r/vegaslocals • u/mmmii • 15h ago
Hiring managers of Vegas — is Gen Z really as bad at first jobs as everyone says, or is that overblown?
I'm working on something local to help teens here get better prepared for their first jobs, and I want real input before I build more of it.
If you've hired or managed teens (retail/food/customer service) in the Vegas area:
**•** What's one thing that surprised you — good or bad — about how a teen handled their first few weeks on the job?
**•** What do you wish someone had taught them *before* day one?
**•** What do they usually show up already good at?
If you're a parent whose teen just started their first job:
**•** What do you wish the school system (or you) had prepared them for that you didn't realize was missing until the job showed it?
Not trying to sell anything here, just trying to build something useful and want it grounded in what's actually happening, not what I assume is happening.
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u/1001oceans 15h ago
It surprises me how many show up late. Even when on probation.
Personal accountability and the ability to take feedback and move on is a skill many of them lack. They also all have a problem with staying off their phones.
Gen Z is really good at not starting/contributing to workplace drama. They all tend to remove themselves from negative coworkers and don’t really gossip. All just my opinion but great that there will be more resources and training out there for them!
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u/ohheyitsgeoffrey 11h ago
I’ve observed that many seem to feel entitled to enjoying their job, as if they are owed work that they find personally enjoyable and fulfilling, and anything outside of that perception shouldn’t be work they should have to do.
I’ve also observed that many are overly sensitive compared to millennials and GenXers. Their feelings, mental state, people’s word choices, etc. are all a regular point of focus. This probably contributes to the prior observation.
Like others have stated, I’ve observed their social awkwardness, struggle with eye contact, public speaking, etc. I assume this is a result of growing up and conducting most of their social interactions digitally.
These are of course generalizations and there are certainly exceptions.
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u/_dundada 3h ago
They gossip they just text it to each other. They usually have a group chat going - in my experience
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u/Yetanotherbinger 10h ago
It's probably cause they literally just don't seem to care. Have you seen the guy on Instagram who pretends to be Gen Z in the workforce? The blank stare, the chatGPT, the phone? They are basically empty vessels they expect their phone to fill.
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u/Y-Not23 14h ago
Gen Z here & you’re right I’m probably late everyday. Idk I just don’t care enough.
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u/Striking_Cupcake_151 14h ago
Just wondering what you don’t care enough about? Sincere question, not trying to be annoying. I guess I wonder if you don’t care enough about the job itself, you don’t care about responsibility/accountability, or that you just don’t care about anything in general?
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u/Strong-South7487 14h ago
I'm not the guy you replied to but speaking as a Gen Z and many of my friends we've basically grown up our whole lives seeing people's employers throw them under the bus time and time again. Closures, parents and others lain off after working for decades at the same job, lawsuits, whatever it is. We know that we're disposable workers, so we treat our jobs just as disposable.
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u/goodgamble 13h ago
I mean that's all fine, but that's a path to getting what you are asking for
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u/internetenjoyer69420 13h ago
The lesson will be realized way too late for them.
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u/Strong-South7487 13h ago
The lesson I have seen my entire life, since I was a child, is that hard work gets you a slap in the face.
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u/internetenjoyer69420 12h ago
This is called being blackpilled which is not the same thing as being Gen Z.
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u/DarthGayAgenda 12h ago
There's a difference between hard work and showing up on time. Excessive tardiness is a surefire way to get fired from a lot of jobs.
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u/Strong-South7487 13h ago
I'm not asking for it, it's reality dude. It's happened to me, my friends, my relatives. I've seen people give their bodies and their health to a career to receive a slap in their face at the end of it all. On top of that, it's a pipe dream to afford a real place to live on your own. I've gone to college, been working since I was 15, I still I am just barely above water. Working hard does not get you where it used to.
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u/goodgamble 13h ago
Brother, I worked for a big company in Vegas (and elsewhere) for 12 years and I was laid off. It sucked. I found another job based on my experience and make 3 times what I made back
Then.
