aren’t disrespecting the system but just breaking the ice at work!
