Not all employers are tolerating GenZ's laid-back language
In the quest to bethemselves, many young workers communicate casually. It doesn't sit well withall companies that see professionalism differently.
When Anna landed ajob in the art department at a prominent London-based hedge fund straight outof university in 2022, she was the youngest member of her team by a decade.Unfazed by the age gap, Anna, who'd graduated at the top of her class, waseager to learn from colleagues. Their feedback was mostly positive, sherecalls, but for one issue: her boss said her casual language and informalmanner undermined her credibility.
She brushed it off. "I had good relationshipswith clients – I think it's better to be personable than austere," says Anna, now in her mid-20s."I was performing well and thought that would be enough."
Four months intothe job, however, she was fired. Her manager cited her "lack ofprofessionalism", including her frequent use of filler words like "like" and "totally", as acontributing factor. Anna's supervisor said she didn't come across as an"intelligent" person who should be working at a top hedge fund, andthat her demeanour didn't fit the firm'simage.
Anna was devastated. "No-one told me beforehand whatto say or not say. And everyone my age talks this way. How was I supposed toknow?"
Not all employersare tolerating Gen Z's laid-back language
In the quest to bethemselves, many young workers communicate casually. It doesn't sit well withall companies that see professionalism differently.
Older generationshave nearly always looked down on younger ones, often arguing they are weaker,less serious or less prepared – especially at work. But experts say the currentclash over Gen Z's work language extends beyond standard-issue generational divides.Instead, it's emblematicof how much lifeand work have changed throughout the past several years – and a harbinger of things to come.
Tension building
As new employeesenter the workforce, they face the challenge of defining their professionalidentities. Figuring out how they conduct themselves, both through task usually has not been so formidable.The workplace has traditionallydemanded a type of formality in which employees are expected to conform toestablished norms set out by older leaders.
在追求自我的过程中，许多年轻员工的沟通方式很随意。这并不符合所有公司对职业化的不同看法。
2022 年，安娜刚从大学毕业就在伦敦一家著名对冲基金公司的艺术部找到了一份工作，当时她是团队中最年轻的成员，相差 10 岁。安娜并没有被年龄差距吓倒，她以全班第一名的成绩毕业，非常渴望向同事们学习。她回忆说，同事们的反馈大多是积极的，但有一个问题：她的上司说她随意的语言和不拘小节的举止有损她的威信。
她拂袖而去。"安娜说："我与客户的关系很好--我认为有亲和力总比咄咄逼人要好。"我的业绩很好，我以为这就足够了。
然而，工作四个月后，她被解雇了。她的经理认为她 "缺乏专业精神"，包括经常使用 "像 "和 "完全 "这样的修饰词，是导致她被解雇的原因之一。安娜的上司说，她不像一个应该在顶级对冲基金工作的 "聪明人"，她的举止也不符合公司的形象。
安娜伤心欲绝。"没有人事先告诉我该说什么或不该说什么。我这个年纪的人都是这样说话的。我怎么会知道？
并非所有雇主都能容忍 Z 世代的悠闲语言
在追求自我的过程中，许多年轻员工的沟通方式很随意。但这并不为所有公司所接受，因为他们对职业化有不同的看法。
老一代人几乎总是看不起年轻一代人，经常认为他们比较软弱、不严肃或准备不足，尤其是在工作中。但专家们说，目前关于 Z 世代工作语言的冲突已经超出了标准的代沟问题。相反，它象征着过去几年中生活和工作发生了多大的变化，也预示着未来会发生什么。
紧张局势的形成
随着新员工进入职场，他们面临着确定职业身份的挑战。在这个过程中，他们需要了解自己的言谈举止和整体礼仪。在过去几年里，这项任务通常并不那么艰巨。工作场所传统上要求一种正式的方式，员工被期望遵守老一辈领导制定的既定规范。
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