Gen Z employees are unwilling to make the extra effort if they don’t believe in their work.
Key details
Many Gen Z employees are responding to workplace burnout and poor work-life balance by “quiet quitting,” wherein they purposely put less effort into their job and reject going “above and beyond,” reports News Nation.
Gen Z is the generation born between 1997 and 2012, who are under the age of 25.
“You’re not outright quitting…. You’re still performing your duties, but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life. The reality is it’s not and your worth as a person is not defined by your labor,” says TikTokker @zkchillin.
Why it’s important
The phenomenon is not new. There have always been workers who show up for a paycheck and leave at the end of their shift. The difference is that Gen Z is actively aware of the disconnect between where they are and where they want to be. They don’t find belonging in their company cultures and don’t believe in the work they’re doing.
Many of them are willing to only put in the minimum effort just to avoid being fired, employment experts say.
“What it really comes down to is seeing a vast number of people are unfulfilled. They’ve lost confidence in the leadership of their companies. People are still there but they’re vacant and uninspired… This has existed since before Gen Z, but they’re the first generation willing to go out on a limb for it, saying they want their paycheck but going above and beyond is out,” workplace culture expert CoCo Shelburne told Leaders Media.
Key takeaways
It’s a competitive employment market. The current work environment is more challenging for managers—with remote work becoming the norm.
Shelburne says that business leaders need to work with their employees, communicate with them more directly, and foster a belief in their mission in order to engage and retain these employees. These employees are otherwise liable to check out or seek another job where they can feel more fulfilled.
“If you’re a business leader you need to be more aware that making statements and mandates is not enough. You can’t just send a memo. You need engagement and people willing to be part of what the mission is, or this becomes the outcome. They need to believe in it or they’re not going to do it,” she said.
“The truth of the matter is people are tired of being left in a place where they can’t create or be themselves. It’s important that they don’t feel caught up in someone else’s ideals. They have to be committed because they believe in it, not because they’re told to.”
