‘Entitled behaviour’: Growing Gen Z work trend leaving bosses fed up

A new trend is sweeping Aussie workplaces and one boss has claimed it’s proof of Gen Z’s “entitlement” and shows they want everything “now”.

Generation Z are young, hungry and champing at the bit to get promoted, but is it ambition or entitlement? 

There’s a growing trend on social media of young people sharing tips and tricks on how to get promoted quickly or expressing their disappointment if they’ve been overlooked for a promotion.

The youngest generation is already restless and ready to rule the workforce.

Young worker Larissa went viral on TikTok for sharing that she couldn’t wait for Generation Z to get promoted so salaries could increase.

“I genuinely can’t wait for Gen Z to start moving into management and leadership positions and for big companies to start realising that working 9-5 for $80k a year does not get us what it got them 20-30 years ago,” she said.

That statement racked up over 2 million views on the platform, and young people jumped into the comment section to share their plans to take over the workforce. 

“Gen Z is the way,” one wrote.

“I keep saying I want to have a Gen Z boss!” another said.

“100 per cent. I don’t understand how some people are just okay with the way things are work wise,” one noted.

“I’m beyond ready for Gen X to transition out of the workforce,” another said.

Wanting to become the boss is a standard goal, but are young people expecting it too fast?

Creator Jacqueline recently shared that her “conspiracy theory” is that if you’re good at your job and a pleasure to work with, it will hinder your career progression.

Larissa is one of the many people who has shared their views on Gen Zers getting promoted. Picture: TikTok/larissaaa_kay

Jacqueline’s theory on why some people don’t get promoted amassed 7 million views. Picture: TikTok/jacquelameo

Her argument got a mass response, and the video amassed hundreds of comments, which showed how quickly Gen Zers expect to be promoted.

“You will never be promoted. You will not be promoted out of a hardworking, more junior position where much of the hard work exists,” she argued. 

Her theory was that, if you become too valuable for your role, your boss won’t want to lose someone who can handle the grunt work.

Many Gen Z workers were quick to agree with her.

“Absolutely! When I left a job two years ago, my supervisor told me she would’ve offered me a promotion if she knew I was looking,” one said.

“This is a fact. Make yourself indispensable, and you will be in the same position forever.”

“I’ve worked for a company for 2 years and gave it my all. Every time a promotion came up, I never got it,” another person wrote.

“I had to adopt a C’s get degrees mindset to work. Stayed unproblematic and positive but did not overwork myself. Just got promoted,” someone else claimed.

Many young people agreed with her. Picture: Instagram/jacquelameo

She thinks working harder can hold you back. Picture: Instagram/jacquelameo

Recruitment expert Roxanne Calder is feeling a bit exhausted by these work theories, which she believes are verging on entitlement.

Ms Calder said that when she scrolls TikTok, she is constantly in “disbelief” over young people’s views on work.

“I’m left thinking, what sort of experiences have these younger employees had?” she told news.com.au

The Gen X boss explained that, in her experience, if someone’s good at their work they’ll be promoted for their efforts, with the occasional exception to the rule.

However, what she has noticed about the youngest working generation is their keenness to move up the career ladder, sometimes after only just starting the climb.

Ms Calder even offered up an example of this type of behaviour that she experienced first-hand.

“What about asking on your first day if you can change the job title from office co-ordinator to office manager … wait for it … because it will look better on your resume for future jobs. First day,” she said

Recruitment expert Roxanne Calder shared her views on the emerging trend. Picture: Supplied

Ms Calder thinks there’s a growing trend of young people wanting immediate gratification from their careers.

“It plays wanting to be promoted before they are ready and expecting everything to be now or within six months. This is entitled behaviour,” she said.

But its not only the younger generation exhibiting these behaviours, with Ms Calder claiming it is becoming a widespread problem in the workforce.

“It is not just Gen Z. It is everybody,” she said.

And it isn’t just fast promotions and fancier job titles Gen Z are looking for, with the recruitment expert previously telling news.com.au that the youngest workers are expecting starting salaries of no less than $70,000.

“They are earning a minimum of $70,000 even if they have no work experience, which I think is phenomenally high,” she said.

Along with having high starting salary expectations, Gen Z workers are also looking for their pay to increase within the first 12 months at their job.

“People have asked me at three months, six months and 12 months, and sometimes they’ll quit if they don’t get that pay rise,” she said.

Ms Calder finds these instant-gratification approaches to wages challenging to navigate because she has experienced the opposite with Millennials, who, in her experience, can find it difficult to ask for more money.

On the other end of the spectrum, she now often finds herself calmly explaining to a 23-year-old that three months in a job may be too soon to ask for a significant wage increase.

“If you’re new to the workforce and expecting to be promoted or on a higher salary in under two years, that isn’t reasonable,” she said.