‘Hardworking’: 27yo boss defends Gen Zers
What does work look like in 2024? According to Gen Z boss Rachael Wilde it about making sure no one feels “left out”.
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What does work look like in 2024? According to Gen Z boss Rachael Wilde, it looks like dancing in front of your desk with your employees.
The businesswoman, 27, is the founder of TBH skincare, a brand which has swept social media as her employees religiously follow TikTok trends.
The skincare brand has amassed more than six million likes on the platform, including one from Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce.
It might seem jarring for those who think we should all come into work feud with Microsoft Word and quietly eat out of our tupper containers at our desks, but Mrs Wilde has discovered that the key to herding Gen Z employees is about making it fun.
“I think there’s a misconception about Gen Z. I see them as incredibly hardworking, but they value documenting their experiences. They want to feel part of the company’s journey, rather than being left out in a more corporate setting,” she told news.com.au.
She explained that the aim is for her team to have fun and to create a business where people want to come into the office.
“Our team feels energised and excited by what they’re doing, and having fun is a big part of that. Our TikTok isn’t just a show; it’s often a real reflection of what’s happening in our team and a genuine glimpse into our day-to-day life in the office,” she said.
In Mrs Wilde’s opinion, the highest-performing teams are ones that feel “connected” to their place of work.
So what if forming that connection involves dancing to Charli XCX’s banger Apple?
“Allowing our staff to have fun is always going to bring the best output. Our team is small, and all pretty close in age, which means that naturally we’ve been able to form really close personal and professional friendships, which I think feeds organically into our collaboration,” she explained.
“We’ve found that when our team genuinely enjoys coming to work, they’re more motivated, creative and productive, and so we just try to build on that the best we can.”
Mrs Wilde doesn’t try to fight against Gen Zers and their needs. For instance, she long ago accepted that the “typical 9.5 doesn’t work anymore”.
If someone wants to come in at six because they work best at that time, and then leave earlier, she’s not interested in trying to stop them.
Instead, she loves that Gen Zers are upfront about what they need from work.
“Everyone needs to feel valued in their workplace, I think maybe Gen Z’s have just been a bit more vocal about this than other generations,” she said.
“Gen Z’s are probably clearer with what they need out of a workplace, more than the generations before them, but I don’t think this correlates to them working any less hard.”
Mrs Wilde said getting Gen Zers to work hard is just about creating an environment where they feel supported. That means no dress codes.
She understands Gen Zers see clothes as a form of self-expression, and she’s not interested in policing it, so bring on the miniskirts.
“People wear whatever they want to. Fashion is a form of self-expression, so people should wear whatever makes them feel their best,” she said.
Occasionally, her Gen Z staff surprise her positively, like their desire to treat coming to work like filming a documentary.
“I think the one thing I didn’t know or expect when hiring mainly Gen Z’s is that everything is filmed and documented,” she explained.
“Even on my worst days the team is capturing. Many of our staff share their daily lives on TikTok, which is something we encourage and celebrate. Every meeting, team event or spontaneous moment is likely to be recorded and shared. “
Working with Gen Zers also means that pop culture moments definitely impact office life. When pop singer Sabrina Carpenter dropped her music video for her single “Please, Please, Please,” it was treated like a team event.
“The entire team tried out a new pasta place in the city for lunch, and set up the boardroom to watch the video together for the first time,” she said.
“We captured the whole experience and shared it, which now has over 280K views on TikTok. Comments were quick to ask if there were any openings in our team.”
Originally published as ‘Hardworking’: 27yo boss defends Gen Zers
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