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No, they’re not gonna take it.
Some Gen Z employees have been experiencing bullying since returning to the office post-pandemic, according to a ResumeBuilder survey of 557 workers whose employers require them to be in the office at least once a week. Stacie Haller, ResumeBuilder’s chief career advisor, spoke with HR Brew about the findings, and what HR can do to help.
Survey says. Around one in four (38%) of Gen Z workers said they have experienced bullying within the office, the report found. Additionally, 30% described their company culture as toxic.
ResumeBuilder also found that Gen Z employees are more likely to speak up when experiencing bullying. This isn’t necessarily because they are experiencing more bullying than those from older generations, Stacie Haller, ResumeBuilder’s chief career advisor, explained. They’re just generally less inclined to sit back and take it.
“This generation shows up and they’re not putting up with it and they are very vocal, and they’re more vocal than other categories of generations in the workplace,” she said. “Older generations may have tolerated or navigated [bullying] more often. This generation is reacting to it strongly, as well they should because it doesn’t belong in a workplace.”
Zoom out. The stakes are high for organizations to address bullying in the workplace, as a toxic work environment can result in employee turnover—especially among younger employees.
“Companies that create [positive] culture will absolutely attract [and retain] talent,” but if the organization as a whole doesn’t take bullying complaints by Gen Z seriously, “they are going to leave. You are going to have turnover and then it’s going to come down to money and cost. That’s typically when [employers] pay attention,” Haller continued.
So, how can HR address this issue? To start, Haller said, HR can educate their company’s leaders about the different generations that make up their workforce, and how they communicate. Gen Z is more vocal, she said, and when they have a bad experience, their entire network is going to know about it.
Haller also suggested that HR hold quarterly town hall meetings with staff to discuss the corporate culture. She recommended engaging upper management in these conversations, as their participation is key to building a positive culture for every generation in the workplace.
“It behooves HR to get management brought in so that [positive culture] is reflected in everybody’s everyday life [at the company],” she added. “HR has a big responsibility, but they can’t do everything on their own.”
