Search for “zoomers” online and a familiar caricature emerges: a whiny, entitled, undisciplined and lazy generation that supposedly lacks the resilience and work ethic of those who came before. Headlines love to cast generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) as the scapegoat for workplace aimlessness and stagnation. One Wall Street Journal column went so far as to brand the entire lot “unemployable”.
These perceptions have become deeply ingrained in the broader workforce: one YouGov survey found that over half (52%) of respondents believe workers in their twenties are lazier than older generations. In another survey, respondents scathingly described their gen Z colleagues as emotional (56%), less invested in their jobs (55%), selfish (49%) and incompetent (34%). Just 10% said they had a strong work ethic.
Leaders would do better to listen to gen Z and understand the realities they face
The idea that such broad generalisations apply to nearly three billion gen Zs is questionable, especially given reports that show many younger employees have typically been the most eager to return to the office following the pandemic, to learn, collaborate and build social connections.
Even so, the narrative of a disengaged and wayward youth continues to shape how young professionals are treated at work. In a poll of 2,000 UK office workers aged 21-25, nearly half (44%) said they had experienced negative stereotyping from older colleagues simply for being gen Z. Respondents said they are criticised for being too passionate or outspoken, for using slang or humour, for setting healthy boundaries, and even for the way they dress.
What’s more, firms are sometimes deprioritising younger candidates based on these perceptions. One study found 38% of US-based hiring managers would rather hire older workers over recent Gen Z graduates, often because they view younger applicants as unprepared for the workforce.
Challenging the stereotype
Such attitudes are familiar to Peter Watkins, senior director of university programmes at the CFA Institute, a non-profit organisation that provides finance education to investment professionals. His role involves engaging directly with students entering the workforce and with employers shaping early-career roles, giving him first-hand insight into how businesses recruit, manage and develop gen Z talent – and where their assumptions often fall short.
Laziness and rudeness are not the dominant traits Watkins encounters. Gen Z workers are no less willing to work than previous generations, he argues, but they often approach tasks, communication and career progression differently. “Sweeping claims about poor work ethic are unfounded and can actively damage gen Z employees’ confidence and career progression,” he says. “By clinging to outdated stereotypes and biases companies risk overlooking high-potential talent and fresh perspectives.”
In Watkin’s view, unfair criticism of gen Z stems from a familiar cycle of generational friction, compounded by a lack of empathy for early-career growing pains and a fundamental misreading of modern working styles.
The empathy gap
“Today’s young people are navigating an unprecedented set of challenges: the aftershocks of lockdowns, the rapid arrival of AI in the workplace and mounting global instability. Yet instead of empathy and understanding, they are often blamed for circumstances entirely beyond their control,” Watkins says.
That empathy gap has been widened by structural shifts in how work and learning take place. During the depths of the Covid-19 crisis, a vital form of development was lost: learning by osmosis. “In a world of hybrid and remote work, informal training has suffered from the disappearance of unstructured, in-person interactions,” Watkins explains. “Young graduates have had fewer opportunities to linger, observe workplace culture, ask ad-hoc questions or build trust through everyday encounters.”
If you choose to see flexibility as a problem, you won’t see adaptability
In his view, senior leaders risk mistaking a lack of exposure for a lack of effort. Many workplaces are failing to teach the skills they require, then criticising young workers for not instinctively knowing it. “Leaders would do better to listen to gen Z and understand the realities they face,” Watkins says. “Many young people are juggling multiple jobs or side hustles simply to make ends meet. The issue is not a lack of work ethic, but a lack of systemic support and meaningful opportunity.”
Generational tension is nothing new. Each generation tends to measure the next against its own struggles and often finds it wanting – particularly when success appears to come with fewer sacrifices. But by clinging to generational stereotypes, organisations ultimately narrow their own talent pools, Watkins says. “When employers prioritise candidates who mirror behaviours of previous generations, they risk overlooking raw potential and future-ready capability. This is a particularly short-sighted approach in a world of work increasingly shaped by AI, where adaptability, creativity and learning agility are qualities often found in the very candidates being dismissed.”
In other words, stereotypes don’t just misjudge young workers; they deprive companies of the talent they will need most.
Misinterpreting modern work styles
Furthermore, what managers often interpret as a lack of focus or work ethic may, in reality, be a clash of working styles. The traditional nine-to-five model prizes presenteeism – time spent at a desk – as a proxy for productivity. Younger workers, by contrast, tend to prioritise outcomes over hours, Watkins notes, measuring success by what gets done rather than how long they appear to be working.
The issue is not a lack of work ethic, but a lack of systemic support
“A manager might see an employee jumping between tasks as unfocused, while the employee experiences it as high-level multitasking,” Watkins notes. “Modern work increasingly unfolds in bursts of intensity rather than a steady eight-hour grind, with periods of deep focus followed by pauses to reset” The risk, he warns, is that unconventional time management is mistaken for disengagement. “If you choose to see it as a lack of focus, you won’t see multitasking. If you choose to see flexibility as a problem, you won’t see adaptability.”
Communication styles have also shifted. Prolonged reliance on digital interaction during the pandemic has changed how younger workers engage with colleagues. While they may have had fewer opportunities to master traditional office small talk, they are often adept at navigating a far broader range of communication channels than previous generations, moving fluently between messaging platforms, video calls and collaborative tools in ways that reflect the realities of modern work.
According to Watkins, investing in tailored onboarding, mentorship, and skills development can help close perceived gaps and tap this emerging talent pool more effectively.
The digital doubled-edged sword
Another unfair burden placed on Gen Z is the assumption of technical brilliance. The may spend greater time engaged with screens, but familiarity with apps and social media platforms does not automatically translate into expertise in technical domains such as cybersecurity or software engineering – a nuance often overlooked when they are described as “digital natives”.
Despite having grown up online, just 32% of gen Zs feel adequately equipped with essential workplace digital skills, according to a survey by Salesforce. Confidence drops even further when it comes to more advanced competencies: only one in five believe they have coding skills, 18% feel confident in data encryption and cybersecurity, and just 7% say they have skills in AI.
“Employers frequently assume younger workers will be the natural champions of digital transformation; that they will instinctively understand new systems and adapt faster than their older colleagues,” Watkins says. But while gen Z may excel at intuitive problem-solving and navigating new interfaces without a manual, the belief that they require little or no training can quickly become a double-edged sword, he adds. “It can set unrealistic expectations. When young employees are expected to instantly master complex systems and enterprise-level tools, often without formal support, they are set up to fail rather than supported to succeed.”
Young workers are entering organisations shaped by labels and assumptions that often fail to hold up to scrutiny. If businesses want to unlock gen Z’s potential, the answer lies not in stereotyping, but in investment, clearer expectations, meaningful training and a willingness to meet a new generation of workers on its own terms.
Search for “zoomers” online and a familiar caricature emerges: a whiny, entitled, undisciplined and lazy generation that supposedly lacks the resilience and work ethic of those who came before. Headlines love to cast generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) as the scapegoat for workplace aimlessness and stagnation. One Wall Street Journal column went so far as to brand the entire lot “unemployable”.
These perceptions have become deeply ingrained in the broader workforce: one YouGov survey found that over half (52%) of respondents believe workers in their twenties are lazier than older generations. In another survey, respondents scathingly described their gen Z colleagues as emotional (56%), less invested in their jobs (55%), selfish (49%) and incompetent (34%). Just 10% said they had a strong work ethic.
Leaders would do better to listen to gen Z and understand the realities they face
