70% of managers struggle to manage Gen Z

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Joanne Swann
Gen Z male
Gen Z male

Seven in 10 (70%) managers think companies struggle to manage young employees, reveals new research from HiBob. This comes as almost a quarter (24%) of Brits* state they would replace all younger generation employees with older people if they could.  

Managers face Gen Z issues with authority 

Brits believe the biggest challenges young people pose to companies are demands around work life balance (62%), salary (58%) and benefits expectations (44%). Gen Z (18-to-24-year-olds) are already causing managers difficulties around issues with attitudes towards authority (41%), emotional intelligence (38%), and levels of professionalism (34%).

Despite the woes they cause, and some Brits wanting to replace young workers with older people, 70% of people prefer working with or employing younger generations for their creativity and adaptability. These are two skills lacking from the older generation, according to the majority of UK workers.

Keeping Gen Z’s hearts through their wallets  

Almost one in seven (13%) Gen Z employees think about their work salary or pay rate daily and say incorrect pay would mean struggling to pay their bills (40%), considering looking for a new job (22%) and losing sleep worrying about finances (22%). As a result, Gen Z are the most likely generation to check their payslip carefully to ensure accuracy (30%).

Incorrect pay takes a significant toll on all generations. For employees aged 25 to 34, incorrect pay would shake their trust in their employer (43%) and cause them to feel undervalued and disrespected (40%). For 45 to 54year-olds, it would be an admin headache which would frustrate them (40%).

Giving HR a seat at the top table  

When asked who should deal with issues caused by younger colleagues, 40% of managers said HR. In fact, 95% of Brits believe it is important for companies to have HR representation on a company’s executive team, while three quarters (73%) think HR should have a strong influence on company strategy.

GoodShape analysed FTSE 100 companies and found that of the 80 who published their leadership team on their corporate website, less than half (40%) had a HR director at all, and just 31% had a Chief People Officer or equivalent. Half (48%) of people surveyed by HiBob believe a lack of HR representation at C-level is because of a commonly held view that HR is a support not a strategy function.

Toby Hough, Director of People and Culture at HiBob, comments,

This research clearly identifies Gen Z as one of leadership teams’ biggest challenges. That said, each generation brings their own unique set of challenges and opportunities to the workplace and the HR function is critical to getting the best out of all generations. To maximise their potential in today’s intergenerational workplace, UK businesses must appoint HR leaders to the C-suite.

Toby Hough, Director of People and Culture at HiBob

Joanne Swann, Content Manager, WorkWellPro
Editor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional | Website |  + posts

Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.

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