Gen Zers are more similar to boomers in their attitude toward physical contact, flirtation and fraternization—an attitude that could help them keep their distance from potential germ-spreaders.
Growing up in an era of political correctness and #MeToo may also be giving Generation Z a protective edge against the spread of coronavirus. According to a recent survey, Gen Z are definitely not touchy-feely when it comes to colleagues, a characteristic they share with their oldest peers.
The survey, from Reflektive, finds that Gen Zers are more similar to boomers in their attitude toward physical contact, flirtation and fraternization—an attitude that could help them keep their distance from potential germ-spreaders, not to mention sexual harassment suits. Millennials and Gen Xers, on the other hand, are more open to physical contact—with 7 percent of Gen Xers actually admitting to slapping colleagues on the butt at work.
In addition, 15 percent of millennials go for hugs, while 10 percent of GenXers will go for a kiss on the cheek. And both millennials and Gen Xers will resort to that awkward shoulder massage—something neither boomers (4 percent) nor Gen Zers (3 percent) engage in. What Gen Zers will tolerate are handshakes, high fives and fist bumps.
Then there's the matter of propriety in other behavior, with 75 percent of Gen Zers and 80 percent of boomers saying that sitting on a colleague's lap during work hours reflects poorly on a person's professional reputation (duh!).
Gen Zers also seem to be better at setting boundaries between work and their personal lives, the study finds; even in this age of mad social media, where anyone who is anyone seems to be connected to everyone, Gen Zers are significantly less likely to follow their managers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube, Pinterest, or TikTok than millennials or GenXers. In fact, 44 percent don't follow their managers on any social media platforms, while only 30 percent of millennials and 39 percent of GenXers have also refrained from doing so.
Then there's the whole #MeToo movement. While millennials and Gen Xers still engage in flirting at work, with 13 percent admitting they'd do so to get a promotion and 8 percent saying they'd flirt on a bet, that's definitely not the case with the oldest and youngest; 81 percent of boomers and 71 percent of Gen Zers say they never do.
"There's a temptation to just lump Gen Z and millennials together, but it's clear that while they share some priorities, they don't share others," says Reflektive CEO Greg Brown.
Brown adds, "Our research suggests that while millennials and Gen X enjoy a more casual work environment, Gen Z may be influential in returning a greater sense of professionalism to work. This is a perfect example of diversity in the workplace and why performance management can be a tricky business and why employers are well-served to invest in performance management solutions that support the way people really work can help them best manage the diverse needs of no matter the different generations."
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
