Gen Z Isn’t Undisciplined, They Just Need Guidance!

Welcome back to The Gen Z Guide for Employers! In this series, we will challenge some of the prevailing Gen Z workforce myths.  Our ultimate goal is to debunk these myths and create a level of understanding between Gen Z and the generations that came before us to make workplaces:

• More efficient

• More inclusive

• Better places to work

Each newsletter will be written from the perspective of an employer or a member of the Gen Z workforce. In this edition, Caden Zimmerman, our Operations and People Manager, is here to give her take on a new myth that surrounds Gen Z employees: that Gen Z is undisciplined! 

The Myth: “Gen Z is Undisciplined” 

Lazy. Unmotivated. Difficult. These are just some of the words I’ve heard used to describe Gen Z in the workplace. Many employers are quick to claim that Gen Z does nothing but complain, expect promotions, and switch jobs at the turn of a dime. Whether this is chalked up to short attention spans or unrealistic expectations, employers aren’t pleased - and neither is Gen Z.

This general disdain from older generations upon their predecessors isn’t new - we see this crop up each time the youngest generation joins the “real world” as working adults. This shift often results in older groups relying on stereotypes, generalising entire groups and their behaviours,  particularly as they enter the workforce.

The generation raised in the digital age is often clumped together, with broad assumptions often influencing hiring decisions of an entire generation. Employers believe that Gen Z expects everything to come easily to them, and prioritises convenience and instant gratification over hard work and perseverance. 

The result? Managers feeling dissatisfied with their new employees’ performance, and Gen Z employees feeling lost, confused, and very stressed. 

What’s the real cause of Gen Z’s apathy?

Gen Z is experiencing higher levels of stress compared to their older counterparts, with nearly two times the frequency of reporting fair or poor mental health (27%) than Millennials (15%) or Gen X (13%) (APA, 2018). I’d argue access to technology paired with the volatile state of the world are the two largest contributing factors. 

We consume more content in one single day than those in the 15th century would experience in their entire lives (Vince, 2022). Rather than being exposed to a curated selection of news items once a day, we are constantly bombarded with new - often negative - pieces of information.

The newest working generation is coming of age “during an era of societal collapse” (Bakhtiari, 2024). Raised in a hyperconnected world flooded with (what seems like) world-ending news, our personal lives often blur with global challenges. Despite being more connected than ever, technological advancements have instead resulted in what Forbes refers to as the “loneliness epidemic”, replacing shared in-person experiences with virtual interactions, not just personally, but professionally as well. 

This crisis of social isolation was brought to a head when a generation raised by their smart phones were forced by a global pandemic to begin their careers online - or not all.

Hiring of junior employees largely ceased during the pandemic, with three in five employers cancelling work experience during Covid-19 and nearly one million additional young people out of work in 2020 (Brown, 2020). In an article by People Management, education professor Robin Simmons said “The first thing employers do is stop recruiting, before making redundancies… any jobs are taken by older workers, who trade down into jobs that ordinarily they wouldn’t be entering in normal economic times”. 

Workforce to organisations that haven’t had to properly onboard new talent in many years. There has been a significant decline in training among young workers, with a recent survey finding that 3 in 10 employed Gen Zers have not received workplace training at all (Gaskell, 2024; TalentLMS, 2024). 

This lack of preparation given to the newest group of workers has resulted in many entering their first jobs without any prior experience. Those able to snag a remote internship during Covid had to settle for little (or even no) pay, with their roles focused on menial tasks, serving more as box-ticking exercises than meaningful career development. This has created a significant gap in the necessary preparation and knowledge that has, until now, been taken for granted by employers.

There is a level of unspoken expectations that, due to this shift in working style, are no longer widely known. 

I spoke to a few members of our community about their experiences as new hires, and a recurring theme emerged: a deep sense of uncertainty and a longing for better training and clearer guidance to navigate the beginnings of their careers. 

Lydia, who previously worked as a teaching assistant, shared her experience of being “thrown into the deep end”, being asked to design an entire year-long curriculum from scratch, with no guidance, supporting textbook or other materials - and a deadline of one week. 

“I later found out this was really supposed to have been done by a more senior teacher, but I didn’t have the confidence to question it at the time, and no one ever checked in. Any time I asked for support, I was ignored and felt really discouraged. I did my best, and really cared about the experience of my students, but felt totally out of my depth and was frustrated at the lack of organisational support.” 

