Work it, Gen Z: How the Youngest Are Remaking the Labor Market and Office Culture

One of the larger television networks approached me this past week to discuss the generational shifts in the workplace. One particular program was looking for a point of view that stated, in no uncertain terms, that Generation Z, the youngest cohort in the workforce, was destroying office culture; I declined their request.

Same theme, different generation

The reality is that Generation Z, just like the generations that came before them, is making its mark on office culture whether we like it or not. Some of these changes will be positive, while others may not. Regardless, it's been reported that their informality, communication style, tech-savvy, and lack of interest in the hierarchy may have riled "some workers" who believe in the "old way" of doing business.

Like those preceding generations, Generation Z is a product of the economy and society it grew up in. According to the Pew Research Center, "Gen Z is the least likely to drop out of high school and the most likely to go to college, compared with older generations." They are also the most diverse and have the highest levels of digital literacy, having grown up in a connected world. They are the most politically active generation since the boomers, too, and make no bones about attaching their inclusive values known to their employers.

Each generation brings a new perspective on working and new values and attitudes on the relationship between the employer and the employee. Shifting hierarchical structures, the drive for gender and racial equity, and even informal dress were in play long before the first member of Generation Z was even born.

Supply, demand, and the Future

What makes Generation Z genuinely unique, and perhaps a bit scary for some, is that they can bargain at levels not seen since the Silent Generation entered the workforce following World War II. But, of course, this is due entirely to demographics since the labor markets during the post-war and post-Covid periods suffer from one thing: a lack of people and an overabundance of jobs.

Last month, nine million jobs remained open, and unemployment stood at 3.5 percent, the lowest in 50 years. As a result, wage growth has been high, which has pulled high school-aged workers into the labor market, reversing a decades-long trend.

Workers of the post-war period demanded and got higher wages, better working conditions, and improved health care and pensions, among other benefits. Generation Z is redux in their calls for better pay, collective action, unionization, and requests for novel benefits, like flexible work arrangements and paid time off for menstrual symptoms.

Make it work

The only constant is change, and employers and employees that adapt to new realities are the ones that win the day. This includes tapping into the contributions of all generations because we're always better together; inclusive organizations consistently outperform those that are not.

This could mean changing the office's operations or our tools to get things done. It could also mean creating new benefits and working arrangements that meet the workforce's needs. Sometimes it could be recognizing that the "old" way of doing things is better.

Businesses that build inclusive environments that encourage communication and collaboration tend to win the day. Likewise, those organizations that lean into mutual mentoring can create cultures of trust where decades of experience line up with freshly minted graduates of universities and technical schools.

Our economic future demands that work evolves. Pitting one generation against another is redundant, and being intransigent does nothing to move the needle forward.