GenZ – A sociological description

Family Valued

Since the beginning of the decade, three terms have become entrenched in our everyday lives: Post-Corona, ChatGPT and Generation Z, also known as GenZ.

The book “Verzogen, Verweichlicht und Verletzt” by Susanne Nickel is the subject of today’s review. The author is a member of GenX and has worked with Boomer and GenY. She has gotten to know GenZ better in recent years. As a result, it has an eagle eye of four generations, which allows it to make a very apt comparison with each other.

In my opinion, the author analyses the characteristic behaviour of GenZ very precisely and free of emotions or prejudices. To do this, it relies on its own experience as well as on interviews with employees in the companies who have already gained their first experience with GenZ. The analysis presented sounds familiar to me, due to my work in personnel diagnostics, and in the management of a start-up with young employees.

Susanne Nickel uses adjectives such as non-committal, undisciplined, spoiled to describe GenZ. In addition, there are other aspects such as “not wanting to compromise”, lack of resilience. All of these are necessary qualities and skills for modern work.

Ms. Nickel is of the opinion that GenZ has essentially been shaped by upbringing by parents as well as wealth. The abundance of options, the lack of “lack” has had a significant influence on them.

The book does not stop at the presentation of the problem. It presents solutions. Companies should adapt to GenZ without jeopardizing the business model. Adapting to this means taking your needs seriously. And at the same time offer personnel development measures, set boundaries, define rules. And the well-known support/demand.

Let’s let Ms. Nickel have her say: “The employer market has changed into an applicant market, which has to do with the shortage of skilled workers, but not only. Young and younger people have an attitude of entitlement that they express without hesitation. The affluent children of GenZ feel called to higher things.”

From my point of view, this sentence subsumes the book and the GenZ.

#GenZ #Susanne Nickel #Personaldiagnostik #Personalentwicklung #ThinkSimple