December 22, 2021

"Do Zoomers make good colleagues?"

Somehow I find that the most interesting question on the NYT's list of "The Year in 47 Debates" ("From the urgent conversations we had as a nation to the minor controversies that fascinated us, these are the things that got people talking, and talking, and talking...") 

Each debate is briefly explicated. Here's the discussion of Zoomers:

As Gen Z’s advance guard enters the work force, such as it is, their denim preferences, Slack etiquette and penchant for self-care are inspiring angst among older colleagues. Even the Zoomers’ immediate forebears — the millennials once at the white-hot center of youth culture — describe feeling fear and foreboding at the prospect of committing an emoji faux pas, fielding a request for a mental health day or staking out a companywide activist position. Some of these concerns reflect predictable anxieties about losing touch with the latest fashions; ominous “kids these days” tales have most likely circulated since our foraging ancestors were scandalized by Generation Agriculture. But others betray a sense of unease among managers who are dealing with a resurgence of worker power and a labor movement revival. The spotlight on generational trends may be obscuring a broader change in employee expectations for more humane hours, safer conditions and fairer treatment. A revolt, it would seem, is underway against a broken and oppressive corporate culture, but it’s coming from workers of all ages.

16 comments:

Jonathan said...

"A revolt, it would seem, is underway against a broken and oppressive corporate culture, but it’s coming from workers of all ages."

Maybe, but from what I can see, those employees who want benefits outweighing their economic value are getting outsourced and/or automated.

gilbar said...

"Do Zoomers make good colleagues?"

obviously not. But; who else are hire?

Don't worry.
After the hyperinflation, and the economic collapse; their work ethic will come around
Those that live through the upcoming wars, that is.

Here's the Scary Part: People are going to look back with longing at 2020 and 2021
Remember the Old Days? Back when all we had to worry about; was Trump, and Covid?
Those were the days, my friend

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

Sounds like pop-psychology nonsense.

Amadeus 48 said...

Do zoomers make good colleagues?

My nephew, a millennial, says no. Entitled, accusatory, unreliable.

Temujin said...

"...are inspiring angst among older colleagues."

This all sounds more like wishful thinking. A generational declaration on how they want it to be. And it may turn out that way. I've recently left the workplace, but not out of fear of the younger or fear of new trends. Quite the contrary. I found my 'veteranship' to be freeing. I woke up one day and didn't give a fuck what I said anymore. My last few years in business were quite fun.

But here's the thing. It's not so much that you can have a slacker attitude, or dress down- actually dress horribly- or work from home, or someone else's home that you're renting. That's a statement, but it's not meaningful. What is meaningful is productivity. Getting things done. Actually making things, producing things, and getting paid to do so. And- here's a unique idea- doing it all for corporate profit. The world cannot exist with a totality of non-profit people running not-for-profit organizations. Someone has to pay for it all. Oh...and style does actually matter. And it makes a bolder statement than wearing that regular 'code writer's uniform'.

So, we'll see how the Zoomers do. In the meantime, I get to sit back, work on my curmudgeonly attitude, and comment daily on what I see going well into the future. Why...I may even try my hand at a not-for-profit sort of thing.

Kevin said...

There are a lot of 45 and over people looking for meaningful work.

They don't take mental health days and the only emoji they know is the smiley face.

Jim Grey said...

We worry about every generation as they invade the workforce. I'm Gen X and I remember everyone worrying about my generation. Slackers, they thought we were. We probably were! But we learned how to work, just like every generation does.

Howard said...

How is it that a broken corporate culture can generate untold wealth during a pandemonium endemic?

The kids are allright doesn't sell remunerative click views.

What's happening is life is mostly normal because human beings are the most plastic animal on the planet. The ten percent whom can't handle social media behavioral control manipulations get all the attention.

mikee said...

The young workers note the bad work conditions and lack of paths to advancement in their jobs.
The older workers note the bad work conditions and lack of paths to advancement in their jobs.
Yes, zoomers make good colleagues. We're all in this together.

Rollo said...

So are GenZ now the "Zoomers"? That makes sense. It also gives oldsters a great "OK Zoomer" retort.

Tina Trent said...

They couldn't find a real labor movement if the sleazy SEIU thugettes slapped feed bags on their chins.

Big Mike said...

You had to handle Gen X with care, and they were dream employees next to the Millennials. And Gen Zoom is worse than Millennials? Glad I’m retired!

Michael said...

“A revolt, it would seem, is underway against a broken and oppressive corporate culture, but it’s coming from workers of all ages”. Prove it. Walk before bonus time. Create your own non oppressive corporate fucking culture. .

Gerda Sprinchorn said...

These generation labels are so stupid. People act their age, not their generation.

Millenials acted like teenagers during their teens, like twenty-somethings in their twenties, and are now acting like thirty-somethings in their thirties. In short, at each stage, they have acted their age, not their generation. And now, Zoomers are acting their age as they enter their twenties and acted their age in the past and will act their age in the future.

The differences across the generations is trivial. It is all about age.

Jokah Macpherson said...

I’ve supervised a couple of folks from that generation. They were no worse than any other.

Tom Grey said...

Top, elite (??) managers are overpaid.

Every year the level of after-tax income of the top 10% or top 1% (90th & 99th percentiles) has increased more than the after-tax income of the median US taxpayer.

99% level/ 50% level and 90%/ 50% are the two key "income inequality" ratios to watch. They are, today in this rich world, more important than GNP (or GDP; Gross net or domestic Production), the usual important single number - which remains important.

This is most true for Big Companies, who overpay their CEOs & VPs, far more than rewarding the non-managers who do the non-management work.