Why Gen Z surpassing boomers at work is troubling for managers: ‘Age of authority is dropping’

Gen Z has a bad reputation for being the most “difficult” generation to work with, and reports say they’re slated to take over the workforce by outpacing the number of baby boomers by the end of the year.

What does that mean for bosses? 

A 2023 survey from ResumeBuilder found that 49% of business leaders and managers identified the group as difficult to work with most or all the time and a majority agreed Gen Z — or Zoomers — lack effective communication skills, motivation, effort and even technological skills in some instances.

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Seventy-five percent of those surveyed pinpointed the group as “more difficult to work with than other generations.”

Dr. Tim Elmore, author of A New Kind of Diversity” and CEO of the Atlanta-based nonprofit Growing Leaders, specializes in helping multiple generations develop into productive team members.

“My research reveals Gen Z has been challenging to work with for various reasons. They often bring little work experience following college graduation, with parents encouraging them to focus on academics. Plus, having grown up on screens, they frequently bring lower levels of emotional intelligence than previous youth generations,” he told Fox News Digital.

“The greatest reason for employers, however, can be summarized with two stark contrasts,” he added. 

“First, the age of authority is dropping. Consider this: young professionals often enter their careers with a greater insight into social media and how to monetize it. They seem to understand what young consumers want, and they possess deeper intuition on where culture is going. Second, at the same time, the age of maturity is rising. Several university deans have told me, ‘26 is the new 18.’ They are maturing socially and emotionally later than previous generations of young graduates.”

It’s troubling for supervisors, he stressed, because they may receive employees who lack the capacity to handle tough feedback, they may be overconfident or cocky, and they may choose to walk away from conflict.

“I believe bosses will need to listen a little more than we once did and to coach a little more than we once did,” Elmore said. 

Some speculate their unusual introduction to the work world with hybrid or fully remote internships and jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic could partially be to blame.

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Gen Z is commonly seen as tech-savvy, perhaps giving them leverage in the workplace but disadvantages in other areas. (Anna Barclay / Getty Images)

A recent Wall Street Journal report said Gen Z workers struggle to feel connections with their colleagues and may need some additional guidance on “workplace norms,” particularly through mentors.

The age group born between 1997 and 2012 has left employers with newfound challenges, seeking ways to increase their engagement, hone their communication skills and even offer new perks like “on-site therapists,” the piece said.

The same report examined the case of Xapa CEO Christine Heckart, who identified Gen Z workers as people searching for meaning in what they do, arguing they need guidance and support to grow in their roles.

“They want security and this chance to matter. When they’re not heard, when they don’t have an opportunity to grow, when they’re not appreciated, then they check out pretty quickly,” she said, per the outlet.

Gen Z influencer Christian Hodges thinks that companies focusing on providing guidance for Zoomers in the workforce is a smart move.

“We’re the first generation to be fully immersed in tech from birth, our brains are native to regular feedback and performing meaningful work,” he told Fox News Digital. “The easiest way to achieve both in one fell swoop is through a mentor.”

He added that mentors have had a lasting impact on his own life and that Gen Z employees need mentorship to foster “personal accountability,” “professional growth” and “spiritual guidance.”

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“Gen Z should not be left on their own to find all three,” he said, encouraging Gen Xers, baby boomers and millennials to find a young person who reminds them of themselves, be “willing to divulge [their] highs and lows” and counsel Gen Z “where they are.”

Cat Ward of the nonprofit organization Jobs for the Future similarly identified the need to make changes, noting that employers are already well aware that Gen Z is entering the workforce in droves and employers must adjust accordingly.

“They grew up with a different philosophy. And they are the products of the philosophy, ‘Everybody gets a trophy,’” TV personality Judge Judy Scheindlin told Fox News Digital of the age group in May.

The criticism homes in on the bad reputation lent to Zoomers in popular culture, including accusations of laziness, tech-obsession and a sense of entitlement which many believe carries over into the workplace.

Some, like Scheindlin, speculate it’s a byproduct of being coddled by parents.

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According to the WSJ report, Gen Z’s priorities have shifted from previous generations by evidence of what they request from their employer when asked, namely their hope for on-site therapy that is now used across generations.

“Maybe 25 or 30 years ago, it would have been a gym,” DJ Casto, chief CHO at credit card issuer Synchrony Financial said, adding, “Now, it’s someone to help me figure out how to have the right mental wellness.”

Fox News’ Jeffrey Clark, Cortney O’Brien and Joshua Comins contributed to this report.