As more members of Gen Z enter the workforce, it can feel like battle lines are being drawn between younger employees and more established workers. Managers routinely call this generation “entitled,” complaining that they can't complete simple tasks.
In many cases, it's natural for Millennials to exude entitlement because they are immature in their grasp of workplace dynamics. In addition, the human brain continues to develop until a person is around twenty-five.
'Devastating – economically, socially and much more'
In the short term, Gen Z's stress is leading to ambivalence and withdrawal in their professional lives. According to 2022 data from Gallup, they are the most disengaged group at work. They also report more overall stress and work-related burnout than other cohorts.
Gen-Z cares about following their passions, caring for the earth and demanding social and environmental justice from high-level decision-makers. As a result, they're more vocal, values-driven and individualized than generations that came before them.
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.
The reality of Gen Z is that they are indecisive, leading them to be easily influenced by social media, a defining point of this generation. Gen Z interacts with the world differently than every other generation so far has been able to, and the early access to everything only amplifies that.
They're impulsive. Another weakness of Gen Z is that they can be quite impulsive. With instant gratification being so easily accessible, this generation has difficulty waiting for anything. They want what they want and they want it now!
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.
Gen Z (42%) is about twice as likely as Americans over 25 (23%) to battle depression and feelings of hopelessness.
One in four Gen Z respondents reported feeling more emotionally distressed (25 percent), almost double the levels reported by millennial and Gen X respondents (13 percent each), and more than triple the levels reported by baby boomer respondents (8 percent). 3.
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.
And a survey of 600 individuals found that Gen Z is the most unhappy generation at work. Just 59% of Gen Z workers are happy, compared to 69% for Baby Boomers and 76% for Millennials and Gen X. In addition, 9% of Baby Boomers are unhappy at work, compared to 26% of Gen Z and 13% for Gen X and Millennials.
It found that, while there are similar rates of happiness across the older three generations, Gen Z is by far the least happy at work. Twenty-six percent of Gen Zers were unhappy in their jobs, and 17% were actively thinking about quitting.
New studies suggest Generation Z is now the loneliest generation, and experts say we're in the middle of a loneliness epidemic. Our generation is statistically experiencing more feelings of isolation, getting married later and having less sex.
The survey, commissioned by the charity Eden Project Communities as part of its Big Lunch initiative, showed that 19% of 16-24 year olds, “often” or “always” feel lonely. This is three times higher than the 65-74 age group, where the figure was 6%.
Gen Zers are known for working, shopping, dating, and making friends online; in Asia, Gen Zers spend six or more hours per day on their phones. Digital natives often turn to the internet when looking for any kind of information, including news and reviews prior to making a purchase.
Gen Z is very concerned about their ability to communicate and forge strong interpersonal relationships. This may be due to the fact that technology has negatively impacted their cognitive skill development, and they recognize that their social skills, like critical thinking and communication, are weak.
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).
“Generationally, a larger majority of Gen Z adults do most of their work in person compared with their older counterparts, and this young cohort also shows the strongest overall preference for working in an office,” the study reads. Just shy of 90% of Gen Z workers who prefer the office cite productivity as the reason.
Gen Z moms feel less confident.
They put more emphasis on being the "perfect mom" compared to Millennials, and they strive to reach more parenting ideals, from keeping kids busy to owning the scheduling for the entire family.
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.
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.
Gen Z is known for being resourceful, independent learners who value diversity and inclusive culture and place a priority on well-being and mental health in the workplace. They are fiscally conservative with a keen focus on investing and income. Gen Z values justice and equity.
The fast-paced nature of the digital world has led to a decrease in attention spans and a growing satisfaction with superficial understanding. As a result, Gen Z is facing unique challenges when it comes to higher education.