The global pandemic transformed overnight how work gets done and how employees interact. Enterprises emerged from this tumultuous period with an evolved mindset toward employee flexibility and engagement. As the Future of Work movement emerged, employees from Gen Y to baby boomers recalibrated their work styles — with many adapting to new workforce expectations.
While the multi-generational workforce continues to adjust, newly arrived Gen Z workers (which consist of 20% of the workforce) face several challenges related to their own experiences during the pandemic. Many came through it, not with a new sense of self, but with a feeling of uncertainty and unpreparedness.
The Pandemic and Gen Z — A Retrospective
Most Gen Z workers (representing those born between 1997 and 2012) experienced remote learning (high school and college) during the height of the pandemic. Despite being technologically savvy, online learning and general fears during the pandemic reshaped this generation and its outlook on work and life.
An article by the National Society of Leadership and Success says that during the pandemic, “…education is a pain point for this generation (Gen Z). Adapting to fully remote learning has distanced them from the things they enjoy about school while also making it harder for them to actually learn.”
Gen Z experienced a “generational defining event” going through the pandemic. One that forever altered their view of themselves and the world around them. In the study “The Impact of COVID-19 and Gen Z Looking Ahead” by The Center for Generational Kinetics (CGK), several overall observations were made describing how Gen Z responded during the pandemic and their views of the future. Those revelations included:
- Gen Z are more dependent on technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially streaming video, Wi-Fi, connected devices, and social media.
- Gen Z is experiencing higher rates of anxiety, stress, and depression when thinking about the state of the world and the future.
- Gen Z high school students have an overall negative experience with online learning during COVID-19 and would much rather have in-person education classes than online education classes.
- Gen Z understands that COVID-19 will change their perspective of the future and believes their generation will bring much-needed, positive change to the world.
Similar insights emerged from a nationwide poll conducted by MTV and The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research from September 1 to 19, 2021, using TrueNorth®, which indicated that “a majority of Gen Z, 65%, cite education as very or extremely important to their identity. And the pandemic is taking a toll on their education and career goals. Forty-six percent feel that the pandemic has made pursuing their educational or career goals more difficult. Fewer Millennials (36%) or Gen X (31%) share that concern.”
Workplace Unpreparedness
The lack of connectedness with classmates and educators, coupled with learning challenges impacted Gen Z soft skills development, according to several studies. A sense of skills deficiencies is not lost on Gen Z either. A study by The Workforce Institute cites Gen Z feeling unprepared in the following areas:
- Negotiating (26 percent)
- Networking (24 percent)
- Speaking confidently in front of crowds (24 percent)
- Working long hours (24 percent)
In the same study, “one in five also feel their education hasn’t adequately prepared them to resolve work conflicts (23%) or be managed by another person (21%).” However, there are positive areas as well. For example, Gen Z feels confident about working with customers (56%) and working in a team (57%).
CGK states in its study that, “…Gen Zers already in the workforce are feeling a massive reset at exactly the time they should be starting to build their independence and self-reliance.” This of course should be a major point of recognition for enterprises recruiting Gen Z workers.
Next week, part two will explore how enterprises can most attract and retain Gen Z employees. Not surprisingly, those strategies are closely tied to offering programs and services associated with the lasting emotional impacts of the pandemic.
