What Hiring a Gen Z'er taught me about work

Gen Z are asking questions about work, we need to come up with some answers

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the 240 new readers since my last newsletter, and apologies it has taken so long to write. I’ve spent the last three months travelling almost non-stop.

This month alone I have spoken to over 1800 people on one of the mega stages at the NEC Birmingham; at an intimate gathering in a farmhouse in Geneva; and to a rapidly expanding business overlooking the Royal County Down golf course in Northern Ireland….

I’ve visited just under 20 countries in three months, each living their separate versions of the Great Resignation, the economic fallout from the pandemic and adjusting to the perma-crisis age. I have many stories and reflections to share over the coming weeks.

…. so that’s all to say that finding the time to sit down and write this newsletter has alluded me!

For those new subscribers, I’m Dr Eliza Filby, a historian of generations who explores how society is changing through the prism of age, tackling how we are evolving as consumers, workers and citizens.

In this newsletter you will find articles written by me as well as insights, links and news on generational shifts in the workplace, consumption and society at large. Helping you feel out of touch and up-to-date in equal measure…. 

In this week’s edition:

• What hiring a Gen Z’er taught me about work

• Bonus ‘It’s All Relative’ podcast episode released

• Why women are winners in the war for talent

• How teenagers are surviving the cost of living crisis

• How ageing Boomers are reinventing city living in old age

What Hiring a Gen Z’er taught me about Work

‘Don’t take your laptop on holiday with you, you deserve a proper break’ instructed my Gen Z employee before I broke for half term. Now, in contrast to when my husband makes such a suggestion, I’m prepared to listen to my new colleague on work-life balance for the simple reason that she appears to have achieved it. She has hobbies she invests serious time in, she knows when and how to log off and she also knows how to work hard and prioritise what needs doing. In fact, over the past three months we’ve been working together, I’ve come to realise that I have a lot to learn from her about everything from office attire to liberation from email.

In truth my education into the Gen Z work-mindset began as soon as I advertised the post. The first thing I noticed was how quickly and (often) without much thought this generation are able to apply for jobs. LinkedIn speed meant that I had 17 applicants within a hour of advertising (only one of them though had included a tailored cover letter as requested). The LinkedIn algorithm means that job applications can be suggested to people even if they aren’t even looking which is a warning to employers, you are at constant risk of your best talent being poached. In that sense, the job market now mirrors the dating market more than ever and because of this the interview process is now as much about them getting the measure of you as it is the other way around.

Connected to this is their sense of worth. My new employee negotiated her salary with a resolve and a confidence that would never have occurred to me at her age. These kids know the value of money, having grown up under the shadow of 2008, ripples of Brexit and the panic of the pandemic. What with her side-hustle, she perfectly exemplifies a generation that know their worth and the value of their time. This seems particularly game-changing for women, while it also points to the fact that Gen Z’ers will probably never fully subscribe to the one-salary mantra.

I’ve always worked a four-day week and tended to work from home, but it was my Gen Z who suggested regularised office days. She had worked fully remote for the last two years and recognised the negative impact it was having on her mental health and learning. And she was right. We have been in our new office two days a week and while it took me a while to adjust I’m a complete convert. Working alongside each other, eating together, building social capital and friendship by discussing holidays and dogs, and yes, mutual learning, far outweighs anything I would have generated had she and I been fully remote.

And then there is the fashion. Needless to say that I have never once seen her in heels. It’s impossible not to notice the way that this generation of women dress in the post-#MeToo movement. Gone are the tight LK Bennett dresses and commuter trainers (with heels in your bag), in come the DM boots and baggy jumpers - fitting attire in a energy crisis but also an approach that rejects the old rules where women have so often been forced to put on ‘a face’, cultivate an image and conform to someone else’s definition of a professional environment. The pressure and price women have to pay for this is exhausting, which is why so many of us enjoyed hiding behind a camera in our sweatpants during lockdown. I admit I still blow dry my hair on office days, but also feel less pressure to look a certain way.

I may have hit the jackpot with my Gen Z’er, but the overwhelming reaction I’ve heard from speaking to millennial and Gen X managers these past months about Gen Z is bemusement. Their concerns about Gen Z range from ‘they don’t respect us’ to ‘they can’t answer the telephone’, from ‘they just don’t want to work as hard’ to ‘they have no interest in prioritising how this company makes money'. This last point was a common observation; Gen Z recruits don’t seem to appreciate (or engage with) the core function of commercial reality and client growth.

