Why Your Line Managers Are Afraid of Gen Z

Navigating the workplace terrain hasn’t been a smooth journey for members of Gen Z, defined as the 72 million people born between 1997 and 2012.

Looking beyond surface-level generational differences like skinny jeans and side-parted hair, clear differences have emerged as this generation have taken to the workforce, and frictions have arisen amongst those managing Gen Z cohorts.

Gen Z have been branded everything from lazy to disruptive, and their reputation is perhaps contributing to the growing trend of people not wanting to be their line managers.

But are Gen Z really difficult to manage, or is their approach to work simply a challenge to the status quo?

Perhaps it’s time for organisations to reframe managing Gen Z by understanding what drives their behaviours and evolving expectations of the workplace. For many organisations this will be a strategic imperative, as Gen Z are expected to make up 30% of the workforce by 2030. It’s crucial that organisations (and their line managers) start strategising ways to manage this essential demographic to grow into tomorrow’s leaders, disruptors, and innovators.

Here are three common misconceptions of managing Gen Z line reports, and human-centred solutions to help your line managers overcome them:

1) Changing Gen Z attitudes to work

What your line managers think: “Gen Z are lazy”

While all age groups are about as likely to say they are putting in “a decent effort” (39-46%) at work, over-50s are far more likely to say they are giving “maximum effort” (40-43%) than those in their 30s and 40s (31-33%) and the under-30s (22%).

In fact, 4 out of 10 managers say they’re putting in extra time and effort because team members under thirty are “doing less.”

The complex reality: Gen Z has had a disrupted journey to the workplace, and many are rethinking entirely what it means to “work”

It’s important to note that attitudes towards work have shifted for every generation. Millennials – the people most likely to be managing your Gen Z – were the first generation to normalise switching employers frequently. This trend continues today; in 2022, 22% of workers aged over 20 years old spent a year or less at their jobs – the highest percentage with a tenure that short since 2006.

But Gen Z take job loyalty a step further than their millennial predecessors: According to recent Kantar research, a shocking 40% of Gen Z report having two or more jobs. So perhaps it’s less that this generation are “lazy”, and more that they are rethinking the traditional idea that one should be obligated to devote their time and energy to a single employer.

This attitude shift within the younger generation makes sense: they are entering work at a time of high instability, news of mass layoffs, a pandemic economy that disproportionately disadvantaged their future prospects, and general low levels of trust in employers. Why invest additional energy and effort into a single source of employment if there is no evidence of being invested in, for the long term, in turn?

Regardless of why or how Gen Z’s attitude has shifted, line managers must build a management style in which they are actively engaging, inspiring and developing younger line reports who may be negotiating their own relationship with work.

2) Managers of Gen Z are now Mentors

What your line managers think: “Gen Z need to be coddled”

The “Covid generation” has had their pathways to starting and growing their careers upended due to the pandemic and economic instability. Between cancelled internships and apprenticeships, online studies and exams, and lack of in-person work experience opportunities, it’s no wonder that nearly four in five 18–24-year-olds (78%) reported that their professional lives had been affected in some way by the pandemic.

As a result, line managers are increasingly required to be coaches, mentors, and champions for their Gen Z line reports. They must always be alert to the potential for employee burnout and wavering engagement, and knowledgeable on the actions needed to prevent it. Line Managers, however, have their own ongoing responsibilities and roles to fulfil.

The impact of balancing the increased demands of line managing young entrants to the workforce and the demands of their own roles is leading to increased pressures on line managers, so it’s perhaps not surprising that more than 50% of today’s line managers feel burned out at work.

The complex reality: Gen Z aren’t equipped with the same tools as their predecessors

67% of 18 to 21-year-olds can remember a time they needed a mentor but didn’t have one. Even before the pandemic, this generation had less work experience than previous generations at the same age: In 2018, only 18% of Gen Z teens aged 15 to 17 had a job, compared to 27% of millennials in 2002 and 41% of Gen X in 1986.

In response, organisations must act with empathy and ensure that structured development plans, support systems and mentorship programmes are in place to support their Gen Z talent craving assistance. It’s crucial that your Line Managers are made aware of what other areas of organisational support they have for their line reports. This provides a “safety net” for your managers who may not always have availability or tools to invest in 1-on-1 time.

3) Managers are expected to be ambassadors

What your line managers think: “Gen Z expect full transparency from me, but I don’t know how to meet that need (so I don’t want to)”

As Gen Z increasingly expects more from not only the brands they buy from, but also the organisations and managers they work for, the skills needed to be an effective line manager have moved far beyond the traditional role of “orchestrator” or “supervisor”, let alone ‘driver’.

People leave line managers, not jobs, therefore the role your line managers play in bringing your organisation’s values to life cannot be overvalued. Particularly for line reports new to the world of work, line managers are often perceived as the day-to-day “face” of your organisation. Put simply: your line managers are the walking embodiment of your values and culture. Yet trust in today’s leaders and managers is at an all-time low, and only 43% of employees trust their business leaders and managers, a 16% decline since 2018.

The complex reality: Authenticity is a big driver for Gen Z, and has proven benefits in the workplace

For Gen Z, culture and values matter more. This is a generation that is comfortable using protests, activism and movements for change to combat their anxieties about the future, and create a sense of ownership for the world they want to live in. Think climate change, BLM, or Pride. In fact, 73% of Gen Z would only apply to a company that shares similar values to them.

But transparent and open workplaces have benefits for organisations, too: Studies by Gallup have shown that when people believe that their leaders are able to communicate effectively, they are 73% less likely to feel burned out at work.

What does this mean? As with many great leadership qualities, mastering the art of communication is a learned skill that takes practice, failure, and the right tools to get right. Upskill your managers in the art of authentic communication by building connection through honesty and sincerity. Lose the jargon and be ready to answer some difficult questions – your Gen Z line reports will want to know the answers.

How can you help your line managers?

Our Line Manager Toolkit uses science, human-centred principles and practical case study examples to explore solutions that equip your line managers with the right tools to cater to Gen Z’s unique challenges and needs, and help set them up for long-term success in their new roles.

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