Is Gen Z ready for office life? Examining tech skills in the workplace

Have you ever experienced the embarrassment of technical difficulties in the workplace? But for younger workers, they can trigger feelings of shame and fuel the dreaded imposter syndrome.

As the global workforce begins to welcome a generation of employees who can’t imagine a time before iPhones and iPads, it’s easy to forget that they also have less face-to-face time in the office than ever before.

For these reasons alone, we need to talk about common perceptions surrounding technology and Gen Z. How do our expectations about them reshaping the workplace compare to the reality that these young employees are experiencing in offices around the world?

Imagine walking into the workplace on your first day, burdened with the expectation of being the first generation of workers to have grown up surrounded by computers and smartphones. Unfortunately, despite the perception that Gen Z’ers are tech geniuses, many have yet to step outside the walled garden of the iOS ecosystem and are not as comfortable with tech in the workplace as many might think.

Tech shaming in the workplace

Many students were forced into a routine of remote learning over the last three years. As a result, they’ve often been recruited, interviewed, and onboarded in purely digital environments. But when they arrive in a physical workplace, they’re suddenly bombarded with desktop PCs and complex telephone systems for the first time. As a result, an increasing number are feeling judged when experiencing technical issues and are quickly realizing that education did not prepare them with the necessary tech skills to get by in office life.

Fitting into a busy and sociable office can be incredibly daunting for those making the transition from education. First, we must remember that they’re navigating things like a corporate file and folder structure, calendar invites, scanning, and printing for the first time. Then, throw in another long list of productivity and collaboration tools and even the savviest are questioning their digital capabilities and becoming anxious about asking for training.

Many Millennials and Gen X’ers see Gen Z is the first "digital native" generation. This has its benefits, but also some drawbacks. For example, it can be easy to poke fun when Gen Z’ers struggle to use and understand the legacy technology that we take for granted. There are still so many analogue structures and tools in offices that simply make no sense in their digital world.

For example, rather than laboriously typing a search query out, it’s become the norm to simply use a voice command. Touchscreens and swiping is far more common than keyboards and typing. Gen Z will also question the need to waste the planet's resources by physically printing out documents when they can be easily viewed and shared across all their devices.

Fear of multifunctional devices

Senior employees often feel intimidated by the level of technical knowledge that younger employees bring to the office. But the reality is that Gen Z is also baffled by the complexity of legacy hardware such as telephones, photocopier machines, and printers. In addition, the large multifunctional devices (MFDs) and their wealth of options often leave Gen Z scratching their heads.

On one end of the scale, many areas of the media continue to talk about the first "digital native" generation. But on the other, some mock them when they struggle to use legacy technology. This creates a mismatch between the perception of how technology and a new generation of workers are transforming the workplace and the reality we are experiencing in offices worldwide.

There’s an increasing belief that education is struggling to meet industry demands and expectations. But there is also a counter-argument that the workplace is in dire need of a digital upgrade too. There’s no avoiding the fact that the rise of low-code and no-code solutions combined with emerging technologies promising to augment how we work means that trying to figure out how to print and staple a PDF will quickly become knowledge that nobody needs to carry around in their head.

Multigenerational Headline

Mocking people of any age who don't have a skill they haven't needed to acquire until now is both unfair and unproductive. In today's fast-paced world, technology constantly evolves, and what was once a necessary skill may become obsolete over time.

Rather than ridicule those who lack such knowledge, we should focus on helping them adapt to the ever-changing technological landscape. After all, only some have had the same opportunities or exposure to technology, and it's essential to be patient and understanding when learning new skills.

Ironically, despite the differences between generations of employees, I suspect they can all agree that the giant, unpredictable MFD is undoubtedly the neediest, most problematic, and cumbersome device in the workplace. But these scenarios highlight how advanced the technology in our home has become and how entering the workplace can often feel like stepping back in time.

The good news is that a multigenerational workforce is a powerful asset that brings diverse perspectives, skills, and experiences to the office. Each generation has unique strengths and knowledge to offer, from the Baby Boomers' years of industry experience and leadership skills to Gen Z's proficiency with technology and innovation.

When different generations work together, they can learn from one another and leverage each other's strengths to create a more dynamic and inclusive work environment. This collaboration can lead to greater creativity, productivity, and problem-solving abilities. Ultimately, a multigenerational workforce can help companies stay competitive to tackle the complex challenges ahead.

It's only a matter of time before all generations unite to eradicate legacy technology from the workplace. The rapid advance of intuitive tech in our homes, and why many offices have found themselves in so much technical debt in the first place are arguments for another day.