The leader is not a chatbot and cannot share
Are the leaders overworked, exhausted and afraid to say so? 50 percent of them have already considered resigning because of a subordinate... It's now commonplace that, with ever-changing circumstances and high corporate expectations, overworked managers no longer have the capacity to deal with the "souls" of their subordinates. And yet, managing a Generation Z colleague in the same way as a Generation X one most often leads to dismissal. And selection is another extra managerial task, thus completing the vicious circle. Judit Bárány, organisational development and HR expert.
A sense of total exhaustion has gripped a significant proportion of managers in recent times. Many don't really express it at work, but vent at home. They don't "complain" because they feel qualified to say: "I'm tired, I'm torn, I'm overwhelmed, I've got no energy or nerves." This is something we need to talk about, because it is now commonplace that in an already ever-changing environment, with incredibly high corporate expectations, overburdened managers no longer have the capacity to deal with the "souls" of their subordinates. And yet, managing a Generation Z colleague in the same way as a Generation X one most often leads to dismissal. And selection is another extra managerial task, thus completing the vicious circle. And managers know this, and they are getting more frustrated by the day.
With Generation Z came a lot of things to the world of work, including new expectations of how leadership should work
They are the ones who came into the workplace with:
- When they were younger, there was always someone there to solve their difficulties for them. Parent, teacher, coach - when conflict or failure came, the safety net came with it. The good intentions were there, it was just that the experience was lost. And now they sit in an open office and for the first time face the reality that there is no immediate help, no one to "take care of it for them" or solve the problem when it's wrong.
- They are used to being praised for merely participating. They have grown up in a culture of "you are great for getting started". That's not necessarily a problem - it's just that when they don't get applause at work for turning up on time, it becomes frustrating for them. If the feedback only comes (even if rarely) when there's a problem, it's a sense of failure for them.
- They haven't learned to handle mistakes well - because they haven't had the opportunity. As children, many of them missed out on the natural "fall-down-and-help-myself" experience. Unfortunately, in schools today, in quite a few places, making mistakes is often a shame, not a learning opportunity. And in the workplace, mistakes are the biggest teacher (although companies still lack a proper culture of mistakes in Hungary). All we need is a safe space for this, which the manager should provide.
- They've grown accustomed to immediacy. And of course the digital world has done its part: they've got quick responses, personalised content, constant stimulation. If they have a question, the answer is there within 5 seconds on Google or ChatGPT. Furthermore, if they take a photo of something, they get likes. If the mobile phone breaks, mum buys another one that night... So when a manager tells them "we'll do an annual review in six months", it's completely meaningless to them. It's as absurd as someone giving them a paper map instead of Waze. It's not arrogance, it's just an underlying belief in a completely different "experience of time".
- The job is not viewed in terms of loyalty, but along the lines of personal values. In their eyes, it's not "what kind of career can I build here" but "how well does this place fit me?" They value meaningful work, a good environment, flexible hours and the opportunity to develop. If these are not there, they don't wait years or even months for a change, they simply move on.
A manager is not a chatbot
.You can't feedback, motivate, onboard, retain, develop, engage, inspire, listen - and make strategic decisions, report, plan, produce KPIs, write budgets all at the same time. A manager is not a multitool. Not two people in one body.
And yes, you often hear about Generation Z that "nothing is good for them", "they are always jumping around", "they have no stamina". But it's time to accept that this is not "hysteria", but a different way of functioning.
They've simply grown up, socialised in a way that they don't understand why they should work in a system where no one listens to them
New situation - new leadership roles
In the past, a leader was good because he was professionally sharp. He knew how to do things and could explain them to others. Now, however, the question is increasingly: can you connect? Can you give feedback in a way that doesn't hurt but still has an impact? Can it give meaning to the work? Can it create an environment where Generation Z will not flee during their probationary period?
And this is not a skill question. It is a question of time. It's a matter of attention. A matter of presence.
It's time to split leadership
Specialist leader and people manager - two separate roles, separate focus. One builds the knowledge, the system, the direction. The other builds people. Because someone who has to work 6 hours a day producing spreadsheets and solving serious professional challenges should not be expected to listen empathetically at 3pm to why a new colleague wants a home office again, or to give feedback on what the company should be doing differently.
But... companies can't afford that. You can't have two managers for every team. It's not in the budget. It's not scalable. Especially not in the SME sector.
What now?
There are five options - none of them perfect, but they can work if you get them right:
- Targeted leadership development: not "generic" leadership training, but for specific generational challenges. How they can turn the tension of generational differences within a team into synergy, and thus create a more efficient operation and a good atmosphere for working together
- Generational Attitude Shaping: the goal is not to "not be a Z", but to understand how the other side works. In other words, to be able to interpret their own expectations in a broader framework and to commit themselves to taking into account the different attitudes and expectations of other generations. And not to take it as a personal insult if they don't get something immediately, or don't get it the way they imagined.
- External people support: coach, trainer, HR BP who takes over certain "people" functions from the manager. This also costs money, not every company has the resources for this, but where there is budget for it, it is a possible way to relieve the burden on managers
- Rethinking onboarding: It's not enough to have onboarding and a corporate, professional onboarding, you need a well-functioning buddy system. Preferably of the same age group, so that personal integration can happen faster.
- Automated feedback tools: "pulse surveys", weekly "check-ins" where employees can give their feedback online (of course, it's good to teach them to do it in a good style beforehand) - These don't trigger managerial presence and understanding attention, but at least they help to buy time.
- Improving internal communication: we don't need PowerPoint presentations about where we are going, what our results are, but a real two-way dialogue between senior managers and management. Because it's not just Generation Z that needs to be heard. This article gives you some suggestions, but the way to really find out what might work for you is to ask your leaders.
As a leader, you don't have to know everything, it's the responsibility of the shoulder to make you feel you're not alone
The new generation brings a new way of working. That's okay. It will only be if we expect leaders to "magically" fix it. Alone. On top of their existing burdens.
The question isn't whether Z's have a place in the workplace, it's how we can integrate them without burning out our leaders.
Because if we expect our leaders to divide - sooner or later they will evaporate. According to one study, 50% of them have already considered quitting because of a subordinate...
Spaniak.
Judit Baranya
organizational development and HR expert