Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Young and the Anxious

The phrase young and carefree may not apply to the latest generation to join the workforce.

As generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2010) graduates, completes their apprenticeships, and starts their careers, employers are taking note of the stark contrasts between them and millennials, gen X, and boomers. They’re more competitive, independent, desire face-to-face communication, and are true digital natives. They also report much more anxiety than previous generations.

According to a 2018 American Psychological Association survey of stress in America, over half of the gen Z participants said they felt anxious or nervous due to stress in the preceding month. As people aged, this number decreased:

Gen Z – 54%
Millennials – 40%
Gen X – 35%
Boomers – 27%
Seniors (73+) – 17%

One driver of this trend is stage of life. Young people are in that tenuous time of completing postsecondary education and apprenticeships, deciding on a career path, and then trying to find a career in a workforce still largely populated by boomers—many of whom willingly or unwillingly are prolonging their time until retirement.

Additionally, gen Z grew up witnessing—and possibly experiencing—secondary trauma from cultural events that threatened their sense of safety in the world: 9/11, the Great Recession, school shootings (Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland) political turmoil, and climate change.

“[Gen Z’s] efforts to wrest control of the ‘unsafe’ narrative contributes to their own perfectionistic strivings for the best grades, the most ‘Likes,’ and the over-stuffed resumes upon which they base their sense of self-worth and security,” says psychologist B. Janet Hibbs. “Who wouldn’t be stressed?”

Another significant factor is that young people are much more likely than older generations to report, discuss, and seek support for mental health struggles. As the stigma surrounding mental health decreases, the demand for psychologically safe workplaces will rise.

Companies who fail to recognize this trend in their young workers—and do something to address it (such as monitoring the psychological safety of the workplace and encouraging employees to discuss mental health issues openly)—may face another gen Z trend: workers who ghost their boss by simply not showing up when they don’t feel supported.

What is Ghosting?

It has nothing to do with Patrick Swayze and a pottery wheel. Instead, one ghosts another by being present one day and not the next. A potential romantic partner will ghost you by not returning your texts and calls and disappearing without a trace. Employees who feel unsupported and dissatisfied with their work will ghost their employer by leaving without notice—a move that hurts both the companies and the coworkers left to pick up the ghost’s slack.

The Young and the Anxious

What is Ghosting?

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