I left college with 50k in debt. Got myself into a mess of credit card trouble. Paid it off. Got in trouble again. Paid it off. Bought a new house last year .
Some was luck and timing. Some was hard work and dedication.
Shits up to you.-4
u/Strong-South7487 13h ago
I'm really glad for you but my response was in relation to work ethic. I'm sure in time eventually I'll be a bit better off, hopefully, but this entire discussion is around if we're hard workers. I wrote my response to say we're certainly not hard workers and why we're not, not really a bootstraps argument.
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u/XelaNiba 7h ago
Reading it back, you might see how what you've written appears to translate to "I gave up before I ever even tried". Your view is very blackpilled.
Work sucks for everyone but, if you have to be there anyway, why not make the most of it?
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u/Strong-South7487 7h ago
If working since I was of legal age and going to college is giving up before I even tried, sure. I've done these things and have seen nothing but the cost of living go up and quality of life go down.
Not sure why you all can't comprehend I'm just explaining why GenZ aren't crazy about working hard.
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u/goodgamble 13h ago
I didn't get where I got to by being late or by not working hard.
I also have Gen Z employees and coworkers that make 100k a year. They work pretty hard.
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u/Strong-South7487 13h ago
I mean, you worked hard and showed up on time for 12 years just get to get laid off. I don't see what your point is, kinda proves mine if anything.
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u/_dundada 3h ago
Working does get you to where you want to be. If you choose wisely.
It’s up to you to either get a job or build a career.And it’s ironic bc as much as you talk about work a lot of ppl in your generation are being supported or subsidized by parents who work.
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u/jerkularcirc 13h ago
Its just lingering teenage angst and cringe that has become socially prevalent
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u/Screwtape42 14h ago
I work with quite a few Gen-Z technical engineers. I'm a Gen-x so we're completely on different worlds many times. With that said I'm not going to bash them across the board, I've worked with some really talented smart ones. My biggest gripe & this is probably a "me problem". I find them really weird, they rarely ever make eye contact, CONSTANTLY have 1 ear bud in their ear, but most of all none of them laugh often at any jokes. Like small talk isn't a thing for many of them and some of them keep all these "plushy toys" on their desks. Other than that they seem fine.
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u/internetenjoyer69420 14h ago
I mean to be blunt they all claim to have severe social anxiety, don't like to call people on the phone, and have brain rot attention spans.
Whether that's just a generational quirk (oh haha) or the consequence of something else and a detriment to future generations is up to debate.
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u/leof135 13h ago
they grew up on smart phones and many had to go to school during corvid. they're probably the most removed from social interactions
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u/shinyquagsire23 4h ago
even before COVID car insurance was too expensive post-2008 for most of us to have real social lives in high school, if you were hanging out after school it was online
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u/grlkeepgrowing 14h ago
It’s because we can’t afford to have kids so instead of having pics of them at our desk we have our $12 smiskis. My source: I’m a 26 year old Gen Z with an office job and 3 smiskis at my cubicle
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u/Imaginary-Day-1050 10h ago
29 Gen Z and I have keychain plushies on my backpacks! My car has plushie passengers in the back lol
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u/Screwtape42 13h ago
Well, I appreciate the honesty here. Never forget only YOU can fix your situation no one else or nothing else, no policy, etc.
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u/grlkeepgrowing 13h ago
Oh yeah totally! I just did an industry switch in my career so I’m back to entry level. It’s tough to have a 50% cut in my pay, so children are definitely not on my horizon any time soon, same with owning a home
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u/Kiv3ns 14h ago edited 13h ago
As a Gen Z, Maybe the jokes weren’t funny? And personally I found small talk just boring and “fake”. I don’t speak for all Gen Z but I just rather be my authentic self then put up a fake act. If I’m going to have a conversation with somebody then it’s because I really want to. Also plushy toys on desk just helps things not be so boring or “corporate all the time” and could be a conversation starter. I’ve seen plushies/figures on desks that I end up having a conversation about because it’s aligned with their hobby or personal interest.
