Search for “zoomers” online and a familiar caricature emerges: a whiny, entitled, undisciplined and lazy generation that supposedly lacks the resilience and work ethic of those who came before. Headlines love to cast generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) as the scapegoat for workplace aimlessness and stagnation. One Wall Street Journal column went so far as to brand the entire lot “unemployable”.
These perceptions have become deeply ingrained in the broader workforce: one YouGov survey found that over half (52%) of respondents believe workers in their twenties are lazier than older generations. In another survey, respondents scathingly described their gen Z colleagues as emotional (56%), less invested in their jobs (55%), selfish (49%) and incompetent (34%). Just 10% said they had a strong work ethic.
The idea that such broad generalisations apply to nearly three billion gen Zs is questionable, especially given reports that show many younger employees have typically been the most eager to return to the office following the pandemic, to learn, collaborate and build social connections.
Even so, the narrative of a disengaged and wayward youth continues to shape how young professionals are treated at work. In a poll of 2,000 UK office workers aged 21-25, nearly half (44%) said they had experienced negative stereotyping from older colleagues simply for being gen Z. Respondents said they are criticised for being too passionate or outspoken, for using slang or humour, for setting healthy boundaries, and even for the way they dress.
What’s more, firms are sometimes deprioritising younger candidates based on these perceptions. One study found 38% of US-based hiring managers would rather hire older workers over recent Gen Z graduates, often because they view younger applicants as unprepared for the workforce.
Challenging the stereotype
Such attitudes are familiar to Peter Watkins, senior director of university programmes at the CFA Institute, a non-profit organisation that provides finance education to investment professionals. His role involves engaging directly with students entering the workforce and with employers shaping early-career roles, giving him first-hand insight into how businesses recruit, manage and develop gen Z talent – and where their assumptions often fall short.
Laziness and rudeness are not the dominant traits Watkins encounters. Gen Z workers are no less willing to work than previous generations, he argues, but they often approach tasks, communication and career progression differently. “Sweeping claims about poor work ethic are unfounded and can actively damage gen Z employees’ confidence and career progression,” he says. “By clinging to outdated stereotypes and biases companies risk overlooking high-potential talent and fresh perspectives.”
In Watkin’s view, unfair criticism of gen Z stems from a familiar cycle of generational friction, compounded by a lack of empathy for early-career growing pains and a fundamental misreading of modern working styles.
The empathy gap
“Today’s young people are navigating an unprecedented set of challenges: the aftershocks of lockdowns, the rapid arrival of AI in the workplace and mounting global instability. Yet instead of empathy and understanding, they are often blamed for circumstances entirely beyond their control,” Watkins says.
That empathy gap has been widened by structural shifts in how work and learning take place. During the depths of the Covid-19 crisis, a vital form of development was lost: learning by osmosis. “In a world of hybrid and remote work, informal training has suffered from the disappearance of unstructured, in-person interactions,” Watkins explains. “Young graduates have had fewer opportunities to linger, observe workplace culture, ask ad-hoc questions or build trust through everyday encounters.”
Read this article in full here: What employers are getting wrong about gen Z’s working style
