Feedback must be different for Generation Z and Y, study shows | Business

Researchers from ISM University of Management and Economics Aistė Andrijauskaitė, Brigita Baublytė, Vytenis Morkūnas and prof. Vita Akstinaitė.

During the study, the researchers sought to find out from whom it is important to receive feedback, how often, who should provide it and in what environment. Ten representatives of generation Z (born in 1996 – 2010) and ten representatives of generation Y (born in 1979 – 1995) participated in the interview (in a qualitative study), and 80 subjects participated in the additional analysis of social networks (in a quantitative study).

The feedback is different for Generation Z and Generation Y

Having an open and honest conversation with a manager makes Gen Z feel safer and more involved in the company’s operations, which essentially boosts employee loyalty. After interviewing representatives of generation Z, it is safe to say that feedback in the workplace is one of the most important aspects for them. Most of them (90%) believe that such conversations are necessary for their career growth and motivation.

One Gen Z emphasized, “I would rather choose a company where I get paid less but have regular feedback conversations than one where the salary is higher.” This is because these conversations help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, and taking into account to achieve career goals faster. Generation Z is interested in discussing not only work results, but also their psychological health, stress or disagreements in the team.

In contrast to Gen Z, only half of Gen Y survey participants agreed that feedback is very important in the work environment. The other half said that feedback has less and less influence and the need for it is decreasing: “It is not very important, it is good to receive, but not necessary.” Most of the respondents believe that feedback helps to increase the understanding of existing situations at work, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the employee.

Half of the respondents mentioned that feedback has a positive effect on motivation at work only for a short period of time or can demotivate if the feedback is given incorrectly. Generation Y, due to their high self-esteem criteria, sets particularly high standards of communication and does not tolerate disrespectful communication during the conversation.

What to talk about?

“Generation Z is characterized as aspiring to lead, so it was not surprising that representatives of this generation revealed during the study the importance of having feedback conversations about their work results, progress and career opportunities in the company”, – says researcher B. Baublytė. However, more than half of the participants said that they would also like to discuss psychological health, emotional stability or simply receive the question “how are you?” during the interview.

Generation Y representatives only want to talk about work-related topics during feedback interviews: goals, workload, work performance, salary. According to Gen Y, non-work related topics should only be discussed if it directly affects work functions.

“Representatives of generation Y who hold management positions and experience stress at work emphasized that the topic of psychological health is also one of the priorities. However, we noticed that despite the ability to adapt, representatives of the Y generation tend to overshadow their emotions, especially if they occupy higher positions”, says A. Andrijauskaitė.

Where and how should we talk?

Conversations with Gen Z should take place in a safe and private space where they can express themselves freely. This could be a private corner of the office (if results are discussed) or a walk in the fresh air (if the conversation covers more topics than just work and its results). “Representatives of generation Z care when they are praised in public – it acts as a motivating tool to try even harder,” says B. Baublytė.

Generation Y expressed a slightly different need – they prefer an individualized communication method, they want to receive feedback on demand, not periodically. It has been observed that Generation Y prefers lively, informal, dialogue-type conversation.

“Generation Y is privacy-conscious, so a closed meeting room is more favorable than a shared office space for feedback. Public praise is evaluated positively if personal space is not violated,” says A. Andrijauskaitė, who conducted the study together with her colleagues.

Interestingly, all Gen Y survey participants agreed that they want to be noticed, but the vast majority would prefer to receive praise in a private setting. At that time, in order to receive negative feedback, he prefers remote meetings: “after the meeting, you can calmly reflect on the sofa, instead of returning to work with suppressed emotions.”

Managers, colleagues and subordinates are important

Generation Z would be happy to receive comments about the quality of their work from other colleagues or partners who have joint work projects. Generation Z expects to have this type of job interview related to results once a month, and feedback related to communication, behavior in the workplace is expected more often. In the study, participants noted this: “when it matters, without delay.”

Importantly, feedback related to communication skills is very welcome not only from the direct manager, but also from representatives of the same generation Z.

It has been observed that Generation Y tends to accept feedback from peers, seniors or more experienced team members. Feedback is expected to be received at any time as needed, using AGILE principles of flexibility, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Half of the respondents feel comfortable receiving feedback from colleagues in other departments, but only in relation to direct responsibilities, otherwise the feedback would be viewed with skepticism. It was also observed that Generation Y representatives in management positions would like to receive more feedback from direct subordinates.