In a sense these are justified complaints, but let’s look at the context. On the phone issue, Gen Z grew up answering the phone in front of them rather than holding it to their ear - that’s if they answered it all, given the ubiquity of instant messaging. They never had the pleasure or the pain of having to phone a landline and speak to their friends’ parents before they could speak to their friends. What feels like perfectly normal behaviour for the Gen X’er to pick up a phone to speedily resolve a work issue can be, for a Gen Z’er, a deeply uncomfortable experience, unlike an email which gives composure time. Gen Z are also massively underwhelmed by email as an efficient form of communication too! I’ve exchanged approximately 4 emails with my Gen Z’er in as many months.

On the clients point, one aspect is clear. Gen Z want to personalise the work; they want to be closer to the cause or person that they are actually working for. If they cannot see the outcome of their input, they’re never going to be fully engaged. I believe it will become increasingly important for Gen Z to be in the room meeting the client (even if only to observe) so that they can connect their own contribution to the bigger project. The broader point concerns a culture of transparency that this generation is now demanding. They won’t be satisfied tidying up a pitch deck and staying back at HQ while the grown-ups go and win the business. The sat nav generation don’t just want to be told the destination; they want to understand the journey.

‘They don’t respect us’ was a common complaint from experienced managers. Well, no, they don’t. Not in the traditional sense, as they haven’t been raised in a culture of deference either in the home or at school; neither were millennials by the way. Gen Z grew up in a culture where social media was the great leveller. They could publicly criticise a brand, politician or service. Speaking truth to power comes naturally to them which means I’m afraid that you are going to have to earn their respect rather than just expect it. And yes, that requires a lot more in person time.

Before you castigate Gen Z and their work habits, it is worth remembering that it is the aim of every generation to learn from their elders’ mistakes. That is what being young is all about; challenging the status quo, and that is what Gen Z are doing on all fronts - whether it’s rejecting the millennial staple of skinny jeans or expecting open conversations about work/life balance. Many of them grew up in dual income households with both parents working. This was a major societal shift in the knowledge economy that also coincided with the digitalisation of the workforce, meaning neither mum or dad could never truly switch off. What Gen Z are doing now is identifying the flaws, contradictions or pressure points in their professional environment, and questioning it. The best thing we can do is to learn from their questions and, ultimately, start offering them some answers.

Alastair Campbell is a marmite figure in British politics who has recently reached new heights and success with The Rest is Politics podcast. It was fascinating to sit down with him and his comedian daughter Grace Campbell to discuss their relationship; what Grace has taught him about feminism, humour and politics and their shared perspectives on politics, mental health and an obsession with social media. Do have a listen (on all podcast platforms). More news on the podcast front to come!

People to Follow

If you haven’t already heard of Sophie Smallwood and Roleshare you should. She is setting out to revolutionise the future of work by creating more job-share roles. Fittingly, she is co-founder with her husband @DaveSmallwood

Stuff I’ve Read

1. The rise of WFH-surveillance. Sure, companies are happy to give workers more flexibility and autonomy, but only if they can watch what you are up to. I suspect there will be a backlash against this (however futile) and it will be interesting to see how data-led performance reviews will become the norm. A step backwards in efforts to make the workplace more human and one, as this article suggests, that will be particularly detrimental to working mothers.

2. Good news story! Female leaders are switching jobs more often than their male counterparts in a bid for better pay and conditions.

3. They say that our attitudes towards money are shaped by the age of 12, so this data and analysis from children’s finance app, Gohenry, revealing how children are coping in the cost of living crisis is both fascinating and sobering.

4. Think city-living is for the young? Think again. In an ageing society affluent Baby Boomers who want live out their final years in style are a prime market opportunity. This luxury old peoples’ home in Fulham (backed by Goldman Sach’s no less) is a sign of things to come.

Feast for the Senses

1. Listening: (Shameless plug) The Shift podcast with me and Jimmy McLoughlin is now six episodes old and in that time we’ve covered everything from the changing nature of cities to the decline of the Saturday job.

2. Reading: See below

3. Watching: For business, the Elon Musk documentary yes a bit of a hagiography but worth a watch. And for pleasure, Louis Theroux interviews; a great example of intergenerational dialogue done right.

4. Visiting: So many places in a depressingly short space of time. Over a period of a few weeks I spoke to clients in Australia, Portugal, Finland, Switzerland, Germany and Northern Ireland. Did I see much more than my hotel room and a conference hall? Not really, but each outing was fascinating and such engagements continue to add to my understanding of what the right way forward should be (more to come on this)

   AND Finally…..

Thank you @RichardReeves for this, I’m half way through his fascinating new book Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters and What to do About it.

Thanks for reading,

Eliza

Thanks for reading Eliza Filby's Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

✓