What's It Like Working with Gen Z? Exploring Gen Z's Work Ethic

What is Gen Z's work ethic?

Gen Z's work ethic is to perform the job they're being paid to do. They value their work-life balance and have no desire to go "above and beyond" for extra work when they're not being compensated for it. This shows pragmatism (i.e., a sensible and realistic point of view) and a willingness to stand up for themselves and what they believe in. The concept of only performing the minimum requirements of your job is called quiet quitting. It started as a TikTok trend in 2022 and became a popular practice among Gen Z and millennial workers alike.

What drives Gen Z's career motives?

Gen Z wants jobs in diverse workplaces that will grow their career. Professional development and career advancement are big motivations for Gen Z when they're looking for jobs. They also want to work in places where they can be part of a diverse team. And of course, like most workers, they're most motivated by salary; yet of all the generations currently in the workforce, they value salary the least.

Gen Z Stereotypes & Perceptions

Some Gen Z workers are perceived as "lazy" and lack engagement. According to a Gallup survey, younger workers are less engaged at work than millennial or Gen X workers, leading some of their managers and co-workers to call them "lazy." But they're also more stressed and just as burned out. This suggests most of them feel workplace pressures and work just as hard as the older generations. They might be more engaged if they felt their effort was worthwhile and driving positive results.

Some of them may have a short attention span. Studies have shown that humans' attention spans are decreasing across generations. One study shows we can now only concentrate for about 8 seconds. It's therefore not just Gen Z that has a problem with focusing on their work – although they may be more affected by it because screens have been a part of their daily lives since they were born. They may need more engaging, worthwhile tasks to keep them engaged.

Some Gen Z employees may be hard to manage. Hiring managers of all ages have suggested that the youngest generation in the workforce is entitled, easily offended, and lacks motivation. Even Gen Z managers think their own generation is the toughest to work with, according to one survey. It's important to note, though, that not all Gen Z workers are this way, and those that are may simply need more soft skills development and socialization.

Other generations struggle to communicate with and understand them. As well as growing up surrounded by screens and social media, many Gen Z adults were children or teenagers during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Being cut off from interacting in person with their peers and living in an increasingly digital world has negatively impacted some of their soft skills development. Without soft skills, older generations find it harder to communicate with them at times. Soft skills are interpersonal skills employees use to network and collaborate. They include communication, professionalism, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Employers can help their Gen Z workers in this area by offering training on the qualities they need to help them thrive at work. You'll probably find they sincerely appreciate the opportunity to improve!

They all want to work remotely 100% of the time. One common perception other generations have of Gen Z is they would prefer to work from home instead of coming into the office. But the truth can also be the opposite: 70% of Gen Z graduates surveyed in 2023 wanted a hybrid schedule, where they could work from home some of the time without sacrificing the traditional workplace experience. The above survey results tell us that managers may have an easier time than they think of getting Gen Z to work in-office. The key may be simply allowing them to work remotely at least 1-2 days a week.

Gen Z Values

Work-life balance. Gen Z want lives outside of work, and they value flexible workplaces that enable them to prioritize their physical and mental health. As such, they may look for hybrid jobs where they can split their time between working in the office and working remotely.

Diversity. Gen Z is the most racially diverse of all the living generations. They're also more progressive across the board and think that diversity is an important part of daily life. When searching for jobs, they may gravitate more toward companies that list diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) among their values.

Collaboration. Gen Z loves to collaborate with their peers, whether they're completing a work project or hyping up their favorite pop star on TikTok. They enjoy getting to use their unique skills in partnership with others to accomplish a goal, rather than competing with everyone and trying to elbow their way up the corporate ladder. They also don't believe in hierarchical leadership for its own sake; they prefer a more collaborative environment where everyone has a voice.

Authenticity & transparency. Gen Z wants their employers to be authentic and transparent – not just about their values, but also about the way they accomplish tasks. For that reason, Gen Z isn't afraid to ask questions about how tasks are completed and whether they can be done more efficiently. 58%-73% of them are also perfectly willing to leave their job if their values don't align with their employer's.

Innovation. Gen Z tend to be innovative and like finding more efficient solutions to existing problems. Many Gen Z workers are also good entrepreneurs and used to doing side hustles to make extra money, which hints at good business sense and imagination. With the right guidance, they can revolutionize the workplace.

Gen Z vs Millennials Work Ethic

Millennials and Gen Z work hard if they think the results are worth it. Despite complaining about Gen Z's work ethic, millennials actually have a lot in common with the younger generation in the way they view hard work. They're both willing to do it as long as they feel the results are worth it. That also means they're not as willing to put much effort into their work if they're not getting more benefits, pay, or career advancement in return.

Both generations value work-life balance and ethical employers. Another area where millennials and Gen Z can agree is they want to have a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. They also want to work for companies with values they agree with. For Gen Z, those values likely include diversity and taking stances on social issues.

Millennials want competition, whereas Gen Z prefers collaboration. Millennials are more competitive than Baby Boomers and Gen X and prefer working as individuals rather than as part of a team. But Gen Z is the opposite: they thrive in collaborative environments where they can rely on others to help them accomplish a task.

How to Make the Workplace Gen Z Friendly

Provide opportunities for career advancement and upskilling. Gen Z workers don't want to waste their time at jobs where they're given no opportunities to advance or that don't teach them anything useful. As their employer, you'll score a lot of points by offering them training to improve their soft skills and giving them a pathway to staying on for several years. Licensed marriage and family therapist Jacob Christenson, PhD (who has experience with Gen Z clients) suggests listening to Gen Z's goals and then helping them "achieve those goals in ways that… are effective or helpful." Avoid telling them their "goals and objectives are not right, or that they shouldn't be pursuing them."

Cultivate more flexible and collaborative work environments. Gen Z wants the flexibility to work from home when they need to, but they still want to go into the office to collaborate with their co-workers. Employers can offer more hybrid jobs and by doing so, they'll help Gen Z prioritize a healthy work-life balance.

Take their questions and ideas more seriously. Instead of dismissing their ideas because of their age, start taking Gen Z's input at work more seriously. Just because they're young doesn't mean they don't have business savvy. In fact, Gen Z is an entrepreneurial generation, meaning they know how to do side hustles and work for themselves. They're also extremely aware of new technology, which equips them better than most to see the brightest future for the company. Interpersonal communication expert Maureen Taylor says that "everybody" at the workplace – no matter their age – "wants to know what they're supposed to do, and why." The "why" question, she says, "is connecting," especially for Gen Z. So don't be afraid to explain the reasoning behind the tasks you're asking them to do.

Final Takeaway

Gen Z has a great work ethic when they feel they're properly valued. If they're working for a company that aligns with their values, allows them to be innovative and flexible, and provides a good salary with career advancement opportunities, Gen Z will work hard. But if they feel they're not receiving their due in one of those areas, they have no problem with putting in only the minimum amount of effort required to keep their jobs.