Gen Z And The Empathy Expectation: What Workplace Leaders Need To Know
Few things can get senior leaders worked up more than talking about Gen-Z. The stereotypes abound: They are lazy, entitled and demand constant validation and empathy.
Is Gen Z really that selfish and demanding—or do they perhaps have different encoding and context around their expectations of empathy for colleagues and leaders?
A Deloitte Digital study clearly shows the expectation divide. In the study, Gen Z ranks empathy as the second most important trait in a boss, while leaders placed it a distant fifth.
Anna Liotta, the author of Unlocking Generational CODES, speaks and consults with companies to navigate generational conflicts. Working with thousands of Gen-Z leaders and employees across organizations, her research has found that Gen-Z is fiercely values-driven, deeply resourceful and highly sensitive to hypocrisy. They are not afraid of hard work; they just refuse to burn out for a system that doesn't seem to care about them.
It's not disrespect, as some have perceived. "The truth is they crave human-centered, transparent leadership, but they won't stick around for performative empathy or outdated hierarchies,' Liotta wrote in an email interview.
"Strongly and differently, Gen Z's empathy often shows up as systemic compassion rather than traditional emotional caretaking, 'Liotta continued. "They deeply feel the ripple effects of injustice, inequity, and trauma in ways older generations may have been conditioned to ignore.'
Liotta also points out that this generation has grown up digitally, which sometimes limits in-person social skill development. 'It's not a lack of empathy, 'she says, 'it's a different calibration.'
Here's what savvy leaders need to know about navigating and managing Gen-Z employees to tap into the talents of this unique generation.
Clarity Is Everything
Many forget that Gen-Z do not have a shared history of common experience with their seasoned leaders. Those in high school and college around the pandemic had very different academic and workplace experiences from previous generations.
Jonni Ressler, CEO and founder of Eleven 11 solutions, manages Gen-Z consultants, and is also raising two Gen-Z children. She shares in a video interview that we must remember they came up very isolated. They didn't get what she calls the 'osmosis' training of watching their workmates to see how things are done: how we dress, where we go to lunch, how we talk here.
"When we say things like 'Bring your whole self to work' be careful,' Ressler says, 'What does that mean?
Gen-Z echoes this desire for clarity. Isaiah Phillips, a business development manager for a larger healthcare organization, wrote in an email, 'I believe our generation needs more clear, defined expectations for organizational progression.' He mentioned that a handful of industries have defined targets for promotions, wage increases and more, but this is not consistent. 'Outside of sales organizations, many individuals may jump from job to job when maybe they were a few months away from a promotion, but they walked away because they were unaware.'
Lead Gen-Z By Example
Gen-Z craves leaders who showcase their knowledge through constant coaching and view mistakes as opportunities to learn. "One of the things I highly value in a leader is authenticity,' Harman Kaler, a franchise performance manager at a Canadian fast food chain, shared over email. 'Taking accountability, openly communicating, sharing both positive and constructive feedback, and fostering a healthy environment that encourages you to step out of your comfort zone to grow as a professional all ladder into being authentic.'
Liotta's research supports this. 'They want leadership to be human, not heroic. Not flawless, but authentic. '
Mentorship Matters
Investing in employees rather than mere cogs in a wheel is especially important to Gen-Z, and top performers will seek out companies who do so. Kaelie Randolph, a legal assistant for a statewide pro bono association, adores her boss as the definition of an empathetic leader.
In an email, she shared that her boss is constantly advocating for her when others try to step on Randolph's boundaries. "She views me as an individual with my own career path, recommending various programs and trainings so I can continue to grow.'
Focus On Mission And Purpose
"My generation is more connected to their personal mission and personal/professional aspirations,' wrote Phillips. He states they are less willing to be content somewhere they are not happy, unfulfilled or don't feel valued, even if they are compensated well.
Liotta shared her firm's SHA Pulse Surveys found the No. 1 factor tied to Gen-Z engagement and retention is 'I feel seen and heard by my leaders."
Several Gen-Zers supported this finding. Randolph wrote about her highly empathetic boss, "She makes me feel like a valued employee every day. She encourages me to pitch new ideas, trusts me to handle important tasks, and manage my own workload without her sitting over my shoulder.'
Audrey Redell, a 25-year-old marketing operations specialist for a tech company, wrote in an email that her manager balances empathy and performance very well, by checking in on how she's doing personally, not just tasks and deadlines. 'At the same time, she's committed to helping me grow by providing constructive feedback and encouraging me to push my limits in a supportive manner.'
'Trust Me. Seriously.'
Like many in the workplace, regardless of generation, Gen-Z simply wants to be treated with respect.
This respect shows up as flexibility and autonomy. Phillips stated that as a remote employee who travels 50% of the time, he and his superiors have an understanding around flexible schedules. He can go to a funeral if needed or take a half-day Friday after a very busy week. "But during the busy week, you perform and are never 'off' because you're at home.'
"We need leaders who create a culture of openness and flexibility without judgment,' wrote Sam Bryant-Nichols, a dual enrollment student attending both community college and high-school classes. Surveillance is out. Check-ins are in. Bryant-Nchols states that simple dialogue changes, such as "How's everything going?' rather than 'Why isn't this done?' show you value your employees as people, not just workers. 'It looks like a mentor, not just a shift-leader.'
Gen-Z's Efficiency Does Not Equal Laziness
As a group, Gen-Z often tries to find the most efficient solution to a problem, and this can lead managers to think they are trying to cut corners. On the contrary, Ressler has found that while they may question just about everything, they are extremely innovative. 'They are very willing to look at a thorny problem. They have ideas and ways of approaching problems that have maybe been done the same way for twenty years,' she wrote.
And with that creative thinking comes questioning everything and rationalizing why things are done the way they are done. 'They want to understand where the rules come from,' she wrote. 'I think it's a feeling that everything's malleable and everything's up for debate, including their hours, what they wear, how they talk, where they work.'
Harnessing The Potential Of The Gen-Z Workforce
Gen-Z is transforming workplace culture and it benefits us all. They are showing us how to show up with boundaries and demand respect. And forcing companies to create mutually beneficial career relationships where both employer and employee can thrive.
As Randolph wrote about her entire generation, 'Empathy can absolutely go a long way toward building our trust and loyalty with the employer.' So leaders must decide if they want to keep complaining about the way things used to be or adapt with empathy and harness the potential of this unique generation.
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