“Found One 26 Y.O. Crying Under Her Desk”: 31 Stories About Working With Gen Z And Millennials

To learn more about what it's like to work with the younger generations, we reached out to Tom Brunskill, CEO and co-founder of Forage, an online platform that allows students to participate in job simulations and become up to 2.6 times more employable. Tom was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share some of the generational gaps that might appear when younger individuals works with older colleagues.

"When Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Zers are working together, you might see differences in work habits like working hours, communication styles, attitudes about work, and work environment preferences," Tom says.

"Gen Z tends to be the most non-traditional when it comes to different work habits: this generation is more likely to want to communicate via messaging platforms like Slack versus phone calls; they're more likely to opt to use tech to make their work-life more efficient; they tend to want to set strong boundaries between work and life; they often see work as part of their life and something to balance with personal priorities," he explained.

"Gen X is not as traditional as their 'Boomer' counterparts, but much of their work life revolved around workplace norms like long hours and work-over-life balance, especially with Boomers as their bosses," Tom continued. "This generation tends to be very independent and values flexibility and autonomy versus hand-holding."

Millennials, on the other hand, are somewhere in the middle of the two, Tom says. "They dealt with the backlash of being called 'lazy' and 'entitled' when they joined the workforce — similar to the stereotypes Gen Z faces now — and many have felt like they needed to make up for it with their work ethic. Millennials tend to look for stability when it comes to the workplace."

So, how do these generational differences manifest in the workplace? "Some are bigger than others, but even small habits like communication preferences may not seem like a big deal, but over time, appealing to only one group can make people feel alienated or even uncomfortable sharing ideas, information, and feedback," Tom shared.

"A Gen Zer who loves async communication on Slack may get burnt out if they're forced to be on meetings all the time, while a Gen Xer might want to hop on more calls if most of their team's communication is on Teams," he explained. "While we shouldn't assume someone's habits based on their generation, being aware of different preferences can help make people feel more comfortable and excited about participating at work."

When it comes to the pros of working with the younger generations, Tom says, "[They] get a lot of traction about their work preferences and attitudes because they're non-traditional, but for good reason — they're pushing the limits of what's possible at work."

"Gen Z and millennials are open to new ways of doing things in the workplace, whether that's benefits like flexible work schedules or remote work, or tangible pressure on companies to do better and stick to their mission statements," he noted. "They're excited about the future and believe they can have a hand in making the workplace better for everyone."

But Tom points out that the new ideas younger generations bring to the table can sometimes cause friction because they're challenging what a lot of us think about work. "Older generations may understand more of the complications and challenges of changing the norms of the workplace, and know that progress might not come immediately," the expert explained. "Working with younger generations can be a tricky balance of trying to understand where they're coming from while still enforcing some of the rules of the workplace."

Tom also shared some advice for older generations who are now working with much younger employees. "Meet younger generations where they are instead of assuming what might motivate them. This means getting curious about why your younger employees have taken this role, decided to pursue this career path, and even joined your company," he told Bored Panda.

"Ask them questions about their work preferences, skills they want to build, and goals. Be a listening ear before providing any suggestions. You might not get the answers you expect, and that's OK — even good. You won't be able to motivate your younger employees until you know what motivates them," Tom noted.