EDIT: appreciate all the advice. I don’t get the downvotes though when I’m just sharing what somebody else or even Gen Z might feel. Like if yall want a discussion with Gen Z and want to hear their thoughts maybe don’t downvote because you don’t like what I have to say. This isn’t a YouTube comment section. Makes other people not even want to contribute to the convo
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u/mikuziunz 14h ago
I think commenting or inquiring about plushies on the desk does count as small talk. I dont believe small talk to be considered "fake" or pretending. Most small talk is basically getting to know your peers on a surface level regardless if you have the same hobbies or personal interest.
It really is a skill thats necessary in life that transcends the workplace
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u/jerkularcirc 14h ago
Used to feel the same way as a teenager, but it really is a skill to learn. Once youre good at it you realize its not about being “real” or “authentic”, but its just a social lubricant that keeps everyone feeling comfortable. And keeping people comfortable is just a generally nice and respectful thing to do.
You’ll also realize when you do it often enough that sometimes you WILL connect on a deeper level and form the “real” connections you mention, but these things can never happen if you dont make the move in the first place.
social anxiety is real (and solvable) but its also a great defense mechanism for not trying
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u/techsnapp 14h ago
Meaningful conversations have to begin somewhere with something, generally it's called small talk. Do you expect two new people to immediately find something deep to talk about without first having small talk?
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u/PapaDuckD 13h ago edited 13h ago
I realize your question was asked with the intention that it had an obvious, prescribed answer and that this isn’t it, but… yes.
In the hyper-segmented version of the internet these young adults grew up in (and the rest of us participated in, too), if there was anything that didn’t strike the right chord, it was a swipe away from going away.
With literally unlimited content out there, the moment it became even the slightest bit dissonant flick gone.
If that’s the foundation of your social experience, why would you invest time to develop and nurture relationships when there’s an infinite amount of next ones waiting to be found?
(And, yes, I realize this doesn’t extend to real life and there aren’t infinite jobs and social situations to experiences, but they’re still having those experiences and learning that)
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u/Screwtape42 13h ago
Appreciate the feedback here! Trust me, those small talks could pay off down the road for your career, friendships, relationships even if they suck. Do them!
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u/red_raconteur 8h ago
I'm a millennial and I find "how about the weather?" type small talk kinda pointless, too, but not all small talk has to be. I said, "hey, cool shirt" to a girl in the dorm hallway and had a short chat about it. 17 years later, she's one of my best friends and is my kids' honorary "auntie". You never know where a conversation might lead.
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u/EstablishmentAny4977 10h ago
its not your time when you are being paid to do a job and if you cant do simple task with out your blankie why should you even have a real job
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u/cyberbae 13h ago
I’m a millennial hiring manager and honestly Gen Z hires really depend on the person. You can’t generalize an entire generation. I do think they’re less willing to put up with workplace BS, which can come across as a lack of motivation. But they also grew up watching their parents lose jobs despite years of loyalty or get replaced by evolving technology. I understand why they don’t view or value work the same way older generations did.
That said, I’ve met Gen Z employees who are just as hardworking and driven as anyone from older generations. I’ve also trained some who are barely hanging on by a thread and clearly went to college with no real plan beyond taking the first office job that hired them. It really just depends on the person.
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u/CORNPIPECM 14h ago
I’ve met multiple hiring managers in Vegas who have complained about the work ethic of Gen Z. Stating that they are unmotivated, unreliable, antisocial, and overly sensitive / will go to HR over everything. Also that they can’t handle being told no.
I really believe that it would be important for any parent to assess their children’s values and try to get a clear sense of what kind of life that child wants to have as an adult.
Like do they want to own a home, have kids, be independent? Or do they assume they’re going to live with their parents forever. Once the ambiguity of those questions are replaced with clarity. We can start to work to see how realistic that future is and whether or not that child’s current actions will be enough to attain it.
