Workers have long subscribed to an unwritten office playbook, including not discussing wages with others and never telling your boss how you really feel about them—but Gen Z hasn’t got the memo.
Instead, the youngest generation to enter the workforce is opting to ring in an era of brutal honesty to the workplace—including telling their managers exactly what they're doing wrong.
Adobe surveyed over 1,000 U.S. Gen Z workers—those born between 1997 and 2012—who have been employed for up to three years and concluded that they’re “not shy about using their voice”.
In fact, nearly three-quarters of the young workers said they’re completely comfortable giving upward feedback to their supervisors. This jumps to 90% when it comes to dishing out criticism of their peers—and around the same percentage of respondents said they are comfortable with discussing their job satisfaction (or lack thereof) at work.
What’s more, the majority of respondents also said they didn't mind talking about historically taboo topics like money, with nearly eight in 10 revealing that they are comfortable with talking about their wages.
How to cope with brutally honest Gen Zers
“Gen Z employees are entering the workplace with a fresh take on how, when, and where you should work and with a different set of skills,” Jill Cotton, career trends expert at Gumtree, said regarding the research.
“For too long, secrecy in the workplace has stifled attempts to create greater equality amongst employees,” she tells Fortune, adding that finally young workers are increasing transparency within companies by discussing what matters most—whether it is mental health, salary or career goals.
“Employers need to be ready to be called out for inequal practices as Gen Z are not prepared to suffer in silence,” Cotton adds.
But while smashing taboos can generate a more open company culture, more equitable pay and a fairer workplace—it can also create chaos.
Research has shown that when salary transparency highlights unfair discrepancies between what workers are earning, tension arises and resignations swiftly follow.
It’s why recruiters told Fortune that clearly defined salary banding is key to avoiding all-out war as Gen Z opens the can of worms.
As well as changing how wages are communicated, FBI agent turned leadership coach and organization consultant, Tina Carroll-Garrison thinks the latest generation of workers—and their way with words—calls for a shift in management.
Essentially, she thinks that managers should be the ones actively asking for feedback, instead of waiting for it to hit them in the face from their new hires.
“For Boomers, this is especially hard because it's just not where they come from,” she says, while adding that from her experience senior leaders soon take stock of how “valuable the asking is because they see how it builds trust and rapport.”
“Ask ‘How am I doing’, or ‘Am I providing you with what you need to be successful’ and then prepare yourself for their answer,” Carroll-Garrison adds.
Similarly, Cotton echoes that “it’s important for employers to take time to listen to what younger employees want and need.”
“When employees feel empowered to talk up, managers will be held more accountable for why decisions are taken,” she says. “Be prepared to explain the reasons behind the choices the company has made – this level of transparency will give your teams the opportunity to understand and get behind your decisions.”
Most importantly, Cotton insists that increased transparency “shouldn’t be feared” by managers because ultimately it’ll shine a light on issues at their firm and give them the heads-up needed to create change.
Gen Z is changing the workplace
Adobe’s survey adds to prior research that shows how Gen Z is disrupting long-held workplace norms.
Long gone are the days of working 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for one employer. Instead, Gen Z workers would rather work from 6 p.m. onwards and take on multiple contract gigs to cater work around their lifestyle. At the same time, they want stress free jobs with little responsibility, calling time on hustle culture.
Even the office chat is evolving to cater to young workers, with phrases like “menty b” and “cozzie livs” becoming ever more present in water-cooler conversations.
Although, it’s easy to write off the looming threat of a complete overhaul to workplace tradition while Gen Z still represents a relatively small minority group.
Ignoring these slow but steady changes to company culture could be a huge oversight, after all, Gen Z will make up 25% of the workforce by 2025.
