Generation Z in criticism: ‘In prosperity things become self-evident’

Generation Z is under criticism. She is too lazy, too demanding, too noncommittal; representatives of the older generations in particular always accuse her of this. Companies also look critically at young talent: even during the job interview they demand a home office, sabbaticals and work. It seems difficult to hold them.

Susanne Nickel has been working with young adults for years. She advises managers and companies and is considered one of the biggest critics of the controversial Generation Z. She has now published a book about it: ‘Spoiled, Soft, Hurt’. In the interview, Nickel talks about excessive wage demands, the responsibility of older generations and the role of education.

Ms. Nickel, would you hire a Gen Z employee?
Susanne Nikkel: Absolutely, not all Generation Z people are problematic. There are many young people who work very hard and want to make a difference. That is amazing. Yet there are also worrying trends. I didn’t make that up, say managers and representatives of all generations with whom I have spoken in recent years.

Which trends do you mean?
For example, I work a lot with people on projects. Sometimes you have to work unconventional hours. And that requires people who want to do something, are involved and are willing to go the extra mile. But that is not always the case. I hear more and more about these types of cases and have therefore included them in my book.

Before Generation Z, wasn’t there the phenomenon that a generation differs so much from previous generations in terms of demands and work ethic?
I think new generations always have a lot of drive and want to change something. I think this is an inherent quality of young people. Many of you are dynamic, committed, have good ideas and certainly a lot of idealism – and that’s a good thing. But unfortunately, there are also many who are heading in the wrong direction for our working world.

You are considered a critic of Generation Z. What is the reason for this?
In my interviews I noticed that many Generation Z reject performance orientation. In my generation, born between 1980 and 1965, it was different. After my second state law exam, I was happy that I could sign an employment contract. Other colleagues had to drive taxis in Munich. At the time, employers could benefit from a large number of people in the labor market. Generation Z employees, on the other hand, are scarce. This gives her a certain amount of power and she can use it against employers if she wants.

Does your criticism also reflect a certain generational jealousy?
I’m not jealous at all, I want every person to develop. But I think we have to be careful not to create jealousy among companies. Almost all generations have to work together there, and of course there is a chance of conflict. Many baby boomers used to have to save up for years for a television, while 16-year-olds now often have their fourth iPhone.

Her new book is called ‘Spoiled, Softened, Hurt’. Isn’t it going too far to place an entire generation under general suspicion?
You can’t lump an entire generation together. Nevertheless, there is clearly a lot of energy behind this topic, otherwise it wouldn’t be so divisive. Of course, both the title and one or two stories in the book are intentional. Only then will people respond to it and can a debate get started.

What does that mean when I say we all love each other in a cuddly republic? In the beginning, I was very shocked by the companies’ stories about Generation Z. Still, I tried to put myself in the shoes of the young people. Anyone who knows me knows that I find it important to find solutions. That’s why the book ends with a letter to Generation Z, about which I am also very forgiving.

In the fall, a video circulated on social networks that may resonate with many of the Gen Z people you describe: a young woman crying and joking about a job posting for an office job and the starting salary of $36,000. She described the 30 days of vacation a year as insufficient and asked her followers to stop working instead. Justifiably?
I have also described this case in my book. I found the young woman’s highly emotional response completely wrong. My generation wouldn’t dare make such a video. It is good that young people show boundaries and position themselves. But what counts are the facts: on the one hand, Germans generally work less than other countries. 30 days of vacation per year is also above average; the legally regulated minimum holiday in Germany is 24 working days. US workers would only dream of this. And let’s be honest: 36,000 euros per year is 3,000 euros per month. When I started working, I didn’t earn any more.

Are apprenticeships simply not men’s years?
I don’t really like this statement, but there is something in it. If I just started in a company and don’t know any good German yet, I also have to show some humility and adapt and achieve something before setting high standards. And working in a country like Germany and growing up in prosperity, things are often taken for granted. Sometimes you have to persevere to achieve goals.

It sounds like Generation Z has no discipline.
The motivation to go a step further is often experienced as difficult these days. Managers tell me that young people categorically refuse to work overtime. Or that starters do not show up on their first working day instead of canceling during the application procedure. Criticism or critical feedback is often a direct reason to change companies. Many companies I’ve spoken to are in despair about this generation. But most people don’t dare to say it, because this generation is of course the future and companies need them.

18 to 24 year olds are the group most at risk of poverty, and many Gen Zers are currently in this exact age range. Against this background, it seems understandable that young people do not take satisfaction with their work lightly.
Of course, the prospects for young people are difficult. For example, pensions are uncertain and mental illnesses have also increased. I think it’s good that young people are making this visible; in my generation it was swept under the table. I fully understand the need for security, including financial security.

They accuse young people of demanding absurdly high starting salaries. You could just as easily criticize business leaders who miss out on big bonuses despite poor performance.
You can certainly look at it critically. However, it is a completely different situation. There is a difference between whether I am a young person who is just starting to work and whether I am someone who has years of experience and has to make major decisions about an entire company.

50 companies have now introduced the four-day week on a trial basis. The idea doesn’t seem that far-fetched.
I’m not saying that the four-day work week is the solution. Especially because it depends on the definition: are we talking about working flexibly for four days and also getting paid for four days? Then it is just part-time work, which has always existed. Or are we talking about working four days instead of five, but with full pay?

The second is problematic for two reasons: on the one hand, it would be a 25 percent wage increase. On the other hand, a culture change would have to take place in companies, because people would have to learn to work more effectively to remain productive. For large companies, this is estimated to take about seven years.

People from Gen Z are also seen as committed, political people who want to change something – just think of the climate movement Fridays for Future. How does this fit into your view of the generation?
No generation is homogeneous. Furthermore, only a fraction of Generation Z actually supports Fridays for Future or is involved in the movement.

Baby boomers and late Gen Xers are often seen as people who put work above all else. Aren’t these generations responsible for the fact that Generation Z has such high expectations of their jobs today?
Guilt is the wrong term. You have to look at this in a more differentiated way. On the one hand, young people have of course seen how mom and dad worked hard and wonder why they should do that – especially when their pension is uncertain. On the other hand, a generation is always a product of upbringing. This is also described in the first word in the title of my book: ‘Spoiled.’

What exactly do you mean by that?
On the one hand there are the overprotective parents, the so-called helicopter parents. If they keep their children away from difficult experiences, they will not be used to being criticized later in the job market. They have been told that they are special and that receiving critical feedback does not reflect how they see themselves.

At the other extreme are the so-called tiger parents. These are the ones who give their children the weekly schedule of a top manager, with bilingual kindergarten, tennis lessons and piano lessons. This upbringing also has an impact: if a child has been trained to perform, but cannot really give up due to his young age, he may flee the situation and give up, for example. And those who once had to flee from parental pressure to perform often similarly flee their jobs by “ghosting” or quitting at the first bad feedback. These learned coping strategies are reapplied in adulthood, which is fatal for companies.

What do you think of the author’s comments about Generation Z in Germany? What does it look like in Switzerland? What experiences have you personally had?

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(t-online/dsc)