Kids Today?

I recently attended a function where the main speaker was touting how to deal with the kids today. Kids today, Gen Z, do not define truth or loyalty in the same way that previous generations may. Astonished and longing for a dictionary, I continued to listen. More than a work experience, Gen Z wants to belong. Their place of employment needs to fit into their value system. Moreover, Gen Z works to live. This generation does not live to work.

I found the message disheartening, to a degree. I believe my generation respected the values and experience of the greatest generation. Our grandparents had endured the Great Depression, fought a World War (the 2nd one), preserved the values of democracy for all of global humanity, and launched a period of societal progress and standard of living unparalleled in the annals of human history.?

Previous generations relied on a relentless worth ethic to advance. What they had was earned. They would have preferred to have less than to be given more. Handouts did not have the value when compared to what was obtained from hard work. Are values such as punctuality, hard work, pride in your work product, going the extra mile suddenly out of vogue? More importantly, is my generation to blame for raising Gen Z to not appreciate what came before that allowed them to be here?

The wise Italian-American philosopher, Frank Sinatra, once said that “we are a great big wonderful imperfect country.” He further denotes that if it were perfect, “it wouldn’t be any fun trying to fix it.” He further relayed that his father told him: “America was a land of dreams and a dream land.” But his conclusion was that “we will lick those problems, too.” For the full quote I reference Frank Sinatra The Main Event Live Vinyl Record (1974). Gen Z tends to focus on the flaws in humanity rather than our successes and progress.?

As an educator and one who is specifically trying to produce the workers of the 21st century, how can we produce the skilled workforce with an appropriate work ethic that employers need with the emotional satisfaction that the next generation of workers is looking for?

Older generations tend to look at Gen Z and judge what they lack. In my own interactions I tend to want to judge that my generational value system is correct and theirs is incorrect. In order to have a comprehensive understanding of a Zer, we need to look at their positive attributes as well. According to the work of Roberta Katz: “A typical Gen Zer deeply cares about others, strives for a diverse community, is highly collaborative and social, values flexibility, relevance, authenticity and non-hierarchical leadership, and, while dismayed about inherited issues like climate change, has a pragmatic attitude about the work that has to be done to address those issues.” Gen Z is perhaps the most socially conscious generation that we have seen.

Gen Z has never known a world without the internet or a cellular phone. Text, email, snaps, etc. are their mode of communication. The world has been at their fingertips and their eyes remain attached to their phone. What might be the latest update? We used to talk to one another. Then we called one another. That evolved to texting one another. I believe now that a Gen Zer will DM or snap. Do you DM or snap??

According to Katz,? we need “to recognize that these new colleagues are used to working collaboratively and flexibly, with an eye to being efficient in getting the job done.” If the job takes less than 40 hours per week, then Gen Z does not believe they need to be there. They are also not tied to physical location/work space. If the work can be done from home, then home is the work space.?

Gen Z also struggles to recognize hierarchy. Previous generations were told to listen to the boss. The first boss being the parent. Just as we have seen parents perhaps more tolerant of misbehaviors and therefore sacrificing their hierarchy of leadership, Gen Z needs more than a directive to do it. Just because the boss said; I told you so, does not mean that is what happens. They need to know why it needs to be done. They also want input on how it is done.?

My journey at LCCTC is now in its 10th school year. Over those 10 years, the discussion about the need for skilled labor has remained strong. We have emphasized our values such as attendance, appearance, punctuality, and a strong work ethic. We have believed that it is our responsibility to not only provide the hard skills that employers demand, but also the soft skills necessary to be a successful employee. The kids of today will soon be the workers of tomorrow. Our current generation of students demands that we take into account how they want to do it, where they want to do it, and maybe even when they want to do it. Certainly a hierarchy needs to exist. If the hierarchy is able to balance its needs and expectations with a culture of collaboration and produce something for the greater good, then it may have a chance at succeeding.