Don't sideline Gen Z. Instead, leverage them

We  read a lot about Gen Z getting fired within months of being hired because they’re ‘hard to work with’ or because they don’t fit the company culture.  

Yet our analysis shows that most organizations benefit in many ways from the fresh skills, knowledge and social awareness that younger professionals bring.

To resist their contribution so abruptly is short-sighted. It’s true, however, that employers must adjust their expectations and perspectives about the way Gen Z interacts at work. It’s a priority for executive teams, HR and L&D to understand them better and adapt to their approach. Comfortable or not, it will pay to overcome habitual ‘us and them’ thinking.  

Why? Because who else will be our future leaders?  

In the next decade, Baby Boomers will , by and large, have left most workplaces, a chunk of Gen X will soon be trying to at least semi-retire, Millennials are moving into leadership already but not always staying there, and older Gen Z’s are next for the job.  

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Gen Z workers (age 18-28) made up nearly a fifth (18%) of the labor force by mid-2024, predicted to rise to 27% at the start of 2026.  

Volatility and instability shaped Generation Z

Twenty-somethings entered the world of work during an era of high volatility and instability, not to mention AI’s ever-present disruption of how we work. They’re bound to see opportunities and limitations differently, and we shouldn’t be so quick to knock their outlook.

True, many younger professionals are routinely criticized for lacking business-critical social skills and etiquette as a result of growing up in a digital-first world, but this is solve-able. Interpersonal skills, communications skills, navigating team dynamics and reading the room are all skills that can be developed and honed.  

On the plus side, their fierce focus on purpose and wellbeing at work is challenging companies to evolve in ways that have will surely have more positive than negative effects.

Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton Business School (whose ideas we wrote about in this report back in 2023) observes that older generations tend to directly compare their strengths with younger generations’ weaknesses, exaggerating the divide and often painting the younger generation in an unfairly negative light. He observes too that there are more similarities than differences among different generations at work. Often, differences are less about age and more about life experience.  

Employees of most ages might be carers, parents, entrepreneurs or change-makers.  We all have plenty in common with other age groups. Our values are not always that different, it’s how we express those values through different behaviors.

What's center-stage for Gen Z leaders?

For employers, there’s little point in fighting time or change. L&D teams need the green light to invest in understanding this age group better and challenging preconceptions. We should listen to Gen Z‘s ideas and lean into their communication styles, work habits, and values. 

Global comms firm Edelman has a whole ‘Gen Z lab’ dedicated to this that produces research and advises C-suites getting to grips with the perceptions and motivations of younger professionals.

After all, these ‘high potentials’ need to be included in succession planning.  If a company isn’t adapting its culture to allow for self-assured, purposeful leadership, it’s time. 

Gen Z will transform the way we work. AI adoption may play an influential role, but it’s not just about tech. It’s about bringing fresh eyes and more current interpretations of terms like ‘progression’, ‘success’ (beyond profit), ‘healthy organizational culture’, ‘loyalty’ and ‘inspiring leaders’.  It’s about becoming more curious and less dismissive about this emerging part of the workforce. 

Rather than chasing profits alone, Gen Z will focus on creating meaningful impact for employees, customers and communities. It’s almost as though they pick up the mantle from the previous generation of millennials, who shared similar values when they first entered the workplace. 

For Gen Z, the definition of a great workplace culture will continue to shift away from traditional definitions. It’s no secret that flexibility, hybrid-working, purpose, wellbeing and personalized learning matter more to Gen Z than overtime, promotions and corporate ladders. But that doesn’t mean they can’t become good leaders, quite the contrary. 

 What else can employers do? 

Re-inject and redirect the training budget! Pay close attention to inter-generational differences, communication styles and preferences in your onboarding process and ongoing professional development program.

Some employers are giving graduates extra training to get them up to speed. Deloitte, PwC, KPMG and EY have offered incoming junior hires soft-skills training, including lessons on how to speak up in meetings, storytelling and presentation skills, and leadership skills tailored for hybrid working. It’s a logical move to help this instant-messaging generation that grew up surrounded by remote working and largely unfamiliar with Gen X/Boomer basics like landline phones.

Address human skills: Managers often cite poor communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution, fuelled by pandemic-related isolation. These can all be developed via the right programs.  

Increase dialogue and understanding about ideal workplace culture, communication styles and leadership styles. To foster an empathetic working environment and culture more in tune with Gen Z expectations, leaders need to accommodate their desire for explanation and inclusion.

For all the talk of differences between generations, let’s not forget the common ground as well. There're more commonalities than often believed, and we've written about them here.  

Many of us want the same ingredients for a satisfying life at work. The key is to encourage multigenerational interaction though training, networking events and mentorship and celebrate the values we share as much as the ones we don’t. 

Insights Discovery is an L&D training system that creates high-performing teams by enhancing awareness and workplace relationships. Using a memorable four-color model to illustrate different behavioral styles, it creates a common language that connects colleagues across geographical and cultural boundaries, fostering collaboration, driving productivity and transforming workplaces.