Unravelling the generational gap: The cross-sectional road between Millennial and Gen Z at workplace

PICTURE a bustling office filled with the clickety-clack of keyboards, the hum of conversations and the occasional ping of incoming emails.

Amidst the sea of professionals, a new wave of leaders is rising, bringing fresh perspectives and an entirely different approach to work.

They are the Generation Z (Gen Z), the digital natives born between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s, and they are reshaping the employment landscape like never before.

The workplace has transformed in recent years, particularly after the outbreak of the global pandemic.

By 2025, Gen Z is expected to account for 27 per cent of the global workforce, upending the current quo. With their unrivalled technological capability and distinct set of beliefs, they provide both excitement and challenges to the workplace.

While generational conflicts are nothing new in the workplace, experts believe that certain troubling new numbers may foreshadow significant trouble.

According to one survey, one in every eight managers reports terminating Gen Z employees during the first week. Three out of every four managers feel the current generation is tough to work with.

According to ResumeBuilder, the top two reasons Gen Z is tough to deal with are lack of effort and motivation. That's concerning because in a down economy with lower productivity levels, many business leaders hoped that the younger generation would serve as a beacon of hope for advancement and growth.

Long-term, simple demographics make the generation gap troubling. By the end of the decade, Gen Z will make up one-third of the workforce.

According to talent scout and expert Teh Fahariah, expecting Gen Z to fully bend to the wishes or customs of earlier generations is going to be counterproductive to having an effective multigenerational workforce.

"There is a disconnect between what Gen Z actually wants at work and what their bosses think they want. As Gen Z increasingly enters the workforce, here are key challenges and gaps that leaders should address," she told Sinar Daily.

A key difference between Gen Z and other generations is their desire for personal and professional fulfillment from their companies.

When evaluating Gen Z's position in the workplace, the context in which they view the world, cannot be disregarded. Members of the post-9/11 generation grew up in a time of social and economic instability, including, most recently, a global pandemic.

After experiencing the disruptions of Covid -19 at the start of their careers, their perception on "normal" working conditions differs greatly from that of previous generations.

Still, managers worry that Gen Z has poor communication skills and is too easily offended. Some millennial and Gen X managers are irritated by Gen Z’s assertiveness, which contrasts with their own early experiences in the workforce.

A millennial who had trouble finding a job might think that Gen Z needs to be more grateful, while Gen Z places importance on personal fufillment.

Some experts suspect time and experience will reduce the generation gap, as they have in the past. But for now, recruitment experts say, management should try to be as open-minded as possible and create opportunities for young talent to give and receive feedback.

Companies might consider additional management training in this area, but the onus is not entirely on management.

Gen Z workers should not hesitate to communicate and ask for help. Collaboration is necessary to foster an environment of shared beliefs about an ideal workplace.

Teh shared that blindly applying one set of norms across the board and asking people to adjust is not the right answer.

"Experienced managers need to remain empathetic and reflect on their early careers.

"Remember how it was like when you were 20 and what you wanted to know," she said.