Young Brits complain of older co-workers stereotyping Gen Z
Gen Z officer workers have reported experiencing criticism from older colleagues due to negative stereotypes linked to their generation.
According to the latest report from workforce engagement platform Kahoot, nearly 50 per cent of young Brits have reported being criticised in the workplace, leading to increased stress and tension.
Among those who have been subjected to disapproval, 47 per cent said they were judged for being too passionate or outspoken, while 46 per cent noted it was due to their use of informal language, slang or humour.
Other reasons included attempting to set healthy boundaries and for how they looked, leading to many to have been driven to tears and even consider quitting less than a year into their employment.
Jon Neale, growth director of the UK and Ireland at Kahoot, said: “Gen Z’s entry into the workplace is colliding with entrenched workplace cultures that often don’t fit their expectations or strengths.
“They’re eager to contribute but can’t seem to win.”
Not taken seriously
This has led nearly a quarter of young workers to feel that their opinions are not taken seriously at work or if they ultimately matter, leaving many not sharing thoughts with colleagues.
Meanwhile, over two-thirds of young workers admitted to feeling out of their depth at work, with many citing having more opportunities to share their perspective, be included in decision making and being recognised for contributions would help them gain “a stronger sense of belonging” and support their progress.
Kahoot warned that the findings should act as a “wake up call”, with failure to support young colleagues would damage not just retention but “innovation, culture and competitiveness”.
Office interaction fears
The findings come as a third of Gen Z believe mental health days should be a standard workplace benefit, as fears of office interaction overtake redundancies caused by AI.
The survey conducted by Trinity College London, and first reported in The Times, found that 42 per cent of young people were anxious about working with unknown people, while 38 per cent were concerned over the need to make small talk,
Others expressed anxiety over using the phone and getting up early every morning, while over a fifth feared accepting criticism.
Alongside standard mental health days, Gen Z workers were also in favour of dropping typical working hours of 9am to 5pm and instead having flexible hours.
Similar to the findings from Kahoot, 18 per cent wished to be involved with decisions and collaborate with co-workers in order to do so.