Energy and Experience needs to be married to Engagement

 A professional contact recently sent me an article that claims that there is a ‘growing undercurrent of scepticism surrounds the managerial capabilities of Gen Z…’ I feel that in many ways this article sends wrong signals and shows a rather shallow understanding of the author about younger generations and their engagement into the workforce.

Gen Z are relatively new to managerial roles hence there is no doubt will require capacity building and mentoring, and so did earlier generations as well. So, although it is an uncontested point, but there is nothing new or uniquely missing about Gen Z. Hence, I find a bit strange is how quickly people start labelling a particular generation. That is a bit of a hurried conclusion and tad bit unfair towards Gen Zs. All we need to do is provide Gen Z with adequate training opportunities, good mentoring and coaching that helps us to groom them as better leaders.

I agree with the fact that every generational cohort has its own strengths. This is why multi-generational workforce can be a strength, provided there is greater generational empathy and right understanding. Experience and Energy need to be married to Engagement.

The article also once again reveals glaring areas of poor understanding of younger generations like Gen Zs. This is evident in statements like –

‘Gen Z’s approach to workplace culture and hierarchy can also be a point of contention…’

or

‘Gen Z’s approach to work-life balance also raises eyebrows…’

or

‘One of the primary concerns employers have is Gen Z’s rapid rise in aspirations…’

Or

‘Respect for hierarchy and seniority varies significantly across generations. Gen Z’s informal communication style, influenced by social media and digital platforms, sometimes clashes with the expectations of older generations who value formality and respect…’

Or

‘Employers fear that Gen Z managers may prioritise personal goals over organisational needs…’

And there are many more. These all are signs of poor understanding of Gen Z and reasons why engagement levels are poor. 

I have studied Gen Zs right from their adolescent and teenage days and hence have had the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into their life realities and the shift in the environmental dynamics around them.

 In the last 10 years I have had the opportunity to work with progressive and visionary organizations in India, Dubai, UK and US and help their managers and leaders develop a deeper understanding of millennial and Gen Z employees and customers, to drive stronger engagement. Similarly other organizations who recognize these issues and invest to train their managers on how to engage the younger generational workers and customers, stand a much better chance in the marketplace.

This articles states that some employers are avoiding hiring Gen Zs. I have recently read more such articles. However, one cannot ignore or avoid Gen Zs and that is the reality. Very soon they will form a major proportion of the global workforce and firms can choose to ignore them at their own peril. The better and wiser route is the route of engagement and that is only possible when we have a right understanding of the generational cohort and can find ways to engage them first and then groom them to bring about a planned change. Any other route is an ‘Ostrich Choice’.