Gen Z is Shaking up the Workplace. Here’s Why.

It’s official, Gen Z has entered the workforce (as a Gen Z myself, I can assure you this is true). Some traditionalists lament this young class of digital natives shaking up corporate culture. But the workplace overhaul sparked by this generation comes as a result of a tumultuous upbringing. Especially over the past two years.

As a society, we collectively braved a global pandemic. And it didn’t stop there. With political tensions, a worsening climate crisis, and the unemployment rate tanking to levels comparable to the Great Depression—the onslaught has been relentless.

The past few years have cultivated a lot of shared experience. Despite that, Gen-Zers are often misunderstood by coworkers from older generations. Many see Gen Z as lazy and selfish. However, this generation's approach to the corporate world is neither lazy nor selfish. Instead, we are one of the first generations making wellness a priority at work.

When collaborating with Gen Z coworkers, bear in mind everything we’ve lived through—and everything we’re living with. Understanding the stressors your new colleagues are facing will help you meet us where we are, and show up as a mentor. Listening to where Gen Z are coming from can also help brands connect more authentically with this generation.

What’s up with Gen Z?

Gen Z has already started to make our mark. We've shown that we ‘move different’ in our careers.

If you’ve had the pleasure of working with someone from Gen Z, you may have noticed that we approach work differently than members of other generations (iykyk). If you haven’t experienced life through the lens of someone from Gen Z, you might be taken aback by the quirks we bring to the workplace.

Throughout our young lives, members of Gen Z have experienced a lifetime’s worth of monumental changes. Changes that have shaped the way we interact with the world. Balancing what feels like the weight of the world on our shoulders, there are several factors that have changed the way Gen Z navigates the workplace–and the world at large.

Here are some of the stressors your Gen-Z coworkers may be navigating.

General anxiety.

Gen Z is one of the most anxious generations–rightfully so! It feels like we’ve witnessed every violent tragedy occur across the world, nationally, and sometimes in our own backyard while scrolling through social media. And with several compounding stressors like climate change, the pandemic, the economy, and more—who wouldn’t be anxious?

The pandemic.

Like everyone else, Gen Z's world stopped once the pandemic was declared. However, unlike other generations, our university experience immediately became more challenging as we balanced schoolwork on top of every other stressor the pandemic exposed.

If that wasn’t a struggle enough, remote schooling impeded our ability to develop the pivotal connections with peers and mentors that previous generations relished in post-graduation. This also meant limited internship opportunities.

Recession.

When the 2008 recession hit, many members of Gen Z experienced our parents going through a financial crisis. As a result, Gen Z naturally became more cautious with money, working more jobs and putting more towards retirement savings than other generations.

Despite Gen Z's frugality, many graduated into a job market worse than the great depression. With a new recession looming, younger members of Gen Z are worrying the same fate will befall them.

Climate change.

Gen Z members have been warned about climate change from a young age. Many of us knew what climate change was before we could multiply. We are also one of the first generations to see the rapid changes brought about by the climate crisis in our lifetime. Those of us who grew up with rainy springs and snowy Decembers are anxious witnessing worsening droughts and a lack of snow in just a few short years.

While we are anxious about our career, many of us are more stressed about our future in a world that is already seeing the worrying effects of climate change.

Life online.

Gen Z is the first digitally native generation. We’ve been surrounded by digital technology from birth. This generation is leading the charge in innovating how we interact with technology. We are often some of the first people to adopt new technologies, especially social media platforms.

While this means we are often the first to see the best digital technology has to offer, it also means we are the first to experience the worst.

With a wide diversity of stressors making Gen Z feel anxious and generally unsupported on a societal level, this generation has made wellness top of mind in everything we pursue. By understanding why Gen Z navigates the world the way we do, brands will create better solutions to help Gen Z employees feel supported and thrive in our careers.

Learn more about how your brand can connect with Gen Z. Reach out to us at hello@praytellagency.com.