I read this article last week:

In defense of Gen Z by Stephanie Bai (February 16, 2023)

https://www.macleans.ca/longforms/gen-z-hustle-burnout-work-life-balance/amp/

The first words in the article intrigued me: “You’re wrong about Gen Z.”

“Am I?” I asked myself…

Generation Z are those born between 1997 and 2012. They have grown up in a world with smart phones, social media and, dare I say, bulldozer parents? Most of their childhood days have been filled with organized activities: school, tutoring, sports, piano, play dates. Few have had the space for unsupervised free play, casual connections, boredom. Gen Z has now entered the work force, and there has been a seismic shift in the work place – some good, some bad, some ugly.

Here is how Stephanie describes her generation: “we’re rejecting traditional workplace norms and refusing to work 12-hour days or glue ourselves to our mobile phones all weekend in case the boss emails. Instead we’re prioritizing mental health, time off and work-life balance. We want clear boundaries, better working conditions and higher pay. In return, we’ve been derided as coddled, lazy and unwilling—or unable—to work hard.” 

The pandemic has shifted power dynamics; there are too many jobs and not enough people to fill them. Stephanie is bang on here: “Employees hold power today in a way they haven’t in decades. COVID-19 sped up the retirement of Canada’s baby boomers. The labour market is in dire need of more workers, and job seekers have leverage to extract real concessions. At the same time, new technology is enabling unparalleled flexibility as to how and where work gets done. And for people of all ages, the pandemic instigated a major reconsideration of what they want out of their jobs and lives.”

What happens when the economy shifts in the “favour” of employers?

Stephanie considers this too: “Of course, if 2023 brings with it a recession, and unemployment rises, some of the power currently in employees’ hands may shift back to employers. Widespread layoffs in the tech sector early this year have already sparked concern that the tide may be turning. On the other hand, Gen Z is not alone in wanting a different relationship to work. Seventy-six per cent of Canadian workers aged 54 to 72 want a flexible schedule, for example, according to a study by marketing consultancy Harris Insights & Analytics. And pressure can still be applied from the bottom up.”

More good points… I want flexible hours too. Does anyone, aside from my 80-year old father, think 9 to 5 work is what’s right?

Stephanie’s best argument is here – and business leaders need to seriously consider this:

“our lives, and our futures, don’t look like those of past generations. The classic milestones of adulthood—home ownership, financial stability, a comfortable retirement—all seem wildly out of reach. I don’t anticipate I’ll be able to afford a home in Toronto, or in any Canadian city, any time soon… If the financial rewards of our work won’t open the same doors for us, if we don’t have the opportunities that generations before us had, why should we work the way they did?”

Reading this article reminded me of Simon Sinek’s book Leaders Eat Last. I read it in 2019, as I, myself, saw the shift in mentality with Gen Z. Here is what he shares about leadership in today’s market:

“When we feel like we belong to the group and trust the people with whom we work, we naturally cooperate to face outside challenges and threats. When we do not have a sense of belonging, however, then we are forced to invest time and energy to protect ourselves from each other… When the conditions are right, when a strong Circle of Safety is present and felt by all, we do what we do best. We act in the manner for which we are designed. We pull together.

Those who work hardest to help others succeed will be seen by the group as the leader or the “alpha” of the group. And being the alpha – the strong, supportive one of the group, the one willing to sacrifice time and energy so that others may gain – is a prerequisite for leadership.

It’s not how smart the people in the organization are; it’s how well they work together that is the true indicator of future success or the ability to manage through struggle.”

Gen Z is challenging workplace culture: expectations, benefits, unions, work-life balance. What are managers, directors, and C-suite leaders doing to adjust? To accommodate? To change? They are here. And they are loud. How can we support this seismic shift? Do we have the skills ourselves? And if we don’t, where can we find help?