It’s a time-honoured tradition for the older generation to feel the new generation is about to destroy the world and cause cosmic forces to intervene in ways that could lead to the extermination of the human race. “These new youths are crazy, rebellious and insolent.” Words to this effect were written by a worried Roman senator in the first century BC. Thinking the worst of people younger than us has always been the way.

Has anything changed in the 21st century? It now seems that young people themselves are judging the older generations too. They have decided not to be on the receiving end anymore. As a 47-year-old man with white hair (I refuse to dye it), I have come across stereotypical and judgemental statements from people in a professional or casual setting who perceive me only through the lens of my generation – with comments like “What would you know about this?”, “Your generation does not believe in research,” and “Your generation has outdated values and mindsets.” Discrimination is a wide spectrum and being different makes people double down on their prejudices rather than reach out. I have great sympathy for the young being treated as if they were a problem, but I fail to understand why they would want to pigeonhole me to feel better.

However, this article is not about me or my generation. It is about how brands are set on capturing Gen Z. For sure, in a youthful nation like Pakistan, it makes sense to focus on Gen Alpha and Gen Z, if only because they will soon have the spending power to constitute the majority of potential customers.

At the same time, I have observed that even the dreaded Millennials (who were feared in their own time) believe that Gen Z does not make for suitable employees or colleagues. The consensus is that they are soft and allergic to hard work, based on the rationale that if you want to build a career and ascend the corporate heights, you need to burn the midnight oil and push yourself beyond your limits.

On the Facebook marketing group, there was a video where Indian talk show host, Palk Sharma, listed all that is wrong with the youth of today. She starts by mentioning the term anti-hustle – basically the kind of job where you work when, where and how you want. She also talks about a survey where one in six companies say they do not want to hire Gen Z, labelling them as lacking skills, being easily offended, entitled and lazy.

However, Sharma also says that every preceding generation is sure the next one is going to destroy the world and reminds her viewers that the labels attached to Gen Z were the same ones attached to Millennials earlier – who are also now lamenting how pathetic today’s youth are as employees.

This then is the dilemma. Gen Z are dream customers for brands but not their ideal employees.

One of the problems with Gen Z (mentioned in the research quoted by Sharma) is that they lack communication skills. But is it only young people who do not know how to communicate or is it an across-the-board problem? In this regard, I think every side needs to take ownership of their contribution to a problem rather than blame others.

As a Catholic who grew up a teen rebel and is now middle-aged, I have always been amazed at how our respective Popes have been able to find common ground and a shared outlook with young people for decades. Or, look at Pakistan; Imran Khan, who, in his seventies, appealed to the youth and galvanised them to take action and vote. That is commendable. A personal favourite who has appeal across generations is Taylor Swift, whom, many fans of any age would agree, ‘gets them’. What is it about Swift that appeals to people across diverse groups and backgrounds? Her experience as a human and her masterful grasp of the human psyche.

So how can employers understand Gen Z better? The key lies in shared humanity. Many of the complaints about Gen Z can be resolved if older people, especially those in positions of authority, are more flexible and open to different ways of doing and being. I find it ironic that companies that boast about being creative and innovative are the opposite in terms of their tolerance of different views and mindsets.

If you listen to the conversations young people have, it is clear that they do not want to wait to enjoy the rewards of life; they want them immediately. They are also scared of ending up settling or hating their lives. They would rather be unemployed than unhappy, and the “suffer now to enjoy later” mindset does not appeal to them.

According to a report by the Network of Executive Women and Deloitte, “Gen Z is entering the workforce at a key inflexion point in the evolution of work. Historically, a first job was viewed as a rite of passage. It meant starting at the bottom of the ladder, learning how the business world worked and doing boring but necessary work to learn more valuable professional skills.”

Due to social, economic and other factors such as Covid-19, the traditional way of working and attitude towards work among Gen Z have changed. Personalisation of career experiences is one of the first recommendations made by the Network of Executive Women and Deloitte, and companies need to do this in the same way they personalise their offers to attract customers. Gen Z also embodies the “jack of all trades” spirit. In their eyes, it is better to be a person with a diverse skill set instead of focusing on one specialisation. Companies need to stop using hierarchical career paths. One of the most interesting findings of the report was that mentorship is needed, and Gen X and even Boomers need to be drafted in to mentor and guide the new workforce to shape them into leaders.

The thing that matters most to Gen Z is diversity. They believe salary is important, but it is not as important as it was to previous generations. They are looking for fulfilment, and in my opinion, in a world where a lot of us often feel empty no matter who or where we are, that search is a positive sign for the future.

Tyrone Tellis is Senior Manager, Customer Success and Corporate Relations, Bogo.
tyrone.tellis@gmail.com