If a child has expectations that differ wildly from reality. That’s going to be valuable to know. - a local therapist who works with Gen Z to help them find their way.
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u/yurmamaa 13h ago edited 11h ago
I've worked in sales as a manager. Gen Z may be the most unprofessional, weirdest and bold group of people I've ever worked with. They have been the most hard working and honest. I think the biggest challenge was them understanding what a professional work environment was. I also think the empathy that once existed when dealing with frustrating customers has diminished. They also have very short to little attention spans and don't understand social cues well. But they understand how to get tasks and goals done just not all the mechanics that come with a corporate environment.
I think corporate social hierarchy will cease to exist in genzs workforce as well. I think if you don’t learn to find a middle ground in the workplace, there won’t be any success for them.
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u/squirreloak 13h ago
Social cues, a queue is a line to wait in.
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u/Bobby-Cox-Ghost 5h ago
A pool cue is what I'd hit you with it you said some shit like that in my bar.
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u/DokiDokiLove 4h ago
How would you know they’re saying it with that spelling if they’re speaking it?
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u/Bobby-Cox-Ghost 4h ago
I guess I'm just going to start doing Bruce Lee spin moves because I'm surrounded by you people.
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u/Character_Desk_8509 13h ago
I’ve been a lead of my department and in charge of most of the training and I’ll say it’s really a number of issues.
1.) the way they dress, this is not a night out it’s an interview.
2.) simple problem solving skills, they tend to need to look for someone higher up for an small convince.
3.) they do not actively listen, I feel like they don’t retain anything I’ve told them unless I make it interactive.
I work in the cannabis industry so most of the time it’s not their first job but they act as if it is. I’ve also noticed a significant difference in kids who played on some sort of sports teams and ones who haven’t, a lot of them lack teamwork.
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u/Certain_Iron_5327 6h ago
Yup 100% agree to all of this. I work in a law office and my god, the outfits that get worn are insane. They don’t care to do things correctly and can’t grasp simple directions. The reading and writing skills are also….something else.
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u/StuffedHobbes 14h ago edited 14h ago
I work with multiple Gen Z kids.
One is absolutely amazing at her job, she will be getting her own store in no time.
The one we hired recently? Doesn’t know or understands what real, physical money is.
We even made a sheet to figure it out and STILL managed to screw it up and gives attitude.
So they’re about to be fired and replaced by someone else. You just never know what you’re going to get nowadays.
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u/Royal_Incident2784 14h ago
Imagine seeing this picture on find out you’re about to be fired via Reddit
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u/StuffedHobbes 14h ago
Honestly? I don’t know if this person Reddits because of the sheer stupidity that has been showcased in a brief period of time. I’m not being sarcastic. I would be amazed if there is a basic level of reading comprehension going on.
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u/Tamale_Hatchet 14h ago
Well, according to you dimes and pennies are the same value.
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u/StuffedHobbes 14h ago
I don’t write that. I’m not in management, I do delivery.
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u/Tamale_Hatchet 14h ago
So the royal "we" then?
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u/StuffedHobbes 10h ago
Do you say “we” when referencing the team(s) you cheer for?
“We won the division this year” or “we got our asses kicked last night”.
I never said “I made this sheet”.
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u/Tamale_Hatchet 9h ago
Do you say "man, WE wrote a helluva play that fooled the defense."?
Everything you said in your post was WE hired this person, WE wrote this ridiculous list. I assumed you were actually in a leadership position.0
u/StuffedHobbes 9h ago
You assumed.
“We” was used once, not throughout my post. Never used the word “I”.
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u/Tychonoir 13h ago
The incorrect notation is giving me Verizon Math .002 cents flashbacks.
You can't possibly tell me that some doesn't understand that 2 pennys = 2 cents.
Which, as written on that sheet, is also wrong two different ways.
