Are you a Gen Z who lacks confidence talking on the phone? Or do you work with Gen Zs and wish they would call people rather than text? You aren’t alone.
Employers are concerned that some Generation Z workers lack previous generations’ interpersonal skills.
But why is this the case?
Thanks to the Sydney Morning Herald, Forbes and News.com.au, we explore some of the reasons why.
Employers report many Generation Z workers lack social and communication skills. For example, some younger workers struggle with eye contact or speaking in a meeting. Others lack the confidence to pick up the phone and call clients. Many prefer to contact people by email or text rather than calling, which frustrates their older colleagues.
Younger workers reported that developing confidence on the phone took time.
Some experts claim that Generation Z’s reduced social skills result from spending a lot of time interacting with screens. As a result, they have not developed many of the skills required for in-person conversation. For example, interacting with people in person or by phone takes more confidence than interacting with them online or by text message. However, there are also other factors at play.
The pandemic’s impact on Generation Z workers’ social skills cannot be underestimated. Working and studying remotely has limited their ability to connect with others.
Many started their careers during the pandemic, so they have had difficulty building relationships like their older colleagues. This might be one reason why younger workers are more likely to choose to work from the office rather than at home.
Many workers currently entering the workforce were at school or university during the pandemic. Therefore, they missed opportunities to develop their social and communication skills.
Many also become out of practice in communicating in person. Commencing their careers working remotely has not helped them regain this confidence.
According to a Canadian study, 50% of young remote workers believed their social skills had declined due to working remotely.
25% said their verbal skills had declined because of the pandemic.
In an interview with news.com.au, Lily, a 23-year-old Victorian recent graduate, outlined the impact the pandemic had on her social skills.
“Completing my course remotely and speaking to minimal people face-to-face, predominantly family members for a good part of a year, really impacted my confidence and communication skills,” she said.
So what can young workers do to improve their skills?
To help address this issue, younger workers can engage in professional development activities that build their social and communication skills. In addition, they should practice these skills as much as possible, both in the workplace and through other social activities. Where possible, they should avoid working fully remotely and try to attend the office periodically.
Employers should provide the opportunity for younger workers to develop these skills. They should foster open communication and provide feedback to help employees improve their skills. Workplaces should also consider mentoring programs, which enable inexperienced professionals to learn from their more senior colleagues.
It is also important to recognise that different employees will have different skills to others and remember that we can all learn a lot from each other.
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