A study conducted by consultants Boston Consulting Group in 2012 showed that people viewed millennials as spoiled, entitled and lazy. Throw in Gen Z now and is it any wonder that there is such a disconnect between young workers and older generations in today’s workforce?
In 2019, the General Manager of Muffin Break, Natalia Brennan, caused a social media storm over her comments complaining that “entitled millennials were not prepared to work for free to gain experience…and expected pay rises far too early in their career” (ABC News, 2019). The misconceptions and preconceptions about millennials and Gen Z are wrong.
What the BCG research and leaders like Brennan failed to take into account is that the new generation of young leaders are actually some of the smartest workers out there who may simply be frustrated about how older generations choose to work and be recognised for it. Working long hours like Gen X and Boomers did before them is not an indications of good work. They’re looking to challenge the status quo in ways of workings like never before.
As work/life balance becomes more important to millennials and Gen Z, they are also more attracted to a 4 day work week than any other generation. The problem is that this may come across as exacerbating the preconceptions of them being lazy or entitled at first glance. In actual fact, a 4 day work week can actually be more effective for millennials and Gen Z at increasing productivity. A lot of that comes down to their receptiveness to new technology if made available to them in the workplace and how it has freed them from just being confined to the office. AI will play a significant part in that too.
Many CEOs may be hesitant to adopt a 4 day work week because they think it will make their company look lazy or entitled and play into the hands of millennials and Gen Z. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, research shows that adopting a 4 day work week can improve productivity and well-being—something that is particularly appealing to millennial and Gen Z workers.
If older generation leaders continue to see them as lazy and entitled, they will also view implementing a 4 day work week as surrendering to those traits and less businesses will make that transition. However, if older generation leaders start seeing millennial and Gen Z workers as the leaders of the new ways or working that can achieve just as much in less time, imagine how work will change, even more so than it already has.
References:
ABC News 2019, ‘Millennials are entitled, lazy and demanding at work — right or wrong? – ABC News’, 25 February, viewed 11 November 2022, <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-26/muffin-break-natalie-brennan-myths-about-millennials-at-work/10847446>.