How to work with Gen Z minority woman employee

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does not sound like a gen z / minority issue.

Sounds to me like this is a this-person-has-probably-never-had-a-real-job issue, perhaps along with a chemistry issue (you probably won’t ever like each other).

You say you have 30 years of experience—surely you can navigate such issues?

+2

I will say however, disregard for hierarchy is widespread with this group and I think they will go out of their way to show that.

The minority characteristic does play a role here. OP describes a woman who sees her ethnicity or minority status a key aspect of her worldview and what defines and determines her relationships to everyone else in the company, including her supervisor, and her work itself.

I'd be having talks with HR about her and seeing a way out of the door for her. She's not a good fit. She causes tension and doesn't respond well to instructions. End of story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What reaction specifically? Nothing has been said to her. My company is over 2/3 minority. There are only a handful of people in the company who make their minority an important thing].

Yep. The racism is starting to trickle out…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She's also like this with a lot of people. We had a companywide meeting about updates for the next 6 months and they asked for any feedback for doing better and she shot up her hand and complained that the office wasn't very attractive. It's not something she didn't see on a tour. It's just very forward for someone who has been here for a month to start asking for something like that so irrelevant to her job. Like any company just has money to rework the look of an entire office.

I don't see the issue with this. Management asked for feedback and she gave her opinion which likely won't be followed up on. Maybe it's a stupid idea. So what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does not sound like a gen z / minority issue.

Sounds to me like this is a this-person-has-probably-never-had-a-real-job issue, perhaps along with a chemistry issue (you probably won’t ever like each other).

You say you have 30 years of experience—surely you can navigate such issues?

+2

I will say however, disregard for hierarchy is widespread with this group and I think they will go out of their way to show that.

The minority characteristic does play a role here. OP describes a woman who sees her ethnicity or minority status a key aspect of her worldview and what defines and determines her relationships to everyone else in the company, including her supervisor, and her work itself.

I'd be having talks with HR about her and seeing a way out of the door for her. She's not a good fit. She causes tension and doesn't respond well to instructions. End of story.

Yeah… I’m not going to trust an older white woman’s word on a young woman of color’s “worldview” coming about as a result of her race and that this is the cause of issues at work.

This inclination of OP to have an opinion regarding how this employee’s race effects their “worldview” and “relationship to everyone in the company” is incredibly problematic at best, and at the end of the day it is going to be HR’s job to deal with OP, not the young woman OP is complaining about.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like she doesn’t want to be there, leave her to do half assed job and transfer her out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does not sound like a gen z / minority issue.

Sounds to me like this is a this-person-has-probably-never-had-a-real-job issue, perhaps along with a chemistry issue (you probably won’t ever like each other).

You say you have 30 years of experience—surely you can navigate such issues?

+2

I will say however, disregard for hierarchy is widespread with this group and I think they will go out of their way to show that.

The minority characteristic does play a role here. OP describes a woman who sees her ethnicity or minority status a key aspect of her worldview and what defines and determines her relationships to everyone else in the company, including her supervisor, and her work itself.

I'd be having talks with HR about her and seeing a way out of the door for her. She's not a good fit. She causes tension and doesn't respond well to instructions. End of story.

Yeah… I’m not going to trust an older white woman’s word on a young woman of color’s “worldview” coming about as a result of her race and that this is the cause of issues at work.

This inclination of OP to have an opinion regarding how this employee’s race effects their “worldview” and “relationship to everyone in the company” is incredibly problematic at best, and at the end of the day it is going to be HR’s job to deal with OP, not the young woman OP is complaining about.

You don't think the one with the bad attitude and unproven track record is going to be HRs problem? Ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's also like this with a lot of people. We had a companywide meeting about updates for the next 6 months and they asked for any feedback for doing better and she shot up her hand and complained that the office wasn't very attractive. It's not something she didn't see on a tour. It's just very forward for someone who has been here for a month to start asking for something like that so irrelevant to her job. Like any company just has money to rework the look of an entire office.

I don't see the issue with this. Management asked for feedback and she gave her opinion which likely won't be followed up on. Maybe it's a stupid idea. So what?

It's an expensive idea that basically says she doesn't like the working environment she just started working at. It has nothing to do with any problem she's having at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I want is advice on how to work with younger staff who like to challenge authority. There obviously is energy there. I'm trying to figure out how to use it for good for myself, her, and the company.

You do it by mentoring them and reminding them that it's important to know what you don't know and not to approach things where they come off as frequently wrong but rarely in doubt. They need to be put in their place sometimes.

[Anonymous]

I would shift my perspective to her being an adult child. She’s clearly an adult and may be able to do decent work but she’s also immature. Use patience, clear instructions, and redirection just as you would a child.

[Anonymous]

OP, I've worked with individuals like this. They're emotionally immature and have been around people who have normalized this type of interaction. She needs to outgrow it. I agree that you're probably being dismissed as a typical white lady and as an authority figure. Be kind but also don't be overly nice. She's mistaking professionalism and lack of confrontation for being weak. If she tries to tell you to do her work, let her know that this is part of her job and you need it done by "x." Said politely and kindly. You're in charge, OP. It's ok to be in charge. And if she doesn't do her assigned work, she gets fired.

[Anonymous]

She knows she won’t be fired because she is a minority. And she is loving watching white people squirm.

[Anonymous]

She is young and she models. She may have an inflated sense of self importance, but most of the problems you describe are about not understanding her role and level, and what you want from her. Spend time making sure that is crystal clear. You are getting pretty weird with assumptions about her worldview and culture, you are not in her head and talking about this with HR is going to make you look out of touch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I want is advice on how to work with younger staff who like to challenge authority. There obviously is energy there. I'm trying to figure out how to use it for good for myself, her, and the company.

Just like you would with your teen kid

[Anonymous]

Ok so what’s her religion and ethnicity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She's also like this with a lot of people. We had a companywide meeting about updates for the next 6 months and they asked for any feedback for doing better and she shot up her hand and complained that the office wasn't very attractive. It's not something she didn't see on a tour. It's just very forward for someone who has been here for a month to start asking for something like that so irrelevant to her job. Like any company just has money to rework the look of an entire office.

I don't see the issue with this. Management asked for feedback and she gave her opinion which likely won't be followed up on. Maybe it's a stupid idea. So what?

It's an expensive idea that basically says she doesn't like the working environment she just started working at. It has nothing to do with any problem she's having at work.

What working environment? The furniture and the old carpet?
Now you're just looking for things to hate on.