If You’re Frustrated With Gen Z, Read This First
Over the past year, in conversations with friends, RISE members, and students entering the workforce, I’ve noticed a few consistent patterns. On the surface, they sound like complaints: A...
Over the past year, in conversations with friends, RISE members, and students entering the workforce, I’ve noticed a few consistent patterns. On the surface, they sound like complaints:
A stronger desire to be in the office for the social aspect.
Sloppy or overconfident use of AI.
Weak critical thinking, asking before attempting.
Slower pace or what feels like a softer work ethic.
And a noticeable soft skills gap.
But I don’t actually see these as flaws. I see them as leadership signals, and how we respond will determine whether we build strong teams or just reinforce generational frustration.
1. The office is about connection
Contrary to assumptions in recent years, many Gen Z professionals actually want in person time. Gallup’s May 2025 findings show that Gen Z employees are the least likely generation to prefer fully remote work. Only about 23 % of remote-capable Gen Z workers would choose fully remote, compared with around 35 % for older generations. At the same time, Gen Z is most likely to want others in their organization to work in the office more often, driven by loneliness and relationship-building needs. Gen Z may be quietly driving an office revival, seeking mentorship, relationship building, and growth opportunities that are easier to access in person than through screens.
I see that firsthand. At RISE, our Florida team meets in person on Wednesdays. Not for status meetings. Not to sit on Zoom together in the same room. We use that time intentionally for collaboration, brainstorming, whiteboarding, and working sessions that are simply better face to face. If people are going to commute, it needs to matter.
A friend of mine recently took a role and she enthusiastically shared with me that she was most excited about actually being able to work in an office, something she hadn’t been able to experience for the 5 years that she’s been out of college.
Gen Z is not asking for surveillance. They are asking for belonging. If leaders design office time around development and connection, it becomes an advantage instead of a debate.
2. AI use is not the problem. AI discipline is.
Yes, I’m seeing copy paste work. Minimal editing. Overconfidence in outputs. What we have is a capability issue, not a character issue. According to a 2023 McKinsey report on generative AI in the workplace, employees are adopting AI tools rapidly, often without formal training or governance structures. That gap shows up in quality.
I’ve joked internally that we may need to create a new tool, not spell check, but “AI check.” Wouldn’t it be great to have something that flags anything that sounds overly robotic or suspiciously polished? Maybe it automatically deletes em dashes while we’re at it.
The point is this, AI literacy is baseline, and AI judgment is the differentiator. Instead of banning tools, leaders should train teams on verification, refinement, and accountability. AI should accelerate thinking, not replace it.
3. Critical thinking must be built
I see young professionals escalate questions quickly, sometimes before attempting to solve the problem. It can feel inefficient, but often it comes from fear of being wrong. The World Economic Forum consistently ranks analytical thinking and problem solving as top skills for the future of work. Those skills are not automatic. They are trained with consistency.
So, we must train them. When someone asks for the answer too quickly, we must respond with questions. What do you think? What options have you considered? What would you try first? Then, set guardrails to have them attempt before escalating. Ideally bring two proposed solutions and show your reasoning. I even tell my six year old, don’t bring me problems without a solution.
Critical thinking grows through practice, not criticism.
4. Speed and work ethic need context
Where some leaders perceive a weaker work ethic, I often see a lack of urgency context. Gallup research shows that only a small percentage of employees strongly agree they know what is expected of them at work. When expectations and impact are unclear, urgency drops. Many early career professionals have not yet experienced the downstream effects of missed deadlines, lost revenue, or client dissatisfaction.
So, we must show them by tying tasks to outcomes, share metrics, let them see wins and losses, and explain how their work affects someone else. Ownership builds pace. Belief fuels effort.
5. The soft skills gap is real and solvable
Perhaps the most documented challenge is soft skills. A National Association of Colleges and Employers survey consistently finds employers prioritize communication, teamwork, and problem solving. Yet many report new graduates struggle in these areas. This is not surprising since Gen Z came of age during a pandemic that limited in person collaboration at critical developmental stages. We cannot expect fully formed executive presence at 23.
However, we can teach it. Leaders can role play difficult conversations, provide real time feedback on communication, model professional writing, encourage presentations, and put them in rooms where they have to navigate disagreement respectfully. Soft skills, or what we call Human Skills at RISE, are not innate. They are practiced. That is why RISE exists to provide the tools and training that leaders need to develop their next generation.
Every generation enters the workforce underdeveloped somewhere. The difference now is the speed of change and the visibility of mistakes. When I started out, everyone had complaints about millennials. What I learned is that every generation will complain about the next. It’s not a problem with the generation, but rather a lack of knowledge (or willingness) on how to adapt to managing teams who are different from you.
We can label these traits as deficiencies… or we can treat them as coaching opportunities.
They want connection. Build real community.
They use AI. Teach discernment.
They ask questions. Develop thinking discipline.
They move at a different pace. Clarify stakes.
They lack some soft skills. Train them deliberately.
New decade, same conversation. Leadership is not about demanding something different from a generation. It’s about developing the one in front of you. If we do that well, we will not just manage Gen Z, we will elevate them, and in doing so, we will raise the standard of our organizations and industry too.
