Gen Z lacking social skills

Anonymous
We just hired 2 new college grads, and they are lacking social skills. They need to teach social skills at the university… We go out for lunch and all they do is spend time on their phones
Anonymous
Their parents never taught them social skills because they were too immersed in their own selves, their own jobs, and their own phones.

Now you get to see the results.
Anonymous
Why don’t you teach them?
Anonymous
Maybe y’all are just boring?
Anonymous
We have summer associates at my law firm and I remind them when they talk to partners face to face, don't have their phone in their hands, and when they go out to lunch with attorneys don't put their phone on the table. One was like "yes of course" and he's 29, and the other was like "Oh damn, really? Why? But can I text while I'm in my office? Like, alone?" and she's 25. It'll be interesting to see who we extend offers to.
Anonymous
Love the energy of Gen Z. Don't know why as people get older they complain about younger generations because honestly, pump that shit into my veins! Progress is beautiful. Love Gen Z questioning social norms, shaking shit up, all of it!
Anonymous
We were that young once.
There is always hope in the next generation. They will break all the glass ceilings, they may do it through texting, but they will do it.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:We have summer associates at my law firm and I remind them when they talk to partners face to face, don't have their phone in their hands, and when they go out to lunch with attorneys don't put their phone on the table. One was like "yes of course" and he's 29, and the other was like "Oh damn, really? Why? But can I text while I'm in my office? Like, alone?" and she's 25. It'll be interesting to see who we extend offers to.


I mean the 29 yr old likely has had an actual job before going to law school whereas the 25 year old obviously went straight from undergrad to law school. Of course the 25 yr old is less aware of some of those unwritten rules of etiquette. That has nothing to do with generational differences and everything to do with experience. I bet in a few years, that 25 yr old will respond differently to that question.

But to OP, young people are often less formal than older generations, this has been a trend for... ever maybe? We've been moving to less formal styles of communication and dress for at least the last 130 years. When men started showing up to job interview without hats in the 60s, all the old men complained about their rudeness. When people started referring to more senior people at work by their first names instead of "Mr." or "Ms./Mrs.", many older people found this to be an affront (my DH had a senior director who remained "Mr. X" until his retirement a few years ago, the only holdover from that era). Things change. Some of what you now view as "lacking social skills" may be the default in 20 years, and if you are still working, everyone in your office will look at your behavior as embarrassingly old fashioned.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We have summer associates at my law firm and I remind them when they talk to partners face to face, don't have their phone in their hands, and when they go out to lunch with attorneys don't put their phone on the table. One was like "yes of course" and he's 29, and the other was like "Oh damn, really? Why? But can I text while I'm in my office? Like, alone?" and she's 25. It'll be interesting to see who we extend offers to.


I mean the 29 yr old likely has had an actual job before going to law school whereas the 25 year old obviously went straight from undergrad to law school. Of course the 25 yr old is less aware of some of those unwritten rules of etiquette. That has nothing to do with generational differences and everything to do with experience. I bet in a few years, that 25 yr old will respond differently to that question.

But to OP, young people are often less formal than older generations, this has been a trend for... ever maybe? We've been moving to less formal styles of communication and dress for at least the last 130 years. When men started showing up to job interview without hats in the 60s, all the old men complained about their rudeness. When people started referring to more senior people at work by their first names instead of "Mr." or "Ms./Mrs.", many older people found this to be an affront (my DH had a senior director who remained "Mr. X" until his retirement a few years ago, the only holdover from that era). Things change. Some of what you now view as "lacking social skills" may be the default in 20 years, and if you are still working, everyone in your office will look at your behavior as embarrassingly old fashioned.


Nope, the 25 yr old is a 1st year associate. She had a multi-year job between college and law school.
Anonymous
The older generation always thinks the younger, more casual way of doing things is inappropriate. 25 years ago my mother complained that my emails were too short…That I probably was used to sending short emails at work but my emails to her were rude. She’d add a lot of cordials as a greeting with more fluff as a sign off just to send me Auntie’s new address. I’d reply “thanks for sending”. Now we send text, and she still starts with “hi betty”, types s king message and sometimes even signs it “love mom”.

How long are your texts OP?

Anonymous
Ur mom lacks social skills
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Love the energy of Gen Z. Don't know why as people get older they complain about younger generations because honestly, pump that shit into my veins! Progress is beautiful. Love Gen Z questioning social norms, shaking shit up, all of it!


Me too!
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Love the energy of Gen Z. Don't know why as people get older they complain about younger generations because honestly, pump that shit into my veins! Progress is beautiful. Love Gen Z questioning social norms, shaking shit up, all of it!


Me too!


Me three! My Gen Z direct reports bring the warmest, most genuine energy, work hard, set boundaries in a way that took me decades longer to figure out, and are a real pleasure to have around.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Love the energy of Gen Z. Don't know why as people get older they complain about younger generations because honestly, pump that shit into my veins! Progress is beautiful. Love Gen Z questioning social norms, shaking shit up, all of it!


Me too!


Me three! My Gen Z direct reports bring the warmest, most genuine energy, work hard, set boundaries in a way that took me decades longer to figure out, and are a real pleasure to have around.



They are great employees, and they do work hard, but they lack social skills.
Anonymous
College professor here. How tf am I supposed to teach social skills. I'm trying to teach them real skills. If their parents/elementary school failed then I guess it's too late. You don't just randomly learn social skills at age 20 - actually, the fact that you would even imagine that suggests to me that OP has no social skills either.
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