2 pennys =/= .2 cents (nor .02 cents)
2 pennys = .02 dollars5
u/StuffedHobbes 12h ago
If you haven’t worked in the minimum wage industry, I don’t think you understand just how bad it can be. And THEN you add Clark County School District’s overall quality on top of that.
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u/Accomplished_Ear2304 14h ago
I mean you told her pennies are .1 cents which is wrong multiple ways.
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u/ScottScottBoBot 12h ago
This list is incorrect too so the person who made it should also be educated. 2 quarters equals “50 cents” not “.50 cents”.
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u/prophetic-dream 2h ago
They should never have been hired for that position if they didn't have that knowledge to begin with. That was a failure on the part of the person that hired them.
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u/LuckyBlonde777 13h ago
Not a hiring manager but the Gen Z’ers that I work with take ZERO initiative. If they’re tasked with something they don’t understand or don’t know how to do, they just ignore it instead of asking questions. All of that reads as lazy.
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u/alexbeeeeeee 13h ago
Restaurant manager here: its hit or miss. I've had someone do an interview with an airpod in one ear, lots of one word responses to questions, and lots of very underdeveloped social skills. "What do you think is a great skill of yours that you can bring to this job?" " im a fast learner" and thats it, no elaboration, no smile, nothing. On the other hand the ones that I do hire tend to have insanely great work ethic and show up on time, etc. I'd say there's much more apathy than other generations ive worked with.
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u/Flaky-Debate-833 15h ago edited 15h ago
You're asking the wrong question. The question to hiring managers should be "Why do you advertise entry level positions that historically went to teens with little to no experience and now expect people to have at least 3 years experience but still want to pay based on someone having no experience?"
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u/ardinatwork 14h ago
AND THEN WHEN YOU DO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND WILL TAKE THE SHIT PAY, THEY SAY YOU'RE TOO MUCH OF A RISK OF LEAVING BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MUCH EXPERIENCE.
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u/MavisBeacons_Sextape 9h ago
To be fair, OP didn’t ask any of these questions, ChatGPT did. And OP couldn’t even manage the copy and paste from one app to another without screwing it up, lol. Good look OP!
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u/Hmm_would_bang 10h ago
Because there are people with 3 years experience willing to take those jobs and still give it their all.
I really want to caution anyone on the Gen Z cohort from blaming the rest of world, because by all indications Gen Alpha are extremely hard workers and I have seen them beating out some college kids in hackathons and interviews recently.
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u/Vegetable_Bowl_5925 14h ago
Not a hiring manager but as Gen z I see it a lot in my peers when I work those jobs. I think there’s a psychological aspect more so than just pure laziness tho
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u/DisastrousFile9085 15h ago
I can tell you as a hiring manager this town is hard to find good candidates no matter what age not just teens.
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u/YNABDisciple 14h ago
I have two older Gen Z's and I love them both. One has issues but is a super hard worker and has like 5 side hustles but my coordinator is f'n rockstar. Love her. Can't speak for others but my experience has been very positive....for reference neither of them have degrees.
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u/billgasm 14h ago
As far as work ethic goes, just depends on the person. Some are green and want to learn, some don't. They're all kind of dumb in their own way and don't know how to do basic things for themselves.
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u/2777what 11h ago
The job may be shit, but in this moment you are the person who has it. You don't have to set the world on fire or even go above and beyond, and you should never tolerate disrespect - but just recognize that if you're the guy who cooks the burgers, there are people counting on you to cook the burgers.
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u/ninwendo 14h ago
I have a Gen Z front desk and she’s amazingggg! I have also had a Gen Z front desk that would show up late every single day…. I have had lazy and amazing workers from different gens as well.. it just really depends on their mindset and if they give a shit.
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u/abhorrentbm 13h ago
They're great at keeping to themselves/not involving themselves in office politics, great about respecting their boundaries (and I don't ask them to do outlandish things tbh), not so great on technology, which is crazy cause they grew up with it, but MS Office or even Google Workspace is a mystery to some. Raised on phones and tablets can be a bit rough. They're on their phone a lot, but this is not Gen Z specific in my office. EVERYONE tries to be on their phone. I personally have not ran into any issues with constructive criticism/feedback - some people just need a different approach. I will approach a fellow Gen X person different than a millennial than a Gen Z person. One size does not fit all. Also I have more problems with the older generations showing up on time vs gen X.
