It’s no secret what Gen Z is often criticized for, in the words of the Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg, who doesn’t “bust their butts” at work like previous generations did.
Earlier this year, Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster complained that Gen Zers don’t show up to work until 10:30 a.m., and an MIT interviewer lambasted the generation for always “being late.” Just last month, a CEO voiced complaints about Generation Z when a young job candidate refused to do a 90-minute task because it “seemed like a lot of work.”
But it’s not just Gen Now even Gen Z hiring managers are complaining about their own generation’s work styles.
CV Genius asked 625 US hiring managers which generation is the most challenging to work with, and 45% pointed to Gen Z. Additionally, 50% of Gen Z hiring managers admitted that their own generation is the most difficult to manage.
Perhaps surprisingly, baby boomers—who also faced criticism for being out of touch with today’s workers after buying one-wage McMansions in the suburbs and then refusing to retire—were voted the easiest to manage.
However, being easy to work with doesn’t make the oldest generation of workers more employable: baby boomers are in fact the last people employers expect to hire right now.
While only 4% of hiring managers surveyed expect to hire baby boomers in the coming year, a third admit they will likely eventually hire Gen Zers.
Despite being the most difficult generation to work with, Generation Z is the second most likely candidate for a job. The most popular? Their slightly more seasoned millennial colleagues (45%).
By comparison, only 14% of hiring managers surveyed expect to hire Gen
With age, employees become easier to manage
The study didn’t explore why Generation Z workers are more challenging to work with than their peers, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that the latest crop of workers came of age during the pandemic.
Not only did Gen Z miss out on key college experiences, from frat parties to literally throwing their graduation caps in the air, but they also didn’t get a taste of the world of work through summer internships before entering the workforce.
That’s why employers are now giving graduates extra training to keep them up to date. Take the world’s four major consulting firms: Deloitte, PwC, KPMG and EY offer soft-skills training to all new junior hires, including lessons on how to express your opinion in meetings.
“It is completely understandable that students who have missed face-to-face activities during COVID may now be stronger in some areas, such as working independently, and less confident in others, such as presenting to groups,” said Ian Elliott, the lead . official at PwC UK, said out of compassion for young workers.
Moreover, COVID-19 is not entirely to blame for management’s struggles with Generation Z: as Resume Genius’ research shows, employees become easier to deal with with age.
While 45% of respondents described Generation Z as the most challenging to work with, this dropped to 26% for millennials, 13% for Generation Z and 9% for baby boomers.
Ultimately, being “difficult” is probably just a rite of passage. After all, millennials will remember being labeled as work-shy snowflakes before climbing the corporate ranks into management and putting Gen Z under pressure.
But instead of trying to make it easier to manage the youngest generation of workers, the study’s author suggests that companies should lean into Generation Z.
“Gen Z has already shaken things up, but they’re not here to break things—they bring a unique mix of talent and bold ideas that can rejuvenate any workforce,” wrote Geoffrey Scott, senior recruiting manager at Resume Genius.
For example, according to the study, Gen Z managers are most likely to make hiring decisions based on what candidates list as their “hobbies and interests” on their resumes, rather than their professional experience.
“Gene. Zs may have a bad reputation, but they have the power to transform workplaces for the better,” concludes Scott.
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com