When asked what she finds most frustrating about starting your first entry level role, Lydia said “Recent graduates have a lot of energy and ambition to draw upon, but often it feels as if employers resent having to teach us anything. They avoid hiring genuinely entry-level or inexperienced people at all costs, regardless of their intelligence and potential. They advertise jobs as ‘entry level' when the only thing entry level about them is the salary, and they in fact require years of experience in a “related” field and a myriad of specific technical skills which can only be learned on the job.”

So what’s the solution?

Offer support and onboarding to new hires!

Gen Z aren’t undisciplined - they’re just lost. They’re entering a workforce with almost no guidance, are expected to live up to unspoken expectations, and then are criticised when they fail to meet standards that they weren’t aware existed in the first place. 

Another member of our community, Ginger, told us about how she felt that she was being set up to fail at her first job out of university. “My last company culture was very hostile and intense," Ginger explained.  “It was intimidating to ask questions and contribute ideas, creating an unpleasant atmosphere that ultimately resulted in my leaving the company.”

It’s easy to complain about someone’s work ethic and drive as someone who hasn’t experienced a first day at work in over a decade. And it’s hard to understand why a generation is struggling when their experience seems different than your own. You can’t gain experience without, well, experience, and it’s up to the seasoned vets to provide the proper support to get their new hires up to scratch. 

Fostering a positive culture that encourages collaboration, and freedom to fail, is key when bringing in new talent. Gen Z feels supported when offered proper training, mentorship opportunities, and the chance to learn on the job without the fear that a single mistake could end their career. 

Ginger noted that she appreciates “flexibility and [the] social aspects of a work environment. A more collaborative, encouraging environment is easier to thrive in where coworkers encourage each other’s success.” 

Setting a good first impression is key. Research has shown that a positive onboarding experience boosts productivity and retention (Paradis, 2023). A survey by the Society for Human Resources Management found that 76% of employees are more likely to stay at a company that offers continuous training. It makes sense - employees who feel valued are motivated to work harder, and feel more connected to their work. Proper training and investment in the development of junior talent promotes a culture of support, growth, and long-term success.

Conclusion 

Times are changing! Different generations are often faced with friction in the workplace, and it is up to both parties to find a way to work well together during the “great reshuffle” (Berger, C. 2023). Given this four-year Covid gap, it is understandable that this level of disconnect has seemed larger as Gen Z finally enters the workforce, bringing with them new expectations shaped by their upbringing in an era of rapid technological change and societal uncertainty. 

Employers who offer guidance, structured onboarding, and mentorship can bridge the gap between expectations and reality, ensuring that Gen Z employees feel supported from day one. By fostering a culture of collaboration, trust, and continuous learning, employers not only give new hires the tools they need to succeed, but also help cultivate loyalty and engagement, and allow Gen Z to contribute meaningfully to their organisations for years to come.

References:

American Psychological Association. (2018). Apa Stress in americaTM survey: Generation Z stressed about issues in the news but least likely to vote. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2018/10/generation-z-stressed

Bakhtiari, K. (2024, February 20). Gen-z, the loneliness epidemic and the unifying power of brands. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kianbakhtiari/2023/07/28/gen-z-the-loneliness-epidemic-and-the-unifying-power-of-brands/

Berger, C. (2023, March 23). Gen Zers are rebelling against their parents and striking fear into corporate America by publicly quitting. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2022/03/19/gen-z-is-joining-great-resignation-terrifying-corporate-america/

Brown, J. (2020, July 29). Three in five employers have cancelled work experience because of covid-19, research reveals. 82190. https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1744990/three-in-five-employers-have-cancelled-work-experience-because-of-covid-19

Gaskell, Adi. “Changes in Job-Related Training since Covid-19.” Forbes, February 19, 2024. https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2021/02/12/changes-in-job-related-training-since-covid-19/. 

Paradis, Tim. “Why Ai Might Make Us Have Fewer Friends at Work.” Business Insider, 2023. https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-lonelier-at-work-friends-connect-with-coworkers-2023-12. 

TalentLMS. (2024, August 29). Survey: Gen Z in the Workplace. https://www.talentlms.com/research/gen-z-workplace-statistics#how-to-manage-Gen-Z

TalentLMS. “Survey: The State of Learning & Development.” TalentLMS, December 15, 2022. https://www.talentlms.com/employee-learning-and-development-stats. 

Vince, G. (2022, February 24). Cities: How crowded life is changing us. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130516-how-city-life-is-changing-us