15 hours ago
How To Thrive Through The Workplace's Massive Generational Shift
Ready or not, here they come. There are now more Gen Zers in the workplace than Boomers—sparking a major generational handoff.
It's official: Generation Z now outnumbers the Baby Boomer generation at work. By 2030, Gen Z is estimated to become 30% of the workforce. This changes everything—or does it?
'Gen Z are not only a different age and generation, but they've lived through different experiences,' says Jennifer Dulski, Founder and CEO of Rising Team. 'Every generation that comes into the workplace anew changes it, and I don't believe we should be afraid of that. We should be welcoming what they bring.'
The generational handoff taking place in many organizations worldwide will only intensify as more Boomers exit the workforce. 'It's a shift that is happening in corporate offices, hybrid work systems, and deskless workplaces with frontline workers,' says Jeff Moses, CEO of WorkForce Software, an ADP Company.
'Of course, there's more to this workplace shift isn't just about age—it includes mindset, values, communication style and expectations around leadership and work.'
As the workforce continues to shift, an awareness of generational dynamics will help make the handoff as smooth as possible. It starts with appreciating what all generations bring to the table—and being honest about the common pain points of a multigenerational workforce.
Gen Z in profile
Familiarity with tech has always been a strength for the youngest generation. 'Many Gen Z workers are entering the workforce with complete digital fluency and experience in modern technology tools, with technology-oriented skills that many Boomers don't have,' says Moses.
'Gen Z grew up not only as digital natives but as mobile natives,' adds Dulski. 'There are a lot of things that come very naturally to Gen Z that people in other functions, and even people with more experience, should welcome.'
The instant communication, personalization and ease of use that Gen Z experienced growing up have fostered similar expectations for their work lives. Moses sees this as a positive thing. 'Their level of expectation towards company technology choices often encourages businesses to continuously evaluate and enhance their tech offerings, ensuring they remain competitive and meet the evolving needs of their workforce.'
Gen Z is also changing the work landscape with their personal values, one of which is a strong emphasis on work-life balance. Moses believes this will encourage companies to adopt more flexible policies and invest in modern workforce technology. 'It's all about creating a culture that prioritizes the needs and wellbeing of their employees,' he says.
The etiquette elephant
Despite all the great things they can bring to the workplace, Gen Z also brings an elephant to the room: their business etiquette, or lack thereof. Some managers have had such negative experiences with this generation that they're hesitant to even hire them. What's up, Zers?
'As with any generation, there will be people who are a great fit to hire and people who may not thrive in your work environment, and I think that is more about the individual rather than their generation,' says Dulski. 'My view is they just have higher expectations for what any community should feel like in general, and that's partially because they were robbed of community in a lot of ways during their formative years.'
Social media may be partly responsible for the overly casual vibe some younger workers bring to work, in which case Dulski believes leaders should think about how they educate people in the values and appropriate behaviors of their company—right from the start.
'People are successful inside organizations when they do a combination of two things: delivering results and living by the values of the organization,' says Dulski. 'I do believe Gen Z can be trusted to deliver results; many have accomplished a lot of incredible things by their young age.'
'As far as the organization's values, leaders should be asking, What does bringing those values to life look like? In onboarding or orientation, perhaps you can pair new employees with a buddy at work who helps them understand that. Regardless of their generation, that will be true for any new person coming into your workplace.'
More pain points
Other everyday challenges that could be sabotaging multigenerational interactions at work include misaligned communication styles and varying comfort levels with technology according to Moses. 'Also, Gen Z workers often have different expectations when it comes to leadership styles, preferring a less hierarchical structure,' he says. 'They want real-time feedback rather than an annual cadence. This brings some challenges in understanding their values and adjusting to working together.'
Dulski believes that the biggest pain point of a multi-generational workforce is actually one of the biggest pain points of any workforce: people need to be more intentional about understanding each other. 'If you take any group of people, they will have different preferences about things, like how they prefer to receive feedback and how they like to be appreciated,' she says.
'People need to spend time getting to know each other. If you get to understand each other first as people and then as colleagues, anyone can work well with anyone else across generations.'
From manager to mentor
Gen Z, already known for trends like 'conscious unbossing,' has shown a strong desire for less hierarchical authority structures. At the same time, they want to learn from those more experienced than themselves. Enter 'lateral leadership,' which simply means influencing (as a mentor) rather than commanding (as a manager).
'Leaders can help Gen Z workers thrive by shifting from a 'managing' mentality to a 'mentoring' mentality,' says Moses. 'Managing is about giving direction to employees and making sure they meet their workplace goals as well as contribute to business outcomes.
'Younger talent is responding well to mentoring; they want to know how they can grow, because they know being stagnant can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction.
'This is why mentorship resonates so strongly with this generation,' says Moses.
Gen Z also feels they have insights to share that will help their older counterparts. 'The concept of reverse mentorship first gained popularity among corporate workforces and has recently emerged in deskless industries, creating space for entry-level workers to learn from and lead alongside their seasoned peers,' says Moses. 'This approach helps enhance the dynamic between new hires and long-term employees, helping new hires feel like they are valued, contributing collaborators from day one.'
'If we're open-minded we can learn from anyone in any generation,' adds Dulski.
Struggle or thrive: our choice
To navigate the massive generational shift taking place at work, Dulski says that leaders must see themselves as coaches who know each team member and how to bring out their best contribution. This can only happen by spending time together.
'There is a lot of uniqueness to each generation, and that brings some challenges in understanding each other,' she says. 'It also brings a tremendous opportunity and a wealth of perspectives and experiences into the workplace that can make us all better and stronger if we leverage the unique talents and insights of each generation.'
Moses agrees. 'There are many benefits with multigenerational workforces, such as diverse perspectives for different projects and valuable reverse mentorship opportunities; all of these create stronger, more adaptable teams.'
Whether we feel ready or not, the generational shift is happening. Depending on how we approach the younger generations, we can struggle or thrive through it. It's our choice.
