Mind the Gap: Gen Z wants to bond with coworkers, but that doesn’t mean we want to follow you

CURATED READS FOR GEN Z—AND THEIR Z-CURIOUS COLLEAGUES

Click to get this newsletter weekly

first up

Story time: A few years ago, an excited student who got a dream internship used a curse word and named the organization in a tweet announcing the good news. When another Twitter user who the student didn’t know commented on the profanity, the student responded with a profane suggestion. The twist? The commentor worked for an organization related to the student’s prospective employer.

It’s a classic “watch what you post” bogeyman story, but even normal social-media use can be complicated for Gen Z professionals. We’re hyperaware that the “internet is forever,” but we’re also urged to build a digital network or brand and know that much of recruiting takes place online—Gen Z is now the fastest-growing demographic on LinkedIn.

Some of us now maintain a sanitized public profile while turning to closer-knit spaces to socialize—disappearing stories, second accounts just for friends, or apps like BeReal that combine them both. Gen Zers in Asian–Pacific countries report curating social media very, very carefully, and opt to post pictures instead of videos.

Online recon goes both ways, too: 54 percent of Gen Z admitted to investigating their potential bosses on social media before an interview, Fortune reports—looking for signs of a workplace culture they may not vibe with long term.

If they don’t like what they see—and 18-to-24-year-olds report flexibility, career development potential, meaningful work, and reliable and supportive people as necessary values—they’re willing to walk for a better fit, especially as the competition for talent remains high.

(Want more? Here’s what other generations value most.)

It’s the nature of work these days to be connected across a million platforms, and Gen Z does want to bond with colleagues. But it’s not just swearing that can have consequences—one 25-year-old went viral for claiming that she was fired after posting a TikTok that included her salary figure.

So while the complicated lines between work and play keep being redrawn, please don’t take it personally if I leave your follow invite in request purgatory.

VISUALIZE IT

A good company culture is vital because we’ve all seen the effects of burnout—and toxic workplace behavior is the biggest driver of wanting to leave.

Chart detailing factors contributing to a toxic workplace

Burn, baby burn

Wait, don’t scroll

Can’t quit your phone? Social media is more ubiquitous than ever, and many people wouldn’t give it up if you paid them—literally. Research that offered cash to give up WhatsApp or Facebook found that many people had a high price tag.

Another kind of space race. While Gen Z likes hybrid work, lots of young people don’t want to work from home five days a week—and a carefully redesigned office space is one way to tempt employees back through the doors.

Love, actually. The human brain is predisposed to find love anywhere—one factory worker in a tough gig even gave all his machines names and personalities. But doing a job that we’re truly passionate about kicks off a chemical cocktail in the brain that’s key to long-term fulfillment.

Not us; still great

Tick tock, competitors. As their users flock away, social-media sites are launching new features to try to replicate the short-video titan’s success, but is it too little, too late? [New Yorker]

When it’s really not you. The FBI has received reports of people using deepfakes—computer-generated videos that look like real people—in their job interviews. [VICE]