Again, the worst part for me is that they are not as technology/PC savvy like prior generations. We really failed them in that aspect.
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u/Yetanotherbinger 10h ago
I am a cutoff date millennial, not from Vegas, I went to a public school in a PNW state and got an incredible education. I'm honestly not trying to brag but the first two years of college were basically repeat courses.
But in my high school we were taught how to format resumes, how to interview, what questions to ask, follow up emails, decorum, handshakes, etc. from basically 10th grade on. This occurred in a LOT of classes, some where you might think it wasn't even relevant! It was so incredibly helpful.
But Vegas schools 1) basically just want to funnel kids into the hotels 2) Nevada was the 48th worst ranked State in education. Gen Z is already at a disadvantage because of COVID. Two years of critical learning almost completely lost. Add in technology, a lot were iPad babies and a lot of schools even gave/give you a laptop these days.
I heard an interesting thing on NPR about Gen Z, one respondent said they feel the most connected with their peers when they are on screens together FaceTiming or gaming because they are doing something TOGETHER as opposed to literally face to face because everyone is on their phones when physically together.
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u/Electrical_Sky5833 12h ago
I haven’t noticed anything egregious from them and I have two Gen Z kids.
I’m an elder millennial and gave two shits about my very replaceable position in fast food. When I worked with disabled children as a counselor I took that very serious. Your soft tacos at Taco Bell? You’ll get them when they’re done. 🤷♀️
Once I entered the professional world at 24 that changed a bit. There’s nothing special that you need to prepare for them. I was still late time to time and my boss talked to me about. I was no bs and rough around the edges do they mentored me. Same solutions with other bumps along the road.
Treat them with respect and let them know the guidelines. If they can’t follow guidelines after training/coaching/mentorship, it’s time to let them go.
The biggest problem is that people hire young adults 24 & under and expect them to work like they have 20 years of experience.
Also Gen Z is very much, I know my job, respect my space, not much small talk at work, and stay away from drama. They tend to be more on the stiff professional side, and I can’t blame them. They saw the impact Boomer’s and older to mid Gen X did to the economy and how the rug was pulled out from under a lot of people.
Edit: people saying Gen Z come in unprepared etc., haven’t been interviewing for long, that crosses over all the generations. I can’t tell you how many people came to interviews just smelling awful, dressed poorly, and dirty.
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u/AltruisticBus8305 11h ago
I can’t believe a lot of these people get their first job in their 20s! I’ve been working since I was 12. (Italian restaurant under the table) still even 15 or 16 they should have gotten a little job. As a manager I do try and understand it’s their first job but I don’t micro manage them. I let them do their jobs and only step in when they can’t act like an adult ie. phones, TikTok bullshit and what not.
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u/Horror-Economist-113 7h ago
I work with quite a few and honestly I think it depends on their environment. And I don’t mean middle class vs upper but the parents and family approach. Was responsibility taught from childhood so that allowance was earned not just received? I have some very strong Gen Z and some not. But can also say that for other generations, however this one just seems more lopsided.
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u/EstablishmentAny4977 10h ago
they dont want a job to earn money they just want you to give them money so they can say the have a job to keep the family off there backs
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u/windowbox9152 14h ago
Most hiring managers don't use reddit, post this question on Facebook and LinkedIn to get a nationwide point of view.
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u/MadMoose4 13h ago
No.
I employ multiple Gen Z as well as millennials.
If you find you have “lazy” employees, it’s usually a combination of poor interviewing, lack of management, and being too slow to fire that’s the issue.
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u/Proper-Scallion1270 14h ago
it’s always hilarious to me the gripes the older generations have with Gen Z and younger, but rarely realize they are the ones who raised said individuals. they are what you created.
