The ‘whatever’ generation

More than two years of quarantine. Lockdown in the homes, fearful of contamination. Paranoid of touching people. Endless news coverage of casualties and death as many succumbed to the virus. Working people are confined to virtual meetings and work from home. All these are unusual, to say the least, and imagine these “warn-torn, battled-scared” young people entering the workplace. No wonder HR people and business owners call for a “rewiring” of their thinking to ensure they can successfully integrate into the workforce.

The pandemic has disrupted their education, social lives, and job prospects, leaving many feeling lost and unsure about the future. Add to this the incessant posts on social media from “self-proclaimed and self-aggrandizing gurus “ harping on quitting a “toxic workplace” or “resigning because they may be working in a company with a toxic culture” has resulted in a generation of workers with a skewed perspective on work and life balance.

They may view work as less of a priority. They may need help understanding the importance of historical and time-honored virtues such as focus, hunkering down, nose to the grindstone, perseverance, learning before earning, taking direction, accepting rather than deflecting constructive criticism, and simply following instructions rather than debating them. Seasoned HR practitioners tell me that all these virtues seem to be foreign concepts for these newbies, and unless trained and educated, they have become too smart for their own good.

What is concerning is that the young generation of workers entering the workplace may have been shaped by a culture that glorifies shortcuts and cheats rather than hard work and dedication. Left unaddressed, these associates may develop the habit of shifting accountability and possess a strong sense of entitlement. Senior executives complain that many young people feel they are doing their employers a favor just by showing up for work. This is evident as more and more corporate clients have requested leadership training based on values and positive attitude enhancements. Crafting a new training course based on values and attitude development is not the sole responsibility of learning and development HR people. Leaders should also focus on fostering a culture of collaboration and inclusivity to ensure these new workers feel valued and respected. Be on the lookout for team members who exhibit the following expressions.

“Why? Who says so?” To those untrained and under-educated in values, authority, hierarchy, and directions are things of the past. Everything in a post-truth world is just a matter of opinion, and everyone’s opinion matters.

“Tell me why!” Everything’s up for discussion and debate. If the leaders are not ready to defend and justify their directions, they’re in for a rude awakening.

“Whatever!” Many untrained people must learn how to present a reasonable, intelligent argument. They have mastered the “whatever” defense. They are both easy to trigger or offend but hard to reach, so a quick “whatever” retort is an instant dismissal. Imagine a young salesperson telling the prospect or a customer upon hearing a statement they disagree with saying: “Whatever!” The young should be trained to adjust their attitude and learn to pay attention.

“Good Enough!” Exacerbated by the TikTok philosophy espoused by a 24-year-old engineer in New York promoting “quiet qutting” or delivering the barest minimum for the sake of “maintaining life balance and preservation of mental wellness,’ the traditional virtues of attention to detail, striving for excellence, proofing your work product, dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s are no longer given importance.

“Gotta go.” Always in a hurry to get things done. Gone at the strike of five, feeling the slightest bit of worry and concern, leaving their troubles, tasks, and team members to pick up the slack, and they are headed to their next gig or activity. It leaves you wondering what has happened to patience, pride in craft, perseverance, ownership, and responsibility.

We’re all headed into extremely challenging times because the “new” normal and the new workforce aren’t like anything we’ve seen before. But this offers opportunities for high-potential people to do the opposite of what they practice and exploit opportunities. With these attitudes and work ethics, the future will become bleak for them. As responsible leaders, we view these young people like they are our kids, and it’s our job to help them make something meaningful and valuable out of it despite themselves.

(Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.)