Report finds ‘entitled’ Gen Z the most difficult generation in workplaces

Gen Z are the most difficult generation at work, according to a new report. One fed-up boss weighs in on the “exhausting” cohort.

Gen Z is the most difficult generation to work with, according to a US survey. Picture: iStock

Some business owners and managers hold a dismal view of Gen Z workers, shocking new research has revealed.

American firm ResumeBuilder surveyed 1344 people in managerial positions across different industries in the US earlier this month, asking them about their experiences working with those born in 1997 or later.

Almost half (49 per cent) of respondents declared it difficult to work with Gen Z “all or most of the time,” while a staggering 79 per cent said they find them the most difficult generation to have in the workplace, the report found, according to the New York Post.

Of that majority, 59 per cent said that they’ve had to fire a Gen Z employee and 20 per cent even claimed to have axed one of the young workers within a week of their start date.

Managers and owners commonly cited entitlement and a lack of effort, motivation and productivity as reasons why they were given the boot.

Some said the so-called “snowflake generation” was “too easily offended” and cited that as another reason to get rid of them.

Almost half of managers and business owners say Gen Z was often difficult to work with. Picture: iStock

One honcho went on record revealing why he believed Gen Z was maligned within the workplace.

“In our organisation, the Gen Zs I have interacted with can be exhausting because they lack discipline, and they like to challenge you,” Akpan Ukeme, the head of human resources at SGK Global Shipping Services, told ResumeBuilder.

“I’ve butted heads more than once with a Gen Z employee, because since our company is online-based, they think they know everything about the digital world and that they can teach me. They think they’re better than you, smarter than you, more capable than you and they will tell you to your face.”

Gen Z workers are currently aged 26 and under, meaning that much of their working life has occurred amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which has up-ended traditional business structures.

ResumeBuilder’s Chief Career Adviser, Stacie Haller, believes this may be why many members of Gen Z are struggling in the workplace.

“As a result of Covid-19 and remote education, it’s possible that Gen Z-ers lack the foundation to be more successful than older generations in entry-level positions,” she stated.

Covid-19 appears to have impacted the way younger staff work and behave in workplaces. Picture: iStock

“We know that with remote work and education, communication skills do not develop as well and people tend to work more independently,” she continued. “Hiring managers need to be cognisant of this when interviewing Gen Z-ers for positions. This generation may need more training when it comes to professional skills.”

Adam Garfield, marketing director at HairBro, said that while Gen Z workers are often “proficient in using digital communication tools, they may lack some of the interpersonal skills required for face-to-face interactions.”

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, with the boss saying that he finds that the youngsters also bring positive attributes to the workplace.

“Compared to other generations, I find Gen Z to be highly innovative, and adaptable,” he said. “They are not afraid to challenge the status quo and bring new ideas to the table. They also value authenticity and transparency and expect companies to be socially responsible and ethical.”

The ResumeBuilder research comes during a dark time for Gen Z who are just setting out in their careers.

A separate study surprisingly found that the young workers were already feeling burnt out and disconnected.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Report finds ‘entitled’ Gen Z the most difficult generation in workplaces