“Gen Z doesn’t want to work.” I could not have been more surprised when someone read this to me from their phone screen recently, quoting a social media post. My thoughts immediately went to one of my sons, who is on the leading edge of Gen Z. He works really hard. I took immediate offense at the sentiment deriding him and his peers. But I knew it was just another generational nonsense narrative.
Generational generalities are harmful, especially because they usually center on negative qualities. When was the last time you heard an entire generation labeled as kind or generous or honest? Generations are huge swaths of people of many realities and characteristics.
Generation shapers
This said, world events do shape generations. The Boomer generation was largely defined by post–World War II America, its baby boom, and the reopening of the economy. Gen Z, raised during the Global Financial Crisis, is entering the workforce at a unique time, with all the changes that the pandemic has brought on, both short- and long-term.
Cultural narratives have given voice to some pockets of thinking for Gen Z that are very much the opposite of Boomers’ work experience. At the extreme is the anti-work movement, roughly defined as questioning the purpose of work, but more recently expanded to include labor issues. (The anti-work movement is complex, and is well articulated in this BBC article.)
The uncertain workplace
Admittedly, there’s a lot changing in workplaces right now, and the future of work looks very different today than it did pre-pandemic. If you’re a Boomer, imagine what it would be like to enter the workforce now, jumping into a swirling whirlpool of change.
It’s a landscape rife with contradictions. Gen Z employees have experienced the benefits of working remote, but are at a time of life when they also want to be meeting and socializing with peers. They thrive on the energy of the big city, but more than ever live with their parents because housing costs are through the roof. They are digital natives, but social media has taken a huge toll on mental health.
I have a lot of empathy and respect for this generation. While some of my generation seem to expect them to toughen up and suffer like we did, I believe it’s possible to take on the negative aspects of work-life today—conditions and cultures that older generations may have tolerated—and want to affect change.
For example, when junior bankers at Goldman Sachs learned they were underpaid while working 95 hours a week, they complained to management. And they won salary increases and a cap on work hours. Older executives, who in their day suffered through just such a gauntlet, disparaged the junior bankers as “entitled.”
Shifting priorities
Data shows Gen Z leans towards intangibles in a job more than older generations. According to a Deloitte perspective: “While salary is the most important factor in deciding on a job, Generation Z values salary less than every other generation.”
Surveys also show Gen Z employees care about diversity, equity, and inclusion. In Tallo’s survey of 29,000 people in Gen Z, 69% said that they would “absolutely” be more likely to apply for a job if the recruitment materials promoted a racial and ethnically diverse workforce. And this makes sense: Gen Z is the most diverse generation, with 48% being non-white. Hopefully, this will motivate companies seeking young talent to get serious about DEI.
I think it’s safe to say that Gen Z is entering a workplace that looks very different from the one Boomers entered decades ago. But to say the younger generation doesn’t want to work is grossly unfair. What many in Gen Z do seem to want is a more equitable and healthy workplace. These are changes I wish I had seen as a twenty-something. So I, for one, am here to cheer them on.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio