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Only Gen Z Can Save The American Workplace
As corporations speculate about the future of work, they are turning to Generation Z for answers
Millennials screwed up America’s workplace, and now it’s up to Gen Z to fix it. Six years in commercial real estate taught me that CEOs design their workplaces and policies according to the preferences of the dominant generation. The goal isn’t to have the coolest office or innovative culture. It’s to recruit talent.
Millennials (my generation) wanted an open office. We wanted ping-pong tables and craft beer on-tap. We didn’t want separation between work and leisure. We wanted to push work to its limits.
Our dreams became reality, but there were consequences. Anne Helen Peterson, the author of the book Can’t Even: How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation wrote, “millennials, as a generation, are suffering from burnout, a psychological condition characterized by the collapse that follows work.”
There’s hope. The pandemic opened the door to revolution, and corporations are again speculating about the future of work. Where will they go for answers? The next generation in line — Generation Z.
It’s up to you Gen Z. Here’s what you can do to save our failed workplace.
