Firing Gen Z Is a Massive Mistake. Do This

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The Wall Street Journal posted a story recently called “Why Gen Z Is Unprepared for the Workplace.”

And if you keep scanning headlines, you’ll find article after article about the challenges that many employers are facing with their Gen Z employees.

What is it about this generation that's causing so much friction in the workplace?

Just for reference, for anyone who needs a refresher, Gen Z comprises people born between 1997 and 2012.

So, roughly between 14 and 29 years old.

Most Gen Zers don’t remember life without devices or without social media. They're the first “digital natives.”

Most Gen Zers don’t remember 9/11.

The big defining moments in their memory would be the 2008 Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, that may still sound young to many of you, but it’s really not.

Just to put it in perspective.

Most of the early demand for research on Gen Z emerged around 2017.

That was almost 10 years ago now.

Gen Z has grown up.

The majority of Gen Zers are adults now.

They’re getting jobs, they’re getting married, they’re having kids…

And now I think the demand from a lot of people is to understand how to deal with Gen Z professionally or vocationally.

How do I lead this generation?

Because I agree, there’s friction, there’s frustration, there’s misalignment, there’s a disconnect in a lot of ways.

But it’s not necessarily a new story, right?

Every couple of decades, a new generation strolls into the workforce and gets blamed for ruining it.

You had your overly ambitious Boomers, your cynical Gen Xers, your entitled Millennials.

The feedback we’re hearing now about Gen Z is that they are unprofessional, unprepared, and unable to cope.

I came across a Forbes article discussing the reality that 6 in 10 employers admit they’ve already fired at least one Gen Z worker within just a few months of hiring them.

But we also know that teen employment has been declining for decades.

It hit an historic low in 2020.

Think about that.

What does having a job teach you?

It teaches you how to be professional, how to be prepared, how to be resilient, all the skills that Gen Z is seemingly struggling with.

But while we tend to see this trend with every new young generation entering the workforce, the difference with Gen Z is that the conditions really have changed.

The world is different, and leaders need to exercise some awareness and sensitivity to the gap that Gen Z inherited.

And leaders also need to realize that the friction goes both ways.

I came across a survey that found that 87% of Gen Z workers feel unprepared to succeed in the workforce.

So, keep in mind that Gen Z is just as frustrated and confused as the older generations, and they don’t need to be fussed at; they really just need help.

They need leadership.

But having said that, I think there are three things we can definitely point to that are having a pretty profound impact on this generation.

The first one is all about real-world relational skills, or in Gen Z’s case, a lack of experience with these relational skills.

Unfortunately, they grew up in a context that gave them far less experience in this area.

Particularly in high-stakes situations that call upon them to respond or react socially.

Gen Z doesn’t particularly like that; they prefer curating.

They’re used to crafting a text or a post, or a DM.

Most work environments don’t operate that way.

Most work environments demand a certain degree of social responsiveness, often in high-stakes scenarios.

I think that’s a major learning curve for Gen Z.

Obviously, COVID did a number on them during some really formative years, but it’s also technology.

Think about basic skills like shaking a hand, eye contact in a conversation, small talk, introducing yourself to new people or clients, you get the idea.

Think about all the 14-18-year-olds during the pandemic who had one of the most crucial seasons for developing social and relational confidence taken away from them.

Instead, they were formed, for a time, by social distancing.

Okay, that’s going to leave a mark.

Not to mention, COVID fully launched us into the hybrid and remote workplace.

Now, think about what that did.

It took away proximity.

In other words, Gen Z isn't getting the benefits of side-by-side learning.

That’s huge!

I read one article that put it this way, “Gen Z is ready for the tools of work, but not the relationships that make it work.”

Another factor would be their education.

Education has taken such a different turn lately.

Remote learning really changed the game.

It changed how information is received, processed, applied, and so much more.

I think Gen Z knows a lot, but they don’t always think a lot.

I don’t mean that as an insult; it’s just that they don’t have to.

They have unlimited information, and they don’t have to work for it.

That’s historically unprecedented.

It’s powerful but also dangerous.

It’s like what would happen if you go to the gym to get stronger, but your trainer does all of the lifting for you?

Well, you’re getting information, but what you’re missing is the workout.

You’re not getting stronger. You’re just getting information.

If you don’t at some point put in the work, you’re ultimately not going to get the growth you’re looking for.

