Managing GenZ at the workplace deserves a new skillset.

I’m having a recollection of memories when my bosses would bang the table in anger due to unmet goals in the company. It was commonplace act to make us know things weren’t going as planned and we needed to shape up.

These days you don’t shout at Gen Z at the workplace. Else, you’ll hear, “Boss, why are you shouting?” And then they’ll sermonise you on the need for mental health. They’re a special breed.

GenZs aren’t lazy. They just want to do things faster, what millennials will consider as lazy and looking for shortcuts. GenZs have a penchant for exploration when you give them the latitude at the workplace. They’ll find tools and resources to help the organisation optimise productivity.

They don’t just follow instructions. They want to understand purpose first. If it feels pointless, motivation drops. In my time, you don’t question your bosses. Even asking questions could be seen as undermining authority.

You don’t threaten Gen Zs with sack. A generation that earns money from socketing a smartphone, you need to understand that their loyalty isn’t blind.
If you do such threats, they leave. To them, the advancement in career isn’t about growing vertically in a company, it’s about stacking skills that gives them leverage to leapfrog from any company to another.

These dudes love remote work. If there was a way for them to conduct surgeries while lounging in their pyjamas at home, they’d defo (that’s Gen Z lingo 😍) do it. To them, side hustles are normal as they can hold multiple phone conversations at the workplace while working on a project.

Long meetings are archaic.They want quick texts, voice notes. If you can drop a voice note or short video on Slack, that’s absolutely lovely.

They treat work like content. Office TikToks. LinkedIn storytelling
Behind-the-scenes culture posts. They love these to bits.

With the Gen Zs, there’s no silent suffering. They call out toxic behaviour faster than you can breathe.

They negotiate benefits boldy and unapologetically. Don’t be shocked when they tell you they want $500 per hour. Your job is to have a conversation as to why.

Gen Z isn’t lazy. They’re intentional. They don’t want to survive work. They want work to fit life.

You just need to understand their dynamics. It’s what business leadership entails.