KUALA LUMPUR – Generation Z, often unfairly maligned in the professional world, has gained a reputation for being a challenging group of employees.
Critics have pointed to perceived entitlement, lack of effort, motivation, and productivity as common issues among Gen Z workers, who are defined as those born between 1997 and 2012.
In fact, Forbes recently highlighted a survey by ResumeBuilder.com in April, which revealed that 74% of managers and business leaders find Gen Z employees more challenging to work with compared to other generations. Some managers have even resorted to terminating Gen Z employees due to these concerns.
As Gen Z, the first generation born into the digital age, asserts its presence alongside experienced Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and seasoned Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964), understanding their diverse perspectives and harnessing their unique strengths has become paramount.
With the entry of Gen Z into the workforce, Malaysians interviewed by Scoop shared their perspectives on the interplay between Gen Z, Millennials, and Boomers in the workplace, along with strategies for fostering better collaboration between them.
Gen Z workers enter a new world
Several Gen Z workers have moved to debunk stereotypes of their generational cohort, noting that they are more than mere avocado toast aficionados and selfie experts.
Marketing executive Isaac Teoh, 25, with four years of full-time work experience, emphasises the need to avoid generalising an entire generation based on a limited sample size.
“I would advocate for them being among the most hardworking and resilient individuals in the workforce,” Teoh said, dispelling stereotypes that Gen Z employees are sensitive or unable to handle pressure.
He gave the example of a Gen Z colleague who demonstrated tenacity during an internship, even when working under a manager lacking essential experience and qualifications.
Teoh also noted the importance of humility in collaborating with older employees and values the experience and knowledge they bring to the table.
Senior finance officer Faizah Akbar Chowdhury, 25, having worked full-time for a month, notes that most of her Millennial colleagues are in their 30s and describes them as “extremely humble” and valuable mentors.
She also mentioned a colleague from the Boomer generation who admirably persists in his work despite physical ailments, taking naps to recharge.
Faizah stresses that not all Gen Z employees are sensitive, and their behaviour depends on the workplace situation. She believes in acknowledging the expertise of older generations, which can be instrumental in guiding Gen Z employees.
Millennials look to Gen Z for new ideas
Vishalini Rajahingam, nearly 30 and a Grab content coordinator with two years of full-time experience, finds it easier to collaborate with Gen Z employees.
She believes that Gen Z is more open-minded and less judgmental than Boomers, but acknowledges that they can sometimes be stubborn and overlook the perspectives of older colleagues.
She suggests that Boomers should embrace new ideas from Gen Z, while Gen Z should respect their senior colleagues due to their experience. Vishalini recommends team-building programmes such as bowling to foster closer bonds among employees of all ages.
“Gen Z are quite good at work and are very creative, especially in terms of content creation such as producing videos or TikTok content. It’s easier for me to work with them because they don’t judge as much as Boomers. The negative side to them is that they can be stubborn and neglect the point of view from elders.
“Boomers are very experienced, I never had any issue working with them but I’ve witnessed them being very harsh towards Gen Z. They (Boomers) shouldn’t put the skills and abilities of Gen Z down so much,” she said.
Harry Foo, 33, a lead senior programmer with 11 years of experience, expresses mixed feelings about working with Gen Z and Boomers. He appreciates Gen Z’s ability to think creatively, learn quickly, and seek assistance when needed.
On the other hand, Foo acknowledges the maturity of Boomers but highlights their resistance to retirement, which can hinder younger generations from climbing the career ladder.
“Younger staff (Gen Z) are able to think outside the box and are more resourceful. They’re also quick learners and aren’t afraid to ask for help, but they can have difficulties in separating professional and personal interests. They seem to be more in tune with their feelings, which makes them get ‘triggered’ easily and have the fear of missing out.”
Boomers note aspirations of young workers
Communication and media studies professor Datuk Ismail Sualman, 63, with nearly 40 years of full-time work experience, notes that Gen Z and Millennials prioritise personal development opportunities. They also adapt well to change.
He said Gen Z juniors can work effectively with Millennials as long as respect is maintained. He values fresh perspectives from younger colleagues and even promotes junior employees who excel in their work.
Ismail advises against creating divisions between seniors and juniors and calls for coordinated efforts by top management to foster mutual respect. He believes that both seniors and juniors should learn from each other’s strengths.
“Don’t set the gap between seniors and juniors. Top management seniors must coordinate all activities in the workplace so that juniors can respect them. Both seniors and juniors have to be willing to learn from one another’s strengths to foster a positive and productive relationship between them,” he said.
Muhamad Varkkey Abdullah, 74, a retired oil and gas company manager with 43 years of work experience, finds that juniors are eager to learn from him.
However, he observes that they prefer not to work beyond office hours and tend to prioritise work-life balance. Seniors, in contrast, are more willing to invest more time at the office but generally lack confidence in using modern technology.
Varkkey stresses the importance of leaders in breaking the ice and creating a conducive working environment, especially when seniors and juniors may initially hesitate to work together.
“Seniors can be persuaded to put in more hours (of work), but they lack confidence in using technology. They think it’s beyond them and get younger people to do more computing tasks in the office.
“At first, seniors and juniors might not want to work together. That is why a leader has to play an important role in breaking the ice to make a more conducive working environment,” he added. – November 22, 2023