You’ve probably heard it before: another Gen Z employee got fired within a few weeks of starting. Sure, there are some cases of simple laziness or attitudes (which the internet will never stop complaining about), but there’s also a significant amount of early exits that happen for reasons people aren’t openly discussing.
It’s not just a few outliers. Most companies in a recent survey (see final slide) said Gen Z hires didn’t meet expectations. And this year, 6 in 10 have already fired a recent grad. We took a closer look at what might be behind those numbers.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Approaching onboarding like school orientation
Some Gen Z employees take their first week at work as a “soft entry” and show up late or half-asleep for training. But onboarding is when most companies evaluate you more than any other time. Starting your job with a relaxed attitude can make you seem unprepared or uninterested. Managers won’t wait a month to see if you mean business.
Relying too heavily on online tutorials instead of coworkers
Rather than ask for help from a more senior coworker or watch what someone else does, Gen Z workers often try to teach themselves using YouTube or Reddit. It comes off as disconnected or uninterested in how the company actually operates. Managers pick up on someone not connecting with the rest of the team. It can look like you think you’re better than everyone else, even if you’re just being resourceful.
Avoiding uncomfortable conversations completely
Rather than speaking up about confusion or conflict, some Gen Zers will ghost and hope it goes away. If you get stuck or don’t know how to do something and you don’t mention it, your boss can’t help you. And dodging problems doesn’t make you easygoing, it just makes you unreliable.
Confusing flexibility for lack of structure
The flexible work life that Gen Z’s have grown to love can backfire a bit. Some employees mistakenly think there is no work schedule, set expectations, or standards that they are to follow. As a result, they may start work at all hours of the day and night, miss check-ins, and bypass internal communication processes. Flexibility is great, but no organization is unstructured. Consistency is always required even when nobody’s looking.
Showing too much personality too soon
Jumping into work trying to stand out with memes, cringe jokes, or insider slang might not go over well. It’s not wrong to be yourself, but many Gen Zers are unaware that most workplaces have implicit codes of conduct. Pounding down the door and being too familiar or loud from the get-go can rub coworkers the wrong way.
Treating company Slack like a group chat
For some, workplace communication platforms are just like Instagram DMs or Discord. Slathering a conversation with too many gifs, memes, or non-work related messages can clutter lines of communication and come off as unprofessional. It also gives the impression that you aren’t taking things seriously.
Doing their side hustle on company time
Some attempt to do freelance work or create content on the side during working hours. They think no one will know. Time-tracking software, missed deadlines, and passive-aggressive coworkers will soon reveal the truth.
Taking job descriptions too literally
Some Gen Z workers have only done the things listed on the job post and pushed back on anything else. They’ve been told not to “do more than they’re paid for,” but most jobs are more flexible than that. Saying no to help with something that’s “not my job” early in your career can quickly damage your reputation.
Being too open about wanting to leave eventually
Mentioning that you’re only there until your art takes off or you’re using this as a stepping stone may be the truth, but it makes employers anxious. Even stating how short term your plans are can cause people to question your dependability.
Arguing over every task with a values discussion
A new trend involves questioning not just the “how” of a task, but also the “why” of the task itself. It’s good to be invested in ethics and meaning, but if your first reaction to every decision is challenging it or asking whether something “aligns” with your values it can seem combative.
Thinking “fresh eyes” are super-valuable
Gen Z employees sometimes enter a new job so excited, ready to offer change ideas without grasping how things work. You may get fired up about a new software tool, or wanting to overhaul age-old processes, or identify a “better” way to do tasks in your first few weeks. Bringing new ideas is great…but too soon and it can sound like you think the team has been doing everything wrong.
Sources:
1. Intelligent.com survey
Like our content? Be sure to follow us.
