- Zillennials may struggle with identity, caught between millennial and Gen Z work values.
- Millennials are often in a hurry, while Gen Zers prioritize boundaries and mental health.
- Millennials can bridge generational gaps, offering unique perspectives in leadership roles.
There has been much discussion about how Millennials and Gen Zers fare in the professional world.
But millennials, the group at the top of these two generations, have a uniquely difficult time finding where they fit.
Samantha Hart, a content creator who makes videos about her life and career, recently told her followers that while the work ethic of millennials and Gen Zers is always debated, “nobody talks about how hard it is to you are cusper”.
It struck a chord, garnering over 800,000 views and thousands of comments from fellow millennials, a loose grouping covering those born in the nineties.
One described being in this age group as “perfectionism meets procrastination.”
“It’s hell,” they said. Another said: “I’m so tired.”
Hart said millennials came of age in the “Girlboss” era when working hard and being great at your job was the ultimate goal.
Many Gen Zers, by contrast, prioritize work-life balance and keeping a job “just a job.”
They don’t necessarily have a poor work ethic, Hart said, “they just know that none of it really matters.”
The two attitudes do not tend to live in harmony.
Hart, who is 28, told Business Insider that she feels pulled in very different directions.
While all of her performance reviews in her day job as communications manager are generally good, she constantly worries that she isn’t doing enough.
“But then I’m thinking how disappointed I am at the same time,” she said.
Zillennials who spoke to BI shared a similar sentiment: They feel stuck between going off the grid at 5 p.m. and feeling unreachable or clocking in overtime they can get angry about.
A generation of sandwiches
There is no set definition for “millennial,” but the group covers those born between 1993 and 1998 (although some definitions stretch it to 1990 to 2000, or older Gen Zers and new millennials in general) and often comes with a bit of an identity crisis.
Lauren Farina, a licensed psychotherapist and founding CEO of Invited Psychotherapy and Coaching, told BI that millennials are vulnerable to falling into a “high-performance archetype,” which demands perfectionism and people-pleasing, but has the pitfalls of burnout and anxiety.
Farina said millennials may feel guilt and shame for setting Gen Z-style boundaries that conflict with their other values.
Lauren Schneider, head of brand