Managers must adopt a modern Leadership style to effectively lead Gen Z employees, or they risk facing higher Turnover rates!
Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Global People Analytics & HR Data Leader - People & Culture | Strategical People Analytics Design
🔥18% of managers have considered quitting because of the stress of managing Gen Z employees
⚠️ Excessive phone use and poor work ethic are top challenges for managers
➡️ Two-thirds of managers have adjusted their management styles to better accommodate Gen Z employees, with 75% noting that this age group demands more time and resources.
🗣 Half report that Gen Z staff cause tension among other generations in the workplace.
📈 The challenges of working with Gen Z employees have forced the majority of managers (65%) surveyed to adapt to their management styles, according to a new interesting research published by Intelligent in partnership with Pollfish using data 📊 from a survey of 1,000 U.S. managers in October 2024.
✅Navigating the management of Gen Z presents unique challenges.
Researchers have identified the main challenges managers face when managing Gen Z, with the most significant being frustration (51%):
❌ Experiencing frustration (51%)
❌ Causes them stress (44%)
❌ Led to disappointment (31%),
❌ Increased workload (27%),
❌ The need for additional resources (26%),
❌ A decrease in personal productivity (20%),
❌ Feelings of overwhelm (20%),
❌ Burnout (16%).
❗️ Due to these challenges with Gen Z employees, 18% of managers have contemplated resigning.
✅Biggest challenge with Gen Z employees
Researchers have observed that half of managers identify excessive phone use and poor work ethic as the most significant challenges in managing this age group.
Upon further investigation into areas where Gen Z employees may lack professionalism, 58% of managers report unprofessional attitudes, 53% highlight unprofessional communication skills, and 45% note unprofessionalism in how Gen Z employees receive feedback.
✅Implementing a fresh management approach for Gen Z employees.
Researchers have found that 44% of managers report giving more frequent feedback to Gen Z employees.
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Additionally, managers are adopting various strategies to better accommodate this generation:
✔️ Micromanaging (38%)
✔️ Adjusting management style for work-life balance (35%)
✔️ Allowing more time for work to be completed (32%)
✅ Gen Z causes tension with other generation in the workplace
Researchers found in this research that 52% of managers also say that Gen Z workers cause tension among employees from older generations.
🏆 Workplace attitudes and expectations are the biggest source of conflict between Gen Z and employees from other generations
In another interesting research published recently by Standley Systems , researchers discovered that 64% of Gen Zers surprisingly report experiencing more friction with their peers than with any other group.
📣 Who do Gen Z employees get along with best in the workplace? Boomers. Contrary to expectations, Gen Z feels the least friction with Baby Boomers, followed by Gen X and Millennial.
✅Managers don't want to hire Gen Z
Researchers also found that 50% of managers say they have fired a Gen Z report, and 27% say they would avoid hiring Gen Z if possible.
☝️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬:
This insightful research uncovered intriguing challenges faced by managers with Gen Z employees, highlighting the definitive need for a new management style. While inter-generational workplace tension is not new, researchers emphasized that Gen Z requires more frequent feedback and support, especially as they transition from full remote work back to the office.
🙏Thank you Intelligent researchers team for sharing these insightful findings:
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Senior HR Expert - Managing Consultant
3wGen differences while real are a product of situation and context. This affects habits and behaviours often unconscious and can be changed and so are not fixed. It's up to us as leaders, managers, team members to be more aware and less judgemental and D embrace the diversity and use it learn about each other. Sure it will on occasion cause challenges and even conflicts, what's new in that? Use the insights and change habits and behaviours making workplaces better for work and people.
Frustration & stress & disappointment in the workplace were not born with GenZ. When I talk to my parents about their work life both in communist and neo-liberal (90s) Eastern Europe, these three come up as well. The only difference is that no one bothered to survey the employees back then. Or even later for other generations. I would argue it is not a GenZ thing. What we get nowadays is a plethora of data and actually see + measure in real time, via accessibility of research and social media, how different generations pass through their life stages. Something that in the past it required ethnographies or other research methods to discover and more effort to disseminate. Argumentum ad novitatem?
HR Shared Services & Strategy Leader | GPHR®, SHRM-SCP®, GRCP, GRCA, IAAP, ICEP, IRMP Certified | Expert in People Operations, EX, & HR Transformation | Scaling Start-Ups for Success | ICF UAE Charter Chapter Ambassador
1moIt's evident that adapting to the unique needs of Gen Z is crucial for effective leadership. Managers might benefit from leveraging technology to create more engaging and flexible work environments, fostering open communication channels, and offering continuous learning opportunities. Emphasizing mentorship programs could also bridge generational gaps and enhance collaboration. #LeadershipEvolution #GenZWorkforce
A Human and NOT a Resource | Certified HR Analytics Professional | ESTJ |People and culture | Start up mindset |Data Analytics | Views and Opinions expressed are of my own|
1moNicolas BEHBAHANI - Very interesting and insightful topic to discuss. In my opinion based on the experience dealing Gen Z reports and colleagues the following reasons make apparently challenging: 1. Most of the managers are millennials for Gen Z and they compare themselves with Gen Z and find a miss in “work ethic” which actually not the case in reality. Gen Z are more professional- they believe in JUST reward, recognition and remuneration against their contributions and they are not fearful to try professions out of their comfort zone,therefore, they have opportunities in abundance. Earlier generations had limited opportunities as neither they had abundance of resources not did they have awareness due to lack of or limited exposure to social media and internet. 2. Gen Z give priority to well being, mental health and work life balance over their only way of earning living (work). They don’t want to compromise any of these for “regular job”. For them, they want a wholesome life which has balance of everything. Therefore, easiest way to handle Gen Z is to change the leadership style and be more accommodating so that we can get best out of the Gen Z who are considerably smarter than all other earlier generations!
Senior HR Manager @ EOX Vantage | Rewards Programs, Comp & Ben, Talent Mapping, HR Digitalization Expert, HR Operations, Compliance
1moVery informative Nicolas BEHBAHANI