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Gen-Z Employees: Work to Live or Live to Work?

Views About Workplace Conditions    

The Deloitte Global 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey connects 22,800 respondents in 44 countries to explore their attitudes about work and the world around them. Here are four of the key findings.

  • About 1/3 of Gen Z (born mid-to-late 1990s) and 1/3 of millennials (born between 1981-1996) expect their personal finances to improve over the next year but still are uncertain about the future.
  • The majority of Gen Z (86%) and millennials (89%) say having a purpose is important to their overall job satisfaction and well-being.           
  • Environmental sustainability remains a top concern for both groups, with 62% of Gen Zs and 59% of millennials reporting feeling anxious or worried about climate change. They want governments to push business to take more climate action, and businesses to help consumers to make more sustainable choices. 
  • Gen Zs and millennials are feeling uncertain about GenAI and its potential impact on their careers, although those who trust the technology and use GenAI say are more likely to say it will improve their work/life balance by freeing up time.

Work to Live or Live to Work

Gen Z workers are prioritizing their personal lives and well-being over working. An article in Business Insider provides some interesting results including that Gen Z is choosing to "work to live'' rather than "live to work," like previous generations, because they're reaping fewer rewards for their hard work, an expert on the future of work told Business Insider.

Business Insider observes that "Like millennials before them, the Gen Z generation is attracting the ire of older generations, with Gen X and boomers increasingly criticizing their perceived lack of work ethic and the dedication needed to become successful."

Gen Z are now joining the professional world and bringing with them demands for work-life balance and flexibility." It’s been building over many years but seems to have taken hold in a significant way in the post-Covid period. Gen Z workers want to work outside of the office, at least sometimes, but employers are concerned that productivity will decline.

Gen Z and Work Ethic

Some Gen Z are taking to TikTok to complain about their 9-to-5 jobs and even about choosing new ways of working, such as so-called "lazy-girl jobs," which are  nontechnical remote roles that pay decently, minimize coworker interaction and allow a significant level of flexibility. Gen Zs have often been criticized for their flippant attitude to work. 

This has irked some of the older generations who grew up valuing the rewards of hard work and discipline and realized that their route to success was to climb the corporate ladder. The anger has turned into public criticism from celebrities, businesspeople, and university professors.

A survey by Resume Builder published in 2023 shows that 74% of managers and business leaders said Gen Z is the "most challenging generation" to work with. About 40% of that group said it's because people in this age group lack technological skills. The same proportion of managers also felt Gen Z employees lack motivation and get easily distracted. Here are additional results from that survey.

  • 49% say it’s difficult to work with Gen-Z all or most of the time
  • The plurality of these business leaders and managers prefer to work with Millennials
  • 65% say they more commonly need to fire Gen-Z than employees of other generations
  • 12% have fired a GenZer less than one week after their start date
  • Being too easily offended is a top reason Gen- Z get fired.

Understanding Gen-Z Slang in The Workplace

Writing in Forbes, Jack Kelly says that Gen-Z's influence on workplace communication blends internet culture, social media trends and diverse linguistic influences into professional settings. He believes Gen-Z employees may choose to "code switch" or adjust their language depending on the context and the colleagues they're interacting with. This approach can help bridge generational communication gaps while still allowing for authentic expression. However, some of the slang words defy logic. Here are just a few. Ask yourself: Would you understand what they mean if Gen-Z used these words? Could it create communication problems in the workplace?

Gen-Z's influence on workplace communication blends internet culture, social media trends and diverse linguistic influences into professional settings.

As workplaces become increasingly multigenerational, understanding and adapting to different communication styles is key. Gen-Z employees may choose to "code switch" or adjust their language depending on the context and the colleagues they're interacting with. This approach can help bridge generational communication gaps while still allowing for authentic expression.

The following are some examples of Gen-Z jargon and their meanings.

The phrase "no cap" essentially means "I'm telling the truth", or "I'm not lying." 

"Lit" is used to describe something exciting, enjoyable or cool. 

“Rizz” is a slang term that stands for "charisma" and refers to someone's ability to charm or attract others, particularly in romantic contexts. 

"Slay" is used as a form of high praise, similar to "killing it."

"Sus," short for suspicious, is used to describe something or someone that seems untrustworthy or questionable.

The phrase "understood the assignment" is a popular slang expression used to acknowledge someone who has performed exceptionally well or exceeded expectations.

“Ick" is used to describe a sudden feeling of disgust or loss of attraction toward someone, often for a trivial reason [this one I get]. 

Some Other Commonly Used Gen-Z Lingo Gen z slang

  • Vibe: the overall atmosphere or feeling of a situation, person or place. It's often used to describe the general mood or energy in the office or during a meeting.
  • Bet: expresses agreement or acceptance, similar to saying "okay" or "sure." It can be used to acknowledge a task or confirm understanding of instructions.
  • Menty B: a mental breakdown, usually used for minor stressful situations
  • That slaps: what you say when something is very good
  • Stan: to support something
  • Facts: to express that something is true
  • Fire: expresses that something is awesome, cool or impressive
  • G.O.A.T.: means the “greatest of all time,” deriving from the sports arena
  • Say Less: conveys clear agreement and confirmation of shared feelings or sentiments
  • FR: short for "for real"
  • Flex: a showcase of accomplishments and self-promotion
  • Glow Up: refers to a positive personal transformation—a testament to resilience, growth, milestones and breakthroughs
  • Period: punctuates statements with unwavering finality, embodying conviction and resolve and leaving no room for debate or ambiguity
  • Basic: denotes a lack of originality or independent thought
  • Unserious: lightheartedly highlights the whimsical or frivolous nature of a subject or individual, dismissing them
  • L or W: refers to wins or losses, symbolizing triumphs and setbacks
  • Cringe: describes a strong feeling of discomfort, embarrassment or awkwardness in response to someone's behavior, words or actions [I get this one as well].
  • Delulu: derives from the word “delusional” and refers to individuals who are perceived as being out of touch with reality
  • Brat: introduced by British pop star Charli XCX and denotes a confident, carefree and rebellious attitude

The question is whether Gen Z and millennials will be able to sustain the work ethic from previous generations that provided fuel for economic development in the U.S. Could it be that the role of the U.S. in economic development hangs in the balance, and these generations should be tasked with following the advice provided in various surveys to increase their work ethic and make a commitment to stay with an employer, even when things get tough.

I recently read a story online from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). Here it is. It speaks for itself. Gen-Z students should read it carefully, especially before taking job interviews.

In the quest to be themselves, many young workers communicate casually. It doesn't sit well with all companies that see professionalism differently.

When Anna landed a job in the art department at a prominent London-based hedge fund straight out of university in 2022, she was the youngest member of her team by a decade. Unfazed by the age gap, Anna, who'd graduated at the top of her class, was eager to learn from colleagues. Their feedback was mostly positive, she recalls, but for one issue: her boss said her casual language and informal manner undermined her credibility.

She brushed it off. "I had good relationships with clients – I think it's better to be personable than austere," says Anna, now in her mid-20s. "I was performing well and thought that would be enough." 

Four months into the job, however, she was fired. Her manager cited her "lack of professionalism", including her frequent use of filler words like "like" and "totally", as a contributing factor. Anna's supervisor said she didn't come across as an "intelligent" person who should be working at a top hedge fund, and that her demeanour didn't fit the firm's image.

Anna was devastated. "No-one told me beforehand what to say or not say. And everyone my age talks this way. How was I supposed to know?"

Does the fact that Gen-Z employees have a language of their own impair workplace communication and productivity? What do you think?

Posted by Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on October 2, 2024. You can sign up for his newsletter and learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/.

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