Work It Like Gen Z

I’ll admit: It’s heartwarming to see the found families formed in workplace dramas, from “The Office” to “Brooklyn 99.” Who wouldn’t want a boss like Michael Scott?

But in real life? I don’t want that. After a few internships in big tech, where I felt overextended to the detriment of my own well-being, I now am content not draining myself of my passion, goodwill, and time for a company driven by profit and self-interest, no matter how many free lattes they give me or how “friendly” or “family-like” the culture is.

In other words, you shouldn’t feel guilty about not constantly hustling and investing your entire self into your work. Your job can simply be a job.

This sentiment matches up to that of other Gen Z’ers and younger millennials in the workforce. A Gallup poll indicated that our generation is slightly more likely to not feel engaged at work compared to older generations — some employers are frustrated at this audacity of Gen Z to not go above and beyond and to challenge traditional work norms. Gen Z’ers want to set their own work hours, think it’s reasonable to end work when they finish their to-do list, aren’t excited to stay after hours like their millennial counterparts, and even hand off tasks and critiques to higher-ups.

Older generations may mutter: Where’s the care, the humility, the passion?

First, we actually care a lot about job security. Half of us older Gen Z’ers have experienced or witnessed a family member losing a job or income due to Covid-19-related shutdowns, and Gen Z’ers (along with younger millennials) report higher rates of stress and work-related burnout than older generations. We were born and raised in the tides of economic crises, from the 2008 recession to Covid-19, and are no strangers to financial instability.

And we care about career advancement. In fact, a 2022 study found that a whopping 74 percent of Gen Z and millennial workers are likely to quit within the next year due to a lack of skills development opportunities at their current workplaces – which may appear as a lack of commitment, but actually signals our desire to invest in worthwhile career trajectories.

We care. But we also care about the prioritization of our well-being, the number one thing Gen Z’ers look for in a company. Not a surprise, considering we’re the age group with the highest rates of anxiety, depression, and distress.

We care – about being fairly compensated for our blood, sweat and tears. This is a point DeAndre Brown makes in his TikToks about being a “corporate baddie,” which have accumulated 36 million-plus likes. He playfully ridicules yet evokes admiration for Gen Z’s reclamation of agency around work, from refusing to wear more than one hat beyond the job description to exclaiming, “You’re rewarding me for hard work with more work (and not a promotion)?!”

Second, older generations may think we lack humility, and we indeed shouldn’t condone clear disrespect. Still, I ask employers to consider how expectations of “humility” or hierarchy can hinder positive change.

Gen Z is courageous: We prioritize diverse, inclusive companies with ethical leadership, and we found our voice in activism in the wake of social justice reckonings. We challenge the status quo, not because we don’t care, but because we do: We see ways to make our workplaces better and more equitable. More importantly, we care about all of us being seen as humans, who deserve to have lives beyond our labor.

And third: Ideally, we’d all feel passionate about our work, uphold our values, and reject the toxic work mentality. I admit I haven’t fully done that, from my obsequious interactions within LinkedIn culture to my numerous interviews to get internships in big tech (an industry known for its perpetuation of injustices).

But often, what we’re passionate about often isn’t a nine-to-five that can keep us afloat. TikToker Nicole Daniels portrays this reality, mocking nonprofit bosses that burn-out and underpay employees but emphasize how it’s worth it for “the mission.” And prolific writer Roxane Gay notes this need for compromise between work and passion, encouraging people to hold a day job that “you can leave at the job” to adequately support creative pursuits you’re actually passionate about.

And so, we criticize the system, but are pragmatic enough to leverage it in service of better lives for all of us – from sharing viral career hacks to crowdsourcing salaries to address pay inequity (through, for example, TikTok accounts like Salary Transparent Street, which has 25 million-plus likes).

The takeaway? Gen Z is both cynical and hopeful. We make do with what we have, and we’re pretty darn good at it.

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Back to found families: If you find one through work, that’s great! It is important to build rapport and psychological safety in a team to achieve success, and who doesn’t love a happy hour?

Still, our employers should help incorporate that bonding more into work hours: We shouldn’t feel obligated to give up already scant weekends and evenings, our only time for ourselves and loved ones. (And anyway, if our jobs work us so hard that we seek out colleagues to be our only confidantes, perhaps that signals we deserve more energy to build lives outside of our jobs).

And so, this summer, I chose between two coveted internships. One was more aligned with my passions and had more of a “we are family!” culture. But I knew it would blur my personal and work life, and leave me little energy to carve out my own peace — like doing yoga, catching up with loved ones, or doing this humble writing thing.

Thus, I chose the other one – where I’m excited to learn, work hard, and also have the distinct space to be a person.

There’s something incendiary about taking the path of lesser resistance. About sitting with the people we care about and protecting our moments of rest and play, as we tend to the gardens in strivings for a better tomorrow.

Vanessa B. Hu ‘23-24 is a junior in Currier House studying Computer Science. Her column, “Hopes and Hypocrisies,” runs on alternate Mondays.