Gen Z Employees Believe That 8 Unfair Stereotypes Hold Them Back In The Workplace
Are Gen Z workers lazy and entitled? Or are older generations using standards that no longer apply to today's workplace?
fizkes | Shutterstock There's no doubt about it — Gen Z workers have a very different approach to the working world than even Millennials, let alone Gen X and the Boomers. And it's caused quite a bit of intergenerational conflict.
A new survey sheds light on how this is shaking out, with Gen Z workers claiming they've not only been stereotyped but that those preconceived notions are actively hindering their development.
Young professionals say stereotypes of Gen Z workers are holding them back in their careers.
The survey, conducted by education and workplace research firm Intelligent.com, questioned 1,000 degreed professionals between the ages of 18 and 27 about what stereotypes they feel are applied to them at the office and how they impact their work life.
Their findings are pretty unsurprising to anyone who's been willing to listen to Gen talk about their experiences in recent years. Eight in 10 respondents said the stereotypes arising from the generational divide are negatively impacting them at work.
But the impacts go far beyond mere feelings — 48% said the stereotypes have limited their career growth, and many told Intelligent they have been denied promotions and raises because of them. Many reported being relegated to doing work they find unmeaningful.
Gen Zers also said they feel they have to work unreasonably hard to prove themselves because of these negative stereotypes, especially when it comes to their leadership potential and reliability.
The survey revealed 8 main stereotypes that Gen Z workers feel are impacting them most:
None of these eight will be particularly surprising — many of the same things were said about millennials when they were in their 20s — and Gen Xers too, for that matter. There's a distinct feeling of déjà vû, which should probably be the first clue to people in leadership that they're judging Gen Z workers unfairly.
1. Gen Zers have a poor work ethic
This is, unsurprisingly, the number one stereotype Gen Z workers feel is applied to them, with nearly 60% in agreement. With it has come a sense among 32% of Gen Z workers that they have to work harder than older colleagues, with 26% saying they've experienced lots of micromanaging as well.
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“When employees are unfairly labeled as ‘lazy,' it can be extremely demotivating and contribute to a lack of confidence," Intelligent's Chief Education and Career Development Advisor Huy Nguyen explained.
Translation: What elders perceive as "laziness" may just be the natural impact of them constantly branding young people as having no work ethic.
2. Gen Zers are unprofessional
More than half of respondents, 53%, said they feel they're seen as lacking professionalism, and this has led to an increased workload by way of Gen Zers feeling they must overcompensate in everything from reliability and technical skills to their ability to work independently in order to offset this negative view of them.
3. Gen Zers are easily offended
Forty-four percent of Intelligent's respondents said they are viewed as overly sensitive or disloyal, and many reported high levels of conflict with their older colleagues.
Seventy percent said they've gotten into with colleagues over attitudes and expectations in the workplace, and 67% said differing work styles had caused drama. Nearly 60% agreed that stereotypes were the root cause of all this drama.
4. Gen Zers expect rapid career advancement
This is likely related not to a sense of entitlement but to the fact that, as Nguyen put it, Gen Z "grew up as digital natives, accustomed to constant connectivity, instant answers, and rapid change."
They are simply used to things moving faster, and that disconnect seems to be feeding into the overall perception of them as "entitled," which 42% reported feeling.
5. Gen Zers are resistant to traditional workplace structures
Thirty-nine percent of Gen Zers also said they are also perceived as being resistant to authority.
Again, Gen Z's status as "digital natives" is likely a factor according to Nguyen, who says that the rapid pace of their constantly connected lives has led them "to prioritize flexibility, purpose, and mental well-being" at work — which all require putting aside the sacred cows of being a yes-man or woman.
This is frequently misconstrued as a poor work ethic or lack of professionalism, but "it is often a desire for work-life integration and a rejection of outdated workplace norms.”
6. Gen Zers are overly focused on social causes
Nearly 45% of respondents said their workplace elders view them as "overly focused on social issues," which sounds like a code phrase for Gen X and boomers' favorite slur of anyone to the left of Mussolini — that they're too "woke," whatever that means.
Sure enough, 38% of Gen Z workers Intelligent surveyed said they feel like they've been branded with this epithet specifically.
7. Gen Zers need frequent feedback
This too may be related to Gen Z's "digital native" status. Nguyen pointed out that in addition to a faster pace, online communication tools make interaction more accessible and less formal, which means the feedback and guidance they want are basically at their fingertips.
"They often prefer quick, informal communication channels over following email strings or formally scheduled meetings," he said.
8. Gen Zers prefer low-pressure roles
This is basically the "laziness" accusation by a different name, of course, and it feels like yet another misunderstanding of what is probably Gen Z's biggest distinction from older generations: They value work-life balance above many other attributes because they are clear-eyed about the fact that dogged loyalty to their employer is unlikely to be reciprocated.
Is there really any incentive to take on a grinding, high-pressure position given that, at the level most Gen Zers are at in their careers, it likely means the position comes with low pay and little job security?
As with any debate, the truth of this generational divide likely lies somewhere between the poles of Gen Z's and older generations' respective views. But it's hard not to notice a distinct theme here: Older generations taking their own workplace experiences during their 20s and applying them to today.
However, the working world and economy have changed too much since boomers, Xers, and millennials were thriving 20-somethings. Those rules no longer apply, and Gen Z is certainly not interested in playing by them.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.