Leaders of the youngest generation in the workforce are pushing back on the old narrative that they’re lazy and disruptive. In reality, they aren’t trying to upend the entire corporate landscape. They just want a seat at the table.
“You can’t walk in the door on day one and say ‘we’re changing everything for [Gen Z],’” Jonah Stillman, co-founder of consulting firm GenGuru, told the audience at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit this week. Instead, he recommended that leaders give younger workers a voice and platform to share their ideas and perspectives on company culture and overall goals. The optimal workplace, he argued, is one that understands “every voice is relevant amongst generations.”
There have certainly been growing pains with five generations sandwiched into the work landscape. Only 17% of Gen Z employees report having no problems working across different generational cohorts, compared to 45% of baby boomers, according to a recent report from consulting firm Korn Ferry. A major contributor to young worker frustration is a lack of communication: almost half of all Gen Z employees want more meaningful communication and teamwork training, according to the same report.
Like Stillman, other Gen Z leaders are urging employers not to buy into the generational tropes.
“People like to talk about us but not talk to us or build with us,” Ziad Ahmed, head of UTA Marketing’s Next Gen Practice, said. “I think that is rooted in a lot of presumption. It rarely gets us to where we need to be.”
In many ways, Gen Z is not that different from their predecessors: they have many of the same priorities and desires, including hefty salaries.
“We like to differentiate generations by generations but human behavior doesn’t change that much,” Tiffany Zhong, co-founder of social media site noplace, said.
All three Gen Z leaders agreed that their generation isn’t trying to upend the workforce, but instead are coming in with a unique perspective influenced by the technological advancements and geopolitical moments that have forged the dynamics of their upbringing.
Ultimately, it’s in an employer’s best interest to weave their views and perspectives into strategic and cultural decision making, even if it’s not at the rapid pace that some Gen Zers are used to.
“The most productive, multi-generational workforce is one that prioritizes this idea of evolution instead of revolution,” said Stillman.
