Gen Z and resilience, beware!
29/11/22
Gen Z (our youngest generation in the workforce) were described recently by a prominent business leader as “the least resilient generation ever” This is a commonly held perception in some workplaces. For many older generations, #GenZ are a source of frustration and disappointment. It’s said they are easily offended, overly sensitive and that they lack the mental toughness required to deal with the setbacks and challenges of the modern workplace.
As individual human beings we are a unique product of our environment and experiences and our Gen Z are growing up with some tough challenges.
Does that make Gen Z a generation of #snowflakeswho can’t take the pressure? At Get The Gen we don’t think so. We think Gen Z’s are a #generationof #youngpeople who are experiencing many of the same stresses as their older co-workers, but are simply more prepared to be open about this.
Sharing concerns about #mentalhealth used to be frowned upon – now it isn’t. Rather Ironically, it takes a degree of #resilience that Gen Z apparently lacks to express these concerns. It also takes bravery not to simply accept a status quo that is damaging mental health and to do something about it.
Some Gen Z insights:
Gen Z have experienced massive pressure at a young age. The English education system is the third most #stressful out of 45 countries surveyed across Europe and Canada.
Gen Z are growing up in a world of instant online #judgement and toxic comparison. In 2021 The Wall Street Journal revealed that Facebook’s own research shows a significant teen mental health issue that the company plays down in public.
Their induction into the world of work has been fraught with challenges. Microsoft’s mining of data about its Teams users says the average working day is increasing in length leaving our junior Gen Z’s sitting silently on video calls feeling #unproductive and powerless as senior staff hold the floor.
Older #generations often object by saying that they face the same challenges and stressful slog – and they’d be right. Herein lies the danger…. as soon as we turn our experience of life into a competition, we all lose.
#GetTheGen helps teams and businesses around the UK and across the world to understand and get the best out of their multi-generational teams where everyone’s unique experience is understood, valued and respected. Follow us for more insights.