Prioritize wellness and mental health to show you care.
In fact, Gen Z's top wish for their leadership is that they care about well-being and mental health. As a leader, it is your shared responsibility not just to elevate the team's performance but also support their well-being to perform at their best.
1. Anxiety and depression: Gen Z experiences high rates of anxiety and depression due to academic pressures, social media comparisons, economic uncertainty, and other stressors.
Generation Z, aged 10 to 25, comprises one of the largest groups of Passionates – those who report the most intense feelings about a range of global issues, second only to Millennials. In fact, Gen Zers demonstrate more passion for the issues they care about (31.6% vs. 18.9% for the other three generations combined).
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.
They are generally more pragmatic, with both complicated idealism and worries for the future. Gen Zers dream of personal career fulfillment but expect economic struggles. They have less positive life outlooks, with lower levels of emotional and social well-being than older generations.
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.
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!
Managers said they struggle with Generation Z workers for other reasons: Lack of motivation. Lack of productivity. Poor communication skills. Short attention span.
Authenticity is the key to reaching the Gen Z audience.
This marketing approach has served all generations right up to millennials. Most of us have become accustomed to being broadcasted to and we feel comfortable with that relationship, even if we don't believe what we're being told. But Gen Z are not.
Forty-nine percent of managers say it's difficult to work with Gen Z all or most of the time, according to a recent Resume Builder survey of over 1,000 managers and business leaders.
Many of the Z generation want the attitude of a leader who is able to protect all members and accommodate all opinions regardless of the position of the members in achieving a common goal.
Gen Z and the Loneliness Epidemic
Business Insider's research further reveals that 60% of Gen Z has felt the grip of loneliness within the past year. Additionally, an alarming 30% of young people confess they are unsure how to make new friends (Vice, 2022), heightening their feelings of isolation.
Social media and technology use are major contributors to Gen Z depression. While technology has many advantages, it can also be a source of anxiety and stress. Excessive social media use has been linked to feelings of loneliness, low self-esteem, and depression, according to research.
According to Cigna International Health's 2023 survey of almost 12,000 workers around the world, 91% of 18-to-24-year-olds report being stressed – compared to 84% on average. Research indicates Gen Z are emerging as the most stressed demographic in the workplace, and struggling mightily to cope.
It's little wonder why: Gen Z are more likely than other generations to report that the pay they receive for their work does not afford them a good quality of life (26% compared to 20%), and 77% of them are in search of a new job (nearly double the rate of other respondents), per a McKinsey & Company report.
According to the Cigna study, 39% say worries about money are a major cause of stress. In addition, according to a study by DailyPay and Harris Poll, 48% say they are unable to move out of their parents' homes due to financial challenges, and 33% are concerned inflation will make it tough for them to buy a home.
Gen Z workers are well-versed in technology, but not fluent in softer skills such as in-person communication and interpersonal dynamics, so companies will need to adjust how they train these younger workers.
Gen Z Terms and Definitions
Pew Research recently defined Gen Z as anyone born 1997 onwards. Gen Z grew up with technology, the internet, and social media, which sometimes causes them to be stereotyped as tech-addicted, anti-social, or “social justice warriors.”
Gen Z expects brands to be drivers of social change and looks for fair labor practices, inclusivity, and sustainability. There are several ways in which brands can create socially impactful content that focuses on how the people, environment and product are treated.
Gen Zs are Tech Natives
Millennials were born in a world without the prevalence of social media platforms and computer technology. They witnessed the evolution of this type of technology. On the other hand, Gen Zs were born and raised immersed in this technology. This difference is a double-edged sword.
Generation Z, also called Gen Z, is the generational cohort following millennials, born between the late 1990s and early 2010s. Research indicates that Generation Z is the largest generation in American history and constitutes 27 percent of the country's population.