Gen Z Doesn’t Want a Participation Trophy—They Want Work That Matters.

We’ve talked in the past about how bees take on different roles as they age, and about the amazing effect external variables can have on their duties and roles (older bees may take on the work of younger bees in emergency situations, for example). Like bees, humans are certainly susceptible to sharing values and perceptions based on the time in which they were born and the experiences that they’ve had. Who we are and what we’ve experienced, after all, has a distinct and unique effect on our perspectives of the world. Gen Z, at 29 years old, now outnumber baby boomers in the workforce. As Gen X CEOs are replaced, they are more being replaced (at least statistically) by Millennials rather than Gen Xers. Why is this the case?

 If we are to believe generational theory, external experiences and historical events generally factor into the beliefs and perspectives held by generations, especially as they are coming of age. Certainly, there are limits to this way of thinking, as each person lives their own subjective experience (and differences may be more attributable to period of life than generational experience), and is affected not just by large historical events but also personal ones.

Boomers, named for the post-World War II baby boom (1946 to 1964) that coincided with booms in the economy. Their work experience, opportunities for growth, and ability to afford the trappings of middle class suburban lifestyle led to the creation of a sub-generation, Generation Jones, who did not inherit the full boom of early Boomers but did inherit those expectations (leading to the phrase "Keeping up with the Joneses”) Still, this was a generation that watched war live for the first time on television, watched a president resign in a corruption scandal, and experienced the high-inflation and high employment (stagflation) of the 1970s, events that helped to definitively unravel the feelings of post-war optimism. Boomer’s ideas of success and identity became deeply tied to their occupation (and the salary and home it brought)—even to the point of being unwilling to give up either in the present. Many Generation Jones Boomers found their prime earning years sabotaged by the 2008 housing crisis, and as one sociologist suggests, by an earlier generational competitive crush for schooling and jobs caused by being part of such a large generation. The one big difference between them and later generations? Housing was affordable enough to make them wealthy, and provide a stopgap against future economic disarray.

GenX (born between 1965 and 1980), meanwhile, experienced much turbulence during their formative years related to both technology and economics: the 1987 stock market crash, the dot com crash, and the Great Recession (in which they happened to be the bag-holders for 75% of homes purchased 2000 or later).  With six times more debt on average and 45% of their wealth vanishing post 2008, this generation learned “self-sufficiency, resourcefulness, and authenticity,” but their doubtfulness and skepticism has lowered their chances of entering true leadership rules (and seconded them often to No. 2 positions).  Adaptability combined with a loyalty to companies may be to blame here: during the great resignation, they were the generation least likely to have gotten fired or to have lost their job, even if leaving might have resulted in high pay or better opportunities. Even their nickname, the latch-key generation, puts them in a position of deference to absent authority.

Meanwhile, Millennials (1981-1996), have been described in many unsavory ways: self-absorbed, lazy, seeking promotion (without any accompanying accomplishments). Though they were also the first generation to become digital natives (as they experienced a substantial technological growth wave), which created a comfortability with new technology in which they became de-facto pioneers. As frequent historical upheavals have left this generation without a clear status quo, they have become not only adaptable, but also more pragmatic than previous generations: more willing to quit and job hop, more educated, more willing to take a pay cut for work/life balance, and less likely to be engaged at work if they don’t find the work purposeful and in alignment with their values.

Gen Z (1996 and 2010) seems to be continuing trends of deeply held individualism, adaptability, and remarkably different values and beliefs than previous generations. They likely spent some of their youth during COVID, which, alongside large political upheavals and demonstrations, led to a generation more willing to share political views at work, and expect their own companies to do the same. The massive social upheavals have also led to high levels of “climate anxiety” alongside pessimism about their economic futures, but also a personal responsibility to get engaged at an individual level. Some theories believe that GenZ is simply taking the slow road to get to where previous generations have ended up, delaying marriage and continuing to live at home until they're able to build a financial nest egg. But others believe their values have formed into a lasting skepticism of norms, capitalism, and even the idea of the American Dream:  without the promise of promotion, reward, or even positive performance, they are less interested in “being seen” sitting at their desk and prefer to be seen accomplishing goals; they are less likely to accept “this is how we’ve always done it” and are more likely to have a creative new idea for how something could be changed. Certainly previous generations also struggled with anxiety, but Gen Z might be the first generation to feel comfortable speaking about therapy, and putting their mental health first. Certainly some of these are causal effects of living through (and being educated within) the COVID pandemic: studies show that Gen Z may be less resilient, but more adaptable and with higher levels of openess to change and self-improvement (when compared to Gen X and even Millennials): if they don’t like their company’s vision or direction, they will speak up about it. If something isn’t working for them, they will say so. This skeptical, questioning attitude—if properly harnessed and encouraged—could lead to positive industry-wide upheavals.

Certainly, none of these are destined, unchangeable attributes. But when companies consider the experiences of new generations, there are lessons to be learned about how to manage, how to retain, and how to get the best out of each worker. Gen Z may be getting tapped for CEO roles because they buck convention and orthodoxy, which is certainly needed in an economy where everything is up for grabs. But certainly this is more than a day-long “brainstorming session” with wall-sized post-it notes: they must actively become involved in decision making, as they won't simply settle for “lip service” by their companies when it comes to social and environmental issues: they’ll just walk.

Both bees and humans can change within their job - bees according to a schedule, humans based upon merit. Similar to humans, bees find themselves adjusting to and filling the roles as needed, becoming workers based on biological necessity. What a CEO sees outside their window might be quite different from that of his Millennial or GenZ employees. To the CEO, solar panels, energy-efficient or sustainable materials, or on-site beehives might be part of an ESG-oriented mission statement. But to a Millennial or GenZ, such a movement is a statement of optimism: a strong belief in the future!   

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