“ They are really annoying especially in the workplace” Joked Jodie Foster famous actor and mentor to a number of young people. “They’re like: ‘ Nah , I’m not feeling it today. I’m gonna come in at 10.30am.’
Are generations Z more annoying than previous generations of young people? Annoying is maybe the wrong word. It’s just I can’t help making fun of the apparent desire to have a stress free life and my grandsons belief that work should be fitted in around his social life. At a recent job interview he said he understood that the post involved shift work but explained he had a season ticket for his local football club so couldn’t work when they played at home. When asked if he could start straight away he said yes but it was friends birthday party at weekend so he would need the time off! I know a better work/life balance is important to this generation but as an employer I might think this I only want to work when I feel like it attitude was taking it a bit far.
I think this is what Jodie Foster was getting at when she said Gen Z could be really annoying. Certainly her example rings true to my experience. Sometimes this comes over as lacking, ’get up and go’ or as my mum would say preferring the easy life. And who wouldn’t !
Then there is the apparent lack of ambition if it requires extra effort on their part. I recently came across two apprentices who were doing so well that they were offed the opportunity to move up a year and get fast tracked into a placement. Both turned down the opportunity because it would involve more,’pressure’.
But it is important not to confuse a different set of priorities with character. I should balance my comments with the fact that if my experience is typical Gen Z are confident, conscious, compassionate, socially skilled, team players. These attributes and skills will make them excellent managers in the future. The problem will be persuading them to accept the position. I can hear them now saying: “Thanks but no thanks. I just don’t want the hassle “.
In the future the people management skills and Emption Intelligence that Gen Z are developing will be highly valued by organisations seeking to appoint senior managers who can establish a culture of compassionate management . However Gen Z is certainly never going to sign up to the long hours culture so organisation will have to rethink how they judge commitment . Which would not be a bad thing.
Blair Mcpherson former director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk
