Ahead of the conflict curve – Understanding Gen Z in the workplace

Integrity’s Co-founder, Helen Grimberg, is an expert in conflict resolution, after spending 30 years as an equity partner of a top 50 law firm. Recently, Helen hosted a series of focus groups with Gen Z employees from various industries. The aim – to understand what motivates them, what their ambitions look like, and how their values differ from their predecessors. Helen writes about her key learnings below. 

A generation with a unique set of values

‘Gen Z’ are the latest generation to join the workforce. Born between 1997 and 2012, this is a generation that has grown up with the internet and portable technology earning them another name – the i-generation. According to early benchmarks, they are potentially “the most diverse, best educated generation” yet. And as such, they are a generation of workers that should be cherished by businesses as they develop and grow into the leaders of the future. Business leaders need to learn more about this particular demographic – because understanding Gen Z in the workplace will play a pivotal part in both their success and that of your organisation, now and into the future. 

Research suggests that Gen Z come with their own unique set of values, capabilities and characteristics, most of which differ from earlier generations, who, in the case of many businesses, manage them. In fact, a study carried out by London School of Economics (LSE), found that the likelihood of conflict arising due to generational issues is on the rise and that “frictions between people of different age groups are undermining the potential productivity benefits of generational diversity”. The research suggests this is happening to the extent that a whopping 37 percent of Gen Z workers experience low productivity in their role.

So, what is driving these worrying indicators and what can leaders do to address the frictions, leverage the benefits of generational diversity, and increase the productivity for all, throughout their organisation?

Gaining insight

Over several months, I spent time with 25 or so Gen Z employees from a variety of professions to attempt to understand how their values and goals differ from other generations. The vast majority of those interviewed were traditional full-time employees; some worked flexibly, and most were hybrid workers. Notably, all were hungry for success and driven to achieve. Their personal success and the pursuit of a healthy work life balance – with plenty of time away from the office – was top of the agenda.

What was also clear is that these young people expect a high standard of support from their managers and leaders. Driven by personal achievement rather than by team performance, they told me that they expected training and development to be provided by the organisations they worked for so that they could quickly learn and develop in their roles. “Gen Z” says Patel, “want their manager to become private mentors and help … with personal advancement”. When that support was not readily available to them, the young people I spoke to, told me they would often feel aggrieved and demotivated. 

On the topic of aggrievement and demotivation, I asked them about conflict at work and how they would deal with it. A number commented that they were surprised how much conflict was bubbling away under the surface in the workplace – behaviours they hadn’t expected. It was also evident that issues which could turn into conflict were not really talked about or addressed. Some said they felt at a loss about how to deal with conflict both personally and professionally, not being able to find the words, and others said they would rather avoid conflict all together. Others again said their attempts to speak to managers about what was concerning them often led to the situation being exacerbated. It was clear that whilst there was an impatience for a difficult situation to be sorted out, communication between Gen Z employees and those managing them is in need of improvement, especially when it comes to the issues affecting them both professionally and personally. 

The importance of effective communication

The ability of the young at work to make themselves heard by their managers is another critical difference which is highlighted by the LSE paper (quoted above). Citing research undertaken by the Pew Research Center, 2012, the LSE paper states that the way Gen Z workers communicate is very different from the way earlier generations are used to communicating. And this is something leaders who are older in age, need to pay heed to when understanding Gen Z in the workplace.

Born into a technologically advanced world, Gen Z uses text messaging as the predominant means of communication, often combined with language which, whilst instantly recognisable by their peers, can be much more difficult for older generations to decipher. The finding of the Pew Research Center was that the reliance on text messaging to communicate has meant that Gen Z workers have “missed out on how to listen, ask questions, interject and challenge in a way that is respectful, build relationships, solve problems in real time and resolve conflicts”. Ironically, it seems that our young people’s ability to socially interact and meet their personal and professional goals has been hindered by the very technology that promises instant communication. And the result of this is that conflict is much more likely to arise. 

This challenge of communication has been made more difficult by the introduction of remote working. A 2024 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends report finds that remote working means there are far fewer boundaries – and lack of boundaries can challenge employees, leading to a lack of corporate connectivity and identity. Whilst developments in technology have allowed employees to be far more connected, it has come at the expense of real-life social interaction and real-life relationships. And for much of Gen Z – this has happened at the formative stages of their careers. Communication barriers can affect working relationships due to the time that elapses between employees meeting in person. Real-life bonds are simply not formed in the same way as they were, which can lead to workplace relationships deteriorating and dissatisfaction creeping in. 

Add to these factors, the instant gratification provided by a new “on demand” society, and you have new generations who expect to succeed quickly, and as many of us well into our careers know – professional success isn’t immediate achieved. Given all of this – it is not surprising that the Global Happiness Report produced by Ipsos Global, cites that Gen Z is less satisfied than previous generations. And dissatisfaction can easily lead to conflict. 

Conclusions

I came away from my sessions with these wonderful young people, keenly aware that there is much to be done by older generations to empower Gen Z and to create a competitive but friendly workplace atmosphere unburdened by conflict or its threat. Gen Z is a generation of tech savvy, digital communicators and innovators; they are the leaders of the future. Employers who show they understand the underlying value structure of this generation and who can recognise and manage intergenerational conflict early on, will not only establish positive societal impacts in the workplace but could also increase longevity of employment of a demographic which has a unique perspective and skillset to offer modern companies. 

At Integrity, part of our three pillar approach to conflict is Recognise, which will ensure employers and teams of the future better understand and acknowledge how to deal with conflict and stop it getting out of hand with the inevitable consequences that follow. As part of our service, we will help increase resilience and performance in individuals and teams so they can better tackle difficult situations and work together more effectively. 

Read more about our Recognise pillar here, or if you would like to discuss in more detail how we can help you, get in touch here.