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"We cannot manage this young generation." "They get upset by everything." "They are extremely sensitive I cannot even give feedback." ......................
If you have ever wondered why HR is supposed to look at their current and future employees, the challenge with managing Gen Z should provide sufficient evidence. We could have predicted the challenges we are facing with them years ago if HR had come out of its bubble and started liaising with schools. Why? Because teachers were already talking about their characteristics (just like they are now talking about Gen Y but nobody is listening) we could have prepared the workforce and built things into management programs.Â
I wonder where those "Future of Work" gurus with their business class pictures on LinkedIn are when making predictions about the workforce. Probably, busy talking about AI but forgetting about the actual people from the future of work...
Whether we like it or not, the upbringing of today's children shapes tomorrow's workforce, demanding our adaptation. But to what extent? It appears we must adopt substantial changes; otherwise, tasks will go unfinished, positions will remain unfilled, and profits will dwindle. I've discussed this before, foreseeing the potential downfall of companies due to the calibre of the workforce produced by society. Read here:
Ok, but the question is what do we do? We can continue complaining about Gen Z and trying to force them into the current way of working i.e. the my way or the high way kind of approach or we figure out how to manage them. I chose the latter.Â
But I hear people saying "Why should we adapt to them?" I will say what I always say when I teach managers and leaders about managing people. You don't adapt, you manage. You figure out how that person works and you do that because your ultimate role is to get people to do the job they are hired for and guess what? Most won't just start working because they have a job. Most start working because the manager or leader figured out how to get them to work.Â
So how do we tackle this? I’ve written endlessly about Gen Z, but maybe organizations need to start here: Help Gen Z understand themselves in the context of work. Get them to see that they’re incredibly unprepared for life's challenges—conflict at work, taking direction, or juggling the demands of both career and personal life. It’s probably time for a tough conversation: their cushioned upbringing didn’t exactly prepare them for the hard knocks of reality, and resilience is a necessity, not a reason to quit. The endless choices their parents gave them left them utterly confused—uncertain about what they want from life, work, or even relationships.
Sit down with your Gen Z employees today and ask them why they quit. You'll hear responses like, "I don’t know what I want, so I’m just trying things out." That sounds fine, except their version of "trying out" a job lasts just weeks or a couple of months. I know plenty who quit after two weeks, saying, "It's not for me." How can you possibly know that after two weeks? It’s not that the job isn’t fit—it’s that they’re completely lost in life. This is the result of too much freedom, of never having to do things they didn’t want to while growing up. Parents taught them this, and now it’s up to managers and leaders to handle it. They now have to manage people who were never managed by their parents hence they don't respond to it.Â
Today, managers and leaders are tasked with managing people who grew up being allowed to shout at their parents, hit or spit at them, and refuse to give up their seats for an elderly person on the bus. Now, they have to manage adults who, as kids, were allowed to disrespect authority or weren’t "required" to help their elderly neighbour with groceries after she broke her hand. Today, managers and leaders have to manage people who never experienced parental authority. Do we wonder why we cannot manage them at work? I am not surprised.Â
Managing people goes beyond teaching management frameworks, leadership styles, or feedback techniques because managing and leading depends on whom you manage and lead and not on what framework or style you want to apply. HR and talent development professionals need to step out of their bubbles and academic theories to face real-life challenges if they want to truly support their workforce. When I have these conversations with Gen Z, they respond surprisingly well. My goal isn’t to change them but to show them that I’m here to help them build the skills they need for both life and work. And guess what? Most are open to the help once they realize they’re not fully equipped for life’s complexities—and that’s perfectly fine!
We’ve got to figure out how to manage them, because here’s the truth: when kids start running the show and parents bend to their will, we end up right where we are now. So, enough with the gentle managing and maybe move on to the fair and consequential one. It’s time for some real leadership—because if we keep letting them call the shots, we’re all in trouble. BUT older folks, it doesn't mean it is our way or the highway! The workforce must change and Gen Z is making some very positive changes. Check it out below.Â
PS: I didn't mean to generalise the entire generation. I know that there are fantastic hard-working Gen Z out there who are raised well i.e. with parental authority. When parental authority is applied managing people at work becomes much easier.Â
Gen Z is changing the job advertisement and managed to get the salaries included!Â
If you want to learn more about Gen Z and what to do with them at work here it is:Â
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