August 2024
High school students are looking for jobs in healthcare over tech, according to a survey in which companies with top spots like Google, Amazon, and Facebook are being usurped by The Mayo Clinic, St. Jude’s, and the CDC. This suggests that students are not only considering job satisfaction and stability, but the reputation of the company and its potential for meaningful work. (Business Insider)
Young workers are using their current job as an avenue to obtain their desired position, but not in ways you might think. Giving an elevator pitch while delivering pizzas, handing out resumes as a waiter, cold-contacting company directors on LinkedIn; Gen Z is proving that ‘hustling’ in the current work climate can be a creative endeavor as much as it is an arduous one. (Fortune)
Despite half of Fortune 500 CEOs being a part of Gen X, they remain a largely ignored generation. Compared to the 77 million Boomers and 83 million Millennials, there are only 65 million Gen Xers, providing the once-latchkey kids with an unfair playing field in terms of governing the workplace. But Gen X workers can help bridge the gap between younger and older colleagues, and perhaps prove that what’s in the middle of the sandwich is the reason you bought it in the first place. (FastCompany)
Hollywood tends to portray blue-collar work as undesirable, and over one third of Gen Z seems to agree. Around 83% of Gen Zers believe that trade careers do not promise a strong sense of accomplishment, yet many are aware that the skills learned from a college degree are more likely to be replaced by advances in technology. Individuals entering the workforce are in need of positive portrayals of blue-collar workers in the media to affirm their career choices. (Newsweek)
“Hushed hybrid” is the new term for describing managers’ divergence from company policy in when they allow themselves and their employees to work remotely. While being flexible with return to office policies can boost morale and help retain workers, managers should encourage transparency so that trust issues between leaders and employees do not develop. (Forbes)
Charisma, or "rizz" as Gen Z calls it, is a desirable trait for managers, and it can be learned. Charismatic leaders are engaging, relatable, and attentive, and they do not have to be extroverts. Taking the time to memorize an employee’s birthday or owning up to stumbles can demonstrate empathy and vulnerability, which employees will likely appreciate and reciprocate with productive communication. (The Wall Street Journal)
Fully 47% of Australian employees feel pressure to continue working despite being unwell. This “presenteeism” is often a result of wanting to appear loyal to one’s work for fear of the consequences of not appearing as such. While Boomers take an average of 8.9 sick days a year, Gen Z workers take an average of 14.3. Practicing a health-conscious culture can help normalize discussions around mental health and time off. (Yahoo Finance)
To cope with the stress of hustle culture, Chinese Gen Zers are transforming into birds. The social media trend involves hiding their legs under oversized t-shirts, sticking their hands out of the bottom to look like talons, and flapping their empty sleeves like wings. So, next time work gets you down, just remember: you can always pretend to be a bird. Just don't expect to actually take flight. (The New York Times)