Some months back, I tried to connect my friend with another friend who had been looking for a job opportunity. Do you know the first thing that my job seeker friend said? ‘They don’t use to stress me o!’ Meaning that she was already showing what I call Gen Z symptoms.
Gen Zs are literally people who are born between 1997 to 2012, but they also figuratively represent a set of people who disagree with the usual bureaucratic style of the corporate world. Simply put, they do not take nonsense, and they do not like stress either. They just will not do it.
Now, many people simply label Gen Zs as indisciplined and lacking in morality and values, but is that all there is to it? For a fact, every generation has its bad eggs, so I am sure that there must be more to these “Gen Z” people. I watched a video where a woman bitterly complained about how pained she was due to the I don’t care attitude displayed by her Gen Z staff. It was quite sad, and these are the complaints we hear a lot about them, but before we come to a conclusion, how about we examine some pros and cons of working with them?
The pros are:
- Gen Zs are often more creative and innovative – Working with them is almost always like a breath of fresh air that can give life and an unusual perspective to any idea you are trying to improve. This is because they have a different way of looking at the world, so this helps with thinking like the box does not even exist.
- They are great with social media and trends – You know how everything is a trend these days. Brands looking to attract more customers have social media as a go-to place because of its far-reach and cost-effective strategies. Gen Zs were raised on social media (lol), so they handle it pretty well and can get you trending and trendy in zero time.
- They love a challenge, but only if you are paying well enough for it – Gen Zs are good at thinking out of the box but not for nothing. These ones know their worth and always add tax plus extra fees! So when they are not getting their dues, sometimes, it can come across as laziness.
- Gen Zs speak their minds or let their actions do it – I have noticed that this group of people will tell you as it is, with no mincing of words. If you are lucky, you may have the emotionally intelligent ones on your hands, but if not, well… But still, you can learn a lot about your business, brand, its outlook and general perception of your brand through their constructive and often critical feedback.
The cons are:
- They can be rude – This is not for everyone, but most Gen Zs find it easy to speak their mind without caring what the next person thinks. While feedback is necessary, a huge part of it also depends on how it is communicated
- They can ghost you – Omo! Remember the lady that complained bitterly about her Gen Z worker? It was because the young girl had ghosted on her without a word after she offered her a job opportunity and even followed it up severally.
- They have no respect for company policies – I saw a post on social media where Gen Z’s reason for quitting was, ‘It’s giving shackled.’ Lol, what! In Nigeria, it is a regular practice for both employer and employee to act outside the norm of what is acceptable because we don’t have enforced labour laws, but these Gen Zs take it to a whole ‘nother level! They will always stand up for themselves even at the cost of laid down rules and policies
- Consequences? It doesn’t matter – Gen Zs are more of an ‘act now, think later’ kind of people. If they got something up their sleeves, they will likely just do it without too much thought into what it may or may not cost. Sometimes it pays off, and sometimes it does not. But who knows!
In my opinion, Gen Zs are a special kind of people, and we should learn to appreciate such a free-spirited generation like them. However, too much of anything is bad, so moderation is really key. A large part of your customer base may or may not include Gen Zs. Either way, you want to have these as a part of your workforce, if not for anything, at least for the sake of a fresh perspective that your business can certainly profit from.
You can share your experiences and any point you think I must have missed in the comments.
I am Aunty Ronke, and I am here to help you on the journey to making your small business a big one! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @auntyronke for daily updates and tips like this, and hit the subscribe button to be notified when I make a new post.