So, that’s one of my concerns.

Can Gen Z solve complex problems in their head without a device?

Do they have the patience and perseverance to wrestle with hard problems even when they aren’t quickly and easily solved?

In my experience, that’s been a bit of a learning curve with this generation.

Not to mention, we’ve got to address the fact that most of Gen Z lost an entire year or more of their education during an extremely formative time.

One of my team members, who was in high school during the lockdown, said that his senior year was a complete joke.

Most teachers didn’t know how to respond.

I know Gen Zers who lost their freshman year of high school, their freshman year of college.

I mean, that’s huge!

It makes me think about math.

Math is a very systematic subject, meaning every year sort of builds off the last.

You’ve got Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus.

Can you imagine skipping Algebra 1 and jumping straight into Algebra 2?

No, you’d be completely lost.

I think a lot of Gen Z feels that way, whether they realize it or not.

They had a pretty major setback during such a formative moment in their life.

And yeah, I think we’re seeing some of the fallout from that now.

Another factor to consider is that we’re seeing a lot of mental health issues.

A lot of anxiety, a lot of depression, and the concern that I have is that I’m seeing that become part of their identity.

They kind of just accept it and live with it, rather than going to work on it.

And it 100% impacts their work.

Trying to lead and motivate someone with mental health struggles is really hard.

At some point, it’s kind of impossible until they take their mental health seriously.

And my experience is that Gen Z has no idea how to do that yet.

And even if they do, they’re so indoctrinated into habits that are detrimental to their mental health that it’s hard to convince them of making the radical changes needed to improve their life.

But that’s not the whole story, is it?

Gen Z also brings a lot of positivity to the workplace that we should be aware of.

I love working with Gen Z.

As I said, I have a lot of Gen Zers on my team.

I love my Gen Z team members.

I’ve never shied away from hiring them.

I tell them all the time that they are capable of incredible things.

Even yesterday, I was joking with some of my team that I feel like Howard Stark in Iron Man, where he tells Tony that “He’s limited by the technology of my time, but you, Tony… You can change the world.”

So yes, I see the amazing potential in this generation.

To start, I think they aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo.

As one of my Gen Zers said, “I’m always down for a good old-fashioned protest.”

You know, they’re a generation comfortable with questioning the “why”; they’ll call out injustice or mistreatment.

There’s an awareness there that I really like. There’s a voice there that I really like.

Now, insecure and autocratic leaders are probably not going to like that side of Gen Z.

But I think that says more about them than it does about Gen Z.

The old-school leadership styles are not particularly compatible with what Gen Z needs.

Personally, I love the accountability that Gen Z is bringing to the workplace.

As a Christian leader, I’m sick of hearing all about the lack of integrity, the mistreatment of people, the abuse, the scandal, the shadow lives… I’m sick of it.

Gen Z is really emphasizing authenticity and transparency.

It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being real.

What I like is that I’m seeing this generation have the confidence to say, “No, I will not be treated that way.”

“No, I will not work in a toxic work environment.”

“No, this isn’t right.”

I think that’s good.

I think previous generations might have dropped the ball on that.

I also like how eclectic Gen Z is.

They listen to Ella Langley, but they also listen to Kendrick Lamar or Bad Bunny.

They watch thoughtful documentaries, but they also watch stupid social media content.

They’re not afraid to wear oversized pajama pants with a crop top and a camo hat.

They have an appreciation for different cultures, tastes, and styles.

They grew up with the entire world at their fingertips.

And what’s cool about that is that they were given a wonderful mosaic of all of God’s creation.

And that, in a lot of ways, gave them a bigger vision for humanity.

The pandemic brought the world together in that way.

We all took to our screens, and Gen Z was heavily influenced by that.

In negative ways, for sure, but also in some really meaningful and positive ways.

It’s a great generation, I hope people can see that.

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Now there’s another factor we need to consider.

Studies show that Gen Z is increasingly turning down leadership positions at work in order to protect their mental health and to afford themselves a better work/life balance.

We might have a leadership crisis on our hands.

Gen Z doesn’t seem to be producing many leaders, at least not yet.

I’m convinced, for reasons we’ve already discussed, that Gen Z is going to have a lot of late bloomers.

At least, I have proof of that within my own team.

But only if they have leaders who get in their corner and start developing a coaching mindset.

