Survey: 8 in 10 employers thing Gen Z workers need ‘etiquette training’

HOUSTON - It seems Gen Z is having a difficult time in the workplace. A new survey finds most bosses find those young employees need some help learning how to survive on the job.

To help you keep track of the generational labels, Gen Z is that group born between 1996 and the early 2010's. Expected to comprise a quarter of the workforce by 2025, they've got definite ideas about how the world should work. 

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However, for months, business headlines have noted that employers are often firing recent Gen Z hires because they are unprepared for the workplace for a variety of reasons. The new survey from from Intelligent.com suggests a lot of employers are considering special training to fill in some of the blanks.

Austin-based business consultant Jan Goss helps teach business and executive engagement and is concerned about Gen Z, "I don't believe it's their fault." 

She says the generation of Gen Z workers is the first raised on a steady diet of digital connections, potentially leaving them at a loss in face-to-face interactions. 

"Everything we're talking about here, in terms of communication, feedback, conversation, accepting constructive criticism, all of those have to do with connecting with others: they don't have the skillset," she says.

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Survey author Huy Nguyen helps guide students and young professionals. He says more than 80% of surveyed businesses report frustrating challenges working with Gen-Z employees and are considering 'workplace etiquette' training to improve workplace professionalism and increase productivity. Some believe it may be the only way to survive with the young workforce. 

"Often times, people are left with finding a job where they can get a job," says Nguyen. "Sometimes, bringing personal values into the an environment that may not mesh-well with what your personal values are, can be quite challenging."

Jan Goss agrees the training would be helpful, "If you want to build your business, you must build your people, and they are not coming to you as employees, pre-cooked."

Going forward, Huy Nguyen believes that young workers would benefit more from older coaches and mentors to teach the things a lot of experienced worked learned as they were getting started.