Gen Z Isn’t Going Away, and We Shouldn’t Want Them To

In April of this year, an employer posted a note on the front door of their store explaining why they were closed that day. 

I apologize for us closing AGAIN. My 2 new cashiers quit because I said their boyfriends couldn’t stand here for their entire shift. Don’t hire Gen Z’s. They don’t know what work actually means. 

Now hiring. Baby boomers only. Thanks. 

When someone posted a photo of the sign on Reddit, so many commenters flocked to support the employees that Newsweek picked up the story. 

It’s a refrain we’ve all heard, whether about Millennials or Gen Z — they’re too lazy, too sensitive, too demanding, too unreliable, too entitled. 

Of course, we aren’t the first generations to be confronted with (or to shout) that sentiment. Political scientist Paul Fairie went viral this summer with a tweet compilation of complaints about people not wanting to work, dating back to the 1890s. 

The grousing isn’t productive and keeps us from seeing the opportunities inherent in times of change. It’s time to stop the generation war and recognize that we’re all looking for the same thing and that our workplaces are better when they include the perspectives of all the generations. 

COVID, the Great Equalizer

One of my favorite food entrepreneurs, Silvia Lucci of LUHV Food, tells a story about the three doors through which people enter veganism — one is for the environment, one is for the animals, and one is for health. After you’re on the other side of the door, it doesn’t matter how you got there. We’re all on the same side together. 

I think COVID has done something similar for what’s important to different generations about work. 

During the pandemic, people started to look at their lives differently, at their jobs differently. Employers looked at their organizations differently. And many of us have come out of the pandemic in the same, new place.

Boomers, Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X — we all want the same thing. Yes, we’re coming with very different life scripting. Gen Z have very little work experience. Boomers have tremendous work experience. 

Even so, what we want is ultimately the same. Lots of people have written about how Gen Z wants purpose. So do the Boomers. Gen Z wants recognition. So do the Boomers. Gen Z wants flexibility to work and also live their lives. So do the Boomers. 

Ask someone from any generation, Do you want flexibility in your schedule? Do you want a shorter commute? How important is your personal life compared to your work life? 

We’re all going to answer the same way. 

In a recent LinkedIn post about why I don’t like the term “quiet quitting,” I called it our “pandemic-induced awakening.” None of us want to give ourselves to jobs that don’t offer an adequate return on that investment. 

We all saw what it was like to have time for work and time for life. We saw that we valued hours spent baking bread, doing puzzles with loved ones, going for long walks or kayak rides. Young people aren’t the only ones who value life outside the office.

Consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs — there aren’t different pyramids for different age groups. 

See: Designing Competitive Compensation Packages for Today’s Talent

Life stage and experience matters more than generation

If we looked at me as I was beginning my career — what I thought I had to do, what I thought I wanted to do, how I thought I’d go about getting there — it would be very different from where I am today. 

I think that would be the same for any Boomer or Gen Xer or even a Millennial who’s been in the workforce for a while.

Our perspectives shift, in part because of our age, in part because of what happens in the world, in part because of our life experiences. 

It makes sense that employers are frustrated by attrition rates. Blaming that on a particular generation’s penchant for job hopping is inaccurate and keeps you stuck in victim mode. Every generation moves jobs more when they’re young. It’s when they have the flexibility (fewer obligations), the curiosity, and the drive to do so. 

And this particular time in history has made changing jobs a beneficial option for many younger workers. That’s not a generational trait. 

What about remote work? Just something that Millennials and Gen Z are pushing for? 

No. When I see CEOs saying they want their teams to come back to the office or who want their teams to go remote, they’re not differentiated by generation. Some younger leaders see the value of having their teams co-located. Some older leaders learned what’s possible when their employees are remote. 

Their understanding of what works or doesn’t work comes from their experiences and values — not from which generation they happened to be born into.

See: Diversity and Inclusion for Nonprofits

Final thoughts

In response to a negative comment about working with Millennials, my colleague Chuck Hall wrote in 2017 about how much he enjoyed working with (and parenting) the Millennial generation. 

“If we think about it from a practical perspective, what is to be gained by ignoring or even antagonizing Millennials?” Chuck asked. “I am enjoying good and productive business relationships with Millennials. I have several clients now who are Millennials, and I have successfully worked with numerous other Millennials.”

Writing off, or segregating, an entire generation of people is shortsighted and — to be frank — stupid. 

A better approach is to follow the hiring, development, and retention best practices we should all be using anyway. View candidates as individuals, each coming to the table with their own circumstances and expectations. Look at their personal values and decide whether they’re a good fit for your team. 

Recognize that having diversity of representation (including age) has value in your organization. Those differing perspectives will make you more successful.