As it stands, I see a lot of leaders expressing frustration, but I don’t see as many leaders rolling up their sleeves.

I don’t see many leaders investing enough time and energy in modeling, teaching, and mentoring at the moment, and doing so in a highly missional, highly relational way.

Because Gen Z wants leaders who coach, not command.

They need a relationship-oriented environment in order to thrive and overcome the gap that they’ve inherited.

In terms of why they’re turning down leadership roles, I think there are probably a few factors.

I think the economy has taken the wind out of their sails a bit.

Previous generations had a more positive outlook on work and “climbing the ladder,” which usually meant strapping on more leadership responsibility.

There was a sense that there could be economic prosperity, right?

At least, I feel like I grew up with that.

The American dream was alive and well.

The dream of buying a house, setting up your white picket fence, and having a comfortable retirement plan.

A huge portion of Gen Z doesn’t see that being within reach, and it fundamentally changes their relationship with work, because they know their hard work might not pay off as advertised to previous generations.

I can understand them having an attitude like, “Hey, leadership looks hard. Why would I want to fiddle with it? It’s not going to provide what I’m looking for anyway.”

And then, of course, if you never take on leadership responsibility, you’ll never develop as a leader.

So, that’s a cycle we should look out for.

Their opposition to leadership responsibility might also stem from their struggles with mental health.

They’re thinking, “Why would I want to take on even more responsibility and pressure when I’m already struggling so much with my mental health?”

I also think that Gen Z hasn’t really had many healthy leadership role models in the workplace that they look up to, and think, “Yeah, I want to be like them.”

Their role models seem to be different.

I think Gen Z chases a lifestyle, maybe?

You know, influencers, entertainers, athletes, people who have a certain lifestyle they are attracted to, not traditional leadership roles.

But I actually think the main reason Gen Z is not embracing leadership positions is that they don’t see themselves as capable.

They’re self-eliminating because they don’t have the skills yet.

They wouldn’t even know where to start.

It’s like an electrician being asked to be a farmer.

That’s really overwhelming.

And you know, that’s why I started a leadership community.

Gen Z needs people in their corner saying, “Hey, you can do this. We need you to lead. It’s time for you to step up to the plate.”

I think Gen Z needs to widen their vision.

They need to realize that the best version of themselves is the one willing to make a deep sacrifice, the one willing to be uncomfortable and challenged. That builds resilience.

For instance, Gen Z likes to speak against injustice, right?

However, I’ve found that when it comes to fighting that injustice with old-fashioned blood, sweat, and tears, they have a hard time giving up comfort.

But listen, if they could embrace discomfort, they’d be unstoppable.

Because they have the courage and the voice, they just need the resilience to match it.

But let’s get more tactical for a minute.

What leadership skills does Gen Z need to develop?

Well, that’s the thing.

The vast majority of the skills they're struggling with are leadership skills.

If you engage with any of the content I put out on my leadership channel, you’ll notice a few common themes: things I’m constantly teaching on.

And it’s the same stuff I’m finding I need to work on with my own team.

Perseverance, resilience, sacrifice, loyalty, teamwork, accountability, vision, discipline, communication… You get the idea.

It’s leadership 101.

It’s not any crazy leadership strategies or cutting-edge research.

It’s the basic principles of leadership.

Gen Z needs to catch that vision.

They need a vision of what true perseverance looks like.

They need to know why sacrificing for a greater good... is good.

They need to understand the intrinsic value of loyalty and why it’s one of the most powerful forces on this planet.

They need to learn what true hands-on teamwork and collaboration look like in action.

They need to understand the value of being disciplined day after day, week after week, year after year, and how that’s not boring, but it can actually be transformative.

They need to understand that they require more accountability than any other generation before them, because they have greater access to things than any other generation.

In other words, they need leaders to cast a vision of what leadership really is.

Gen Z needs that right now.

They need to be pushed and encouraged in that way.

They also need leaders to say, “I’m proud of you,” once in a while.

If we don’t cast a leadership vision, and fast, we’re going to have a huge leadership crisis on our hands in the near future.

I have seen my Gen Z team thrive and blossom in the most amazing ways.

They are great leaders, and they continue to prove that this generation can and will do remarkable things.

But it’s going to take the help of leaders who have gone before them to meet them where they’re at.

And it’s going to take Gen Z rising to the occasion.

I have no doubt that they can do it.