As I lined up to walk across the stage at my college graduation, the thought at the forefront of my mind wasn’t about grad parties or my career ahead — it was, “I’m grateful to be standing here right now!” Behind me stood my friend, who had already graduated – in May 2020, at home on her laptop. 2022 was my college’s first fully in-person ceremony since pre-COVID, and they had invited all graduates from 2020-21 back for an “honorary walk” so they could experience it.
This moment resonates with many of my fellow Gen Z-ers, who have seen their early life and career milestones – like graduation, first jobs, and independent living – disrupted or delayed. COVID limited many opportunities for internships, networking, and hands-on learning. And some older Gen Z-ers were laid off merely moments into starting their careers. The Pandemic, combined with an uncertain economic landscape, high costs of living and education, and an extremely competitive job market, has left many Gen Z-ers feeling underprepared in their transitions into the workforce.
For me, these challenges became apparent as I moved away from my college town and began applying for jobs. Facing unsuccessful online job hunts and dead-end career fair leads, I followed what many other Gen Z-ers did and worked multiple side hustles while continuing my search. Eventually, an unexpected connection (yes, networking is still paramount!) led me to Kamber and GPS, known then as “The YoPro Know”. As a YoPro, I deeply resonated with YPK’s original mission of helping companies hire and retain young professionals. And since then, I have continued to grow with GPS’ evolving mission and team.
My generation is often criticized as being lazy, entitled, and “not wanting to work”. But stories like mine, and countless other hardworking Gen Z-ers, disprove these stereotypes. I’ve been fortunate to work in positive environments thus far, but I know my experience is an outlier. Gen Z is entering a turbulent workforce, with many struggling to find work (Recession-era Millennials can relate to this). And those who do secure employment are frequently navigating jobs that are not adequately meeting their needs or motivations, resulting in burnout and high turnover among young professionals.
Gen Z is a greatly misunderstood generation, so let me take a moment to defend my cohort:
- We want to work, but we’re having trouble getting our foot in the door. Gen Z is competing for entry-level roles (many of which “require” prior experience) with more experienced workers affected by layoffs and those pivoting careers.
- We certainly don’t expect or demand upper-level management salaries for a first job. But we want wages that can support our basic needs and future retirement with the rising costs of living and education.
- We have a strong work ethic and are highly adaptable, but we cannot be successful at our jobs if we are thrown onto the field with insufficient onboarding and told afterwards to “figure it out”.
- We are respectful and collaborative team players, but we value our time outside of work and set strict work-life boundaries. We can agree that nobody likes receiving a work ping at 8 pm on a Saturday, right?
- We want to be invested, long-term employees, but we can become disengaged if there are no professional development opportunities or a clear growth path in sight. If we can’t see a future at a company, we leave for greener pastures.
Of course, I do not speak for all of Gen Z as an elder Gen Z. And there are “bad apple” employees in every generation. However, you may have found that you resonated with some of Gen Z’s workplace challenges and motivations that I described. Comprehensive onboarding, clear career paths, fair pay, and a healthy work-life balance are values we all share. And when these needs are not met, familiar workplace issues arise – regardless of generation.
If we instead approach different generations with empathy and a willingness to understand, we’ll begin to realize that we’re far more alike than we are different. And understanding this moves us one step closer to achieving a world where all generations thrive in the workplace.
Written by: Christine Moore-Bonbright, Graphic Designer
Did you like this week’s post? Then you might like these posts below.
Transforming Talent Retention: The Benefits and Wellness Report
How to Get Your Team to Show Up to Work On Time
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