Hello Hello,
Happy Fall! Although it’s still quite warm here, I am ready to embrace autumn. I’m thinking a lot about work lately – the good and the challenging.
I recently heard an interview with a few hiring managers across multiple industries who were universally declaring that they will not be hiring any more Gen Z talent. They went on to outline the behaviors they’ve observed with recent hires that have led them to their harsh conclusion. I have to admit, I had to work hard not to blindly agree with the article but rather acknowledge the nuance of each individual in the workplace. And, in the days since I heard that interview, a completely different perspective has piqued my interest. We can’t ignore that ‘Corporate America’ was created by a very homogenous group and has thrived based on very specific behavior by it’s participants. What if the problem isn’t Gen Z? What if the problem is Corporate America? We assume that because the new generation isn’t silently falling in line with the culture of Corporate America it means that their behavior is problematic. The unrelated story that led me to an alternative line of thinking was actually a podcast about whether or not Biden would step down. Stay with me. The podcast was making an analogy between the Democratic party / Biden and a problematic father in a family. Everyone within the situation knows there’s an issue, but it’s easier to go with the flow than call out the elephant in the room. The few who do want to speak the truth are usually condemned as traitors or haters. Is Gen Z collectively calling out the problematic father in the family (figuratively speaking)?! Is their rejection of the status quo when it comes to office life a much needed wake-up call? [Trust me, I’m having to fight my own internalized conditioning as it relates to Corporate America in order to even entertain this perspective!] What is normal? What is acceptable?
I can’t help but think of a saying my husband routinely references… “Hard times make tough people. Tough people make good times. Good times make weak people. And weak people make hard times.” Is the rub between Gen Z and Corporate America an issue with the people or the times? Undoubtedly it’s both, but how do we parse out the two?
Per usual, just a thousand questions. No answers.
Talk soon,
Jessica
#powertoprivilege #courageousconversations
PS Why am I capitalizing Corporate America? Should it be corporate America?