As political polarization and disagreements over politics at work are increasing, business leaders are struggling to maintain order and productivity amid the distractions caused by the 2024 U.S. election and subsequent fallout. While previous generations have tried to maintain a stoic approach to politics at work, younger generations have been loud and proud in expressing their desire for their work lives to coexist with reality.
“We are too much of a global society now, with too much information being shared on a day-to-day basis, to expect that people can consume information outside the walls of their workplace and then shed those identities and those feelings when they come to us,” Mercy Quaye, a millennial and founder of The Narrative Project, a communications firm, told Newsweek. “Millennials definitely pushed the line on this a bit, and Gen Z has a stamina that we just haven’t seen in the workplace before.”
Based on the opinions of the newest members of the workforce, this may be the direction in which the working world is heading. An August Gallup survey found that 46 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 29 say businesses should take a stand on social issues, compared to 32 percent of those aged 45 to 59.
But that’s easier said than done.
“There are a number of companies, a lot of small businesses, struggling with what it means to create a meaningful, inclusive culture,” Quaye shared.
As millennials and Gen Z make up the majority of the workforce, a new style of leadership is needed to address their needs. An Indeed survey found that nearly one-third of employees would consider working elsewhere if their CEO expressed political views they disagreed with, and 28 percent said they would do so if they had a political disagreement with a co-worker. This figure shoots up to 40 percent for millennials and Gen Z.
“Gen Z is very concerned with alignment of values at work,” said Rachel Marcuse, COO of ReadySet, an HR consulting firm. “These conversations are going to happen.”
Think About Recruiting
If these conversations are happening at work, then they might also need to come up during the interview process, or be mentioned on a company’s career page and other employment branding efforts.
“If we’re saying 28 percent of workers would leave a job because of political differences, then it’s super important to make sure that we’re able to show our job seekers what the culture at our organization is going to be,” Jessica Hardeman, senior director for attraction and engagement at Indeed, told Newsweek.
Recruiters and others speaking for the company publicly should be prepared to answer questions about, for example, offering time off to vote, or how the company responded to the pandemic and social movements in the summer of 2020, or the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
For business leaders, a good first step to address this budding cultural challenge is to acknowledge the variety of beliefs and viewpoints that make up a team, and ensure that everyone agrees on the need to be respectful across differences, Marcuse said.
“When you show up in the workplace, it’s not as if you’re divorced by any of your identities,” Shaina Zafar, vice president of next gen at the creative talent agency UTA, told Newsweek. “It’s a shift that’s been really changed with Gen Z being able to be vocal and have the space to even acknowledge that we come from all these different backgrounds and identities.”
The Cultural Leadership Mandate
For business leaders looking to drive their organizations forward, it starts with the interpersonal abilities sometimes known as soft skills.
“It’s important to be an empathetic leader,” Hardeman explained. “Showing empathy toward all the viewpoints that are raised in the workplace is important because something that we say is important is diversity of thought and experience.”
“This need for empathetic leadership is particularly urgent [in support of] women of color, who are at the highest risk for burnout—especially Gen X and older millennials. As more millennials take on caregiving roles, this trend is likely to intensify,” said Amanda Hammett, a branding and communications consultant with a focus on the millennial segment.
Whereas management’s historical framing of an employee focuses on their compensation and their output, managers today are encouraged to consider employees’ well-being and the fact that they have larger aspirations beyond earning a salary.
“The mandate now is to create workplaces that see employees as whole human beings with complex lives,” Quaye said. “They need to not just think about who we are, what we sell, how much we can pay and what our benefits are, but also what kind of culture are we providing for the people who want to work here?”
Zafar recommends keeping younger employees involved in communication and planning around culture and any efforts around social issues, including ERGs, town halls, PR campaigns or any endeavor related to employee engagement. She and others caution against employing a “politics-free” approach as a blanket rule.
“We have so much access to information that we can’t just ignore what’s happening in the present,” Zafar said. “It’s hard for us to imagine what workplaces look like outside of the context of what’s happening in the world because we’re acknowledging it every day in our social interactions in every moment, but it’s not expected in terms of how you come in and clock in and out of your workplace.”
This kind of environment fosters psychological safety, fairness and other principles centered around an inclusive culture that prioritizes respect between all employees.
“Leaders who are willing to engage in open, sometimes difficult discussions with their teams create an environment where employees feel seen, heard and psychologically safe. This level of engagement not only fosters a culture of respect and inclusivity but also leads to higher productivity and retention rates—even when leaders and employees may not see eye-to-eye on every issue,” Hammett said.
Reinforcing this type of culture requires demonstration of values from leadership and intentional effort to keep people informed.
“Every single time you bring in a new person, a new hire, into that space, they need to be trained on that culture, too,” Quaye said. “If a company has not done the work to decide who they are, they’re going to lose out on top talent. They’re going to lose out on sections of the workforce that are most passionate about bringing their full self to work.”
For executives inclined to dismiss well-being or the maintenance of cultural values, who may say they’re purely concerned with business results, these matters are part of the management discussion today because they are necessary to recruit and retain top talent, and for that talent to remain productive.
“Facing these tough conversations head-on, even when they are uncomfortable, is essential,” Hammett said. “Ultimately, companies that intentionally align their brand values with their employee culture and openly support diverse perspectives are more likely to see their employees thrive.”
The Gen Z and Millennial Reality
While it can be easy to dismiss the younger generations’ feelings as the ramblings of “kids these days,” the youngest generations in the U.S. workforce have grown up under trying times, to say the least.
Growing up, millennials experienced contentious 2000 and 2008 U.S. presidential elections, the events of September 11, 2001, a war on terror that cost trillions and lasted two decades, and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Most members of Gen Z finished college or started their professional careers amid pandemic-driven lockdowns and a sweeping social movement calling for change in the summer of 2020.
Through these experiences, younger generations have developed a distrust toward American institutions, including education, media, medicine, health care and corporate entities as well. These sentiments undoubtedly affect the attitude that Gen Z and millennials take into their careers. Some have even reported being less interested in climbing the corporate ladder.
“Millennials and Gen Z have a strong track record of observing what companies do versus what they say, and Gen Z in particular is known for voting with their wallets. Companies looking to retain and engage younger employees must recognize that authentic alignment with social values is increasingly essential for maintaining trust and loyalty,” Hammett said.
To do a better job of bringing in and keeping top talent, today’s business leaders need to encourage open dialogue, develop cultures of empathy and respect, and think about how they acknowledge the realities of living and working in the world.
“Leaders who create open, respectful spaces for dialogue can help bridge divides,” Hammett said, “and foster a more trusting and resilient workplace culture.”
The post The Expectations of Gen Z and Millennials on Politics at Work appeared first on Newsweek.
