I am an Xer who manages a small but crucial team at my workplace (in an EU country). I had a lady resign last week, and I have another who may be about to resign or I may have to let go due to low engagement. They are both Gen Z. Today it hit me: the five years I’ve been managing this department, the only people I’ve lost have been from Gen Z. Clearly I do not know how to manage Gen Z so that they are happy working here. What can I do? I want them to be as happy as my Millennial team members. One detail that might matter is that my team is spread over three European cities.
Happy to provide any clarification if anyone wants it.
Edit. Thanks for all the answers even if a few of them are difficult to hear (and a few were oddly angry?) This has been very helpful for me, much more so than it probably would have been at the Old Place.
Also the second lady I mentioned who might quit or I might have to let go? She quit the day after I posted this giving a week’s notice yesterday. My team is fully supportive, but it’s going to be a rough couple of months.
What did they tell you when you asked them?
That is was “personal” and they didn’t want to talk about it. I spoke with all the other team members and found out it was because of things other people had - like wfh or different hours - that she never asked me about even though she knew directly approved for the others.
You don’t know what she knew.
Did you inform all of your direct reports, unsolicited, that you would approve flexible hours or locations?
Yes, multiple times. We talk, all the time; we have to bring in multiple locations.
She brought this attitude over from Banking where she was last, and even though I tried to engage her, she just refused to talk to me. Despite me getting her a 20% raise this year, not that that is the central thing.