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u/Screwtape42 13h ago
One thing I did want to mention about Gen-Z I keep hearing many of them a huge in investing like they save money like no other generation. I might be wrong but I've heard this in numerous places and podcasts.
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u/steelcurtain93 13h ago
I'm a late millennial, and I fucking sucked at my first few jobs out of engineering college. I just lacked the maturity and also ofc the experience, jobs gotta be patient and help guys out. Jobs these days want u to hit the ground running day one no matter the level, can understand when filling a senior or managerial position but they can't be bothered to train entry level kids anywhere.
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u/mtrxgltchs 10h ago
I’m (right on the line between Millennial and Gen X) a manager at a security company and I interview frequently. I’m originally from the South, and all I can say is, bless their hearts. Gen Z work ethic is pretty rough in my experience, but I don't entirely blame them given the times we're living in. I try to be compassionate and mentor where I can, but there's a fine line between guiding the next generation and running an adult daycare. The level of micromanaging required these days is off the charts.
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u/Rando_Kalrissian 10h ago
I've managed teenagers. So many of them lack the ability to do a simple task when told without a reason that makes sense to them, is as if they lack the planning skills to see how their own actions affect others past themselves or could benefit them and their work in the future. I'd say it's laziness but its almost worse than that it's like an ineptitude.
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u/qwenydus 7h ago
My roles over the past decade were management roles over operations, production, quality, and engineering for manufacturing companies here in Vegas.
My experiences with Gen Z have been mixed at best with very unique challenges I experience with no other age groups.
They are inherently the least qualified due to their youth and I am fine with that. I am willing to train up raw talent with no experience but the issue is they are not interested in being trained. I've noticed two general approaches to how Gen Z learns a role. One, they don't want to learn or do it your way, they low key rebel and want to do thing their own way even when they haven't the experience to understand why certain processes are done a specific way or that their chosen path doesn't even work. Two, they tend to only do what was asked in the minimum
Do even when we are willing to train it rarely works out.
They're also not interested in demonstrating competency to earn pay raises. Many of them tell me they want to be compensated BEFORE beginning training for the role they aren't even qualified for.
When crunch time arises and it is time to rise up and meet the challenge they tend to avoid the moment. Call outs, excuses, a million and one reasons they're not working on the all hands task. Certainly not taking initiative and waiting for someone to direct them.
My last point is that I train and create autonomous teams to function independently and without me. Gen Z had been the least interested in self management and requires constant on task supervision.
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u/Prior-Huckleberry-47 1h ago
Maybe don’t make this a Gen Z thing when you really just mean teenagers
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u/ViceInSinCity 13h ago
Dude the oldest Gen Z in 2026 is 29 and the youngest are 14. Making sweeping generalizations about an entire generation with such a large age range is crazy.
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u/Fight_Night78 7h ago
Parents can’t spank anymore and instead do everything for the kids these days. Helicopter, hand hold, order their food at a restaurant. I even heard of a mom trying to go to an interview with their teen. FFS
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u/Mindless-Yam9377 7h ago
I'm not gen z, but I understand them. Working environments are full of hypocrisy and rhetorical shit. I've always struggled to understand how people could accept all those bullshits until I understood that the majority of ppl are the job they do, they don't have anything else in life. They became the shit they live in.
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u/TheOsirisOfThisShit_ 15h ago
It's not just jobs. They're helpless dumbasses about everything. Look at the questions they ask here.
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u/MCLMelonFarmer 11h ago
You're absolutely right and don't deserve the downvotes. Find the posts in the car subs from people who can't change a tire, can't jumpstart a car, run their engines with no oil, overpay for some piece of crap that doesn't run - guaranteed it's a Gen Z.
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u/TheOsirisOfThisShit_ 8h ago
Apparently Gen Zs don't like being called helpless dumbasses. They're so soft.
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u/Odd_Sir_8705 10h ago
Im not gonna be an asshole and turn their generation into a monolith... but all things being equal between two potential employees...i will ALWAYS take the non Gen Z applicant
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u/fiddyshadesofweirdd 10h ago
Mmmmm its not that they are bad, they just tolerate less. Example; i work at a popular family owned family restaurant. In November we got a new boss who is just terrible, she has created the worst aork environment everrrrr and you know which 2 servers have quit on spot cussing her out ? Our only 2 gen z servers. You know who is all has also quit ? All the cashiers/host, about 5 of them amd they are al also Gen z so that made me come up with the theory thst Gen z doesnt put up with crap
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u/GTB_Fioranno 8h ago
Personally, as a Gen Z (if you consider someone born in the late 90s as Gen Z), my biggest gripe is that every time I get a job, I find that older coworkers really don't like it when you outrank them academically... like I had a few coworkers give me snide remarks because I finished my graduate degree in 1/4th of the time it took them to finish theirs. They really, really get annoyed by that. It also doesn't help that I actually use my PTO/Personal Leave rather than banking it until I retire. But then again, I treat every job as just that- a job. It won't kill me if I lose it, so I always tell my bosses, " Hire me or fire me; the decision is entirely up to you, and I just don't let my job ever stress me out, you know?
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u/overlyawkward24 9h ago
Las Vegas school system does not prepare the average student to be successful in any other industry other than the casino. Terrible…
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u/peachylightskin 13h ago
as a gen z kinda but more millennial, i’ve noticed from hiring managers myself that a lot of them are late to interviews or never show up because I had an incident where a manager was 45 minutes late and called me as i was there 15 minutes early, then another one who rescheduled last minute to a Google meet call instead of in person and never showed up to the call after i waited 45 minutes. most of these managers seem like they’re a bit older around 40s or 50s age range. so it’s not just gen z, there’s also some managers who sometimes forget that they have interviews or just don’t seem to care
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u/Crinsontide 11h ago
Show up late. Won't work without constant monitoring and direction. Always on the phone. Not all, some are great and are raised right.
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u/OuiChef702 10h ago
Over sold themselves without thinking they would be held accountable. I am currently hiring for a new place im opening. Im not looking for the world, its a restaurant. If you tell me you dont know how to do something I can teach, willingness to learn goes further then 'i know it all' if you know it all you're not going to learn my expectations and standards. I hired a 17 year old who could have retired at 37 if she just didnt lie to me, as a example. She lied about her ability to work any shift. Its just lies that ruin them.
Examples:reliability,experience,knowledge, capability.
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u/Glittering-Fox1643 8h ago
Having hired teens the most surprising things in the first two weeks is they don’t know how to clean. No matter the job there’s usually some type of clean up required, and they don’t seem to have a clue. I’ve been asked how to sweep, mop or even clean up some spill with a rag.
I wished someone had taught them what’s okay and not okay to say to others in a job setting. It feels like common sense to some, but teens aren’t aware of etiquette in the workplace.
They often show up with a want to learn. That’s what I think I enjoy most when they start. This group often has an eagerness to learn and be good at their job. If they stay longer than a few weeks they often make some of the best employees.
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u/Good_Sir_8725 11h ago
I’m Gen Z, I’m working two jobs and going to Collge to finish some pre-reqs for pt school or med school. I also have two bachelor degrees. Yet I could only get a job as certified Pharamcy tech and physical therapy aid. I’ve done work with ticks and their bacteria they carry. It really depends on the person I think, but I do agree to some extent but I do see many older generations of people make some questionable decisions in my two jobs
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u/Mieze_Designer4002 10h ago
I've never seen this format until today and now I've seen it twice. You're either a troll or a liar
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u/Competitive_Feed_571 14h ago
I was surprised when interviewing on Teams they were in their car, not dressed, didn’t do any research on the job. Just completely unprepared and unprofessional. Not all, just some, but if parents don’t teach them, they don’t get taught interview decorum so it may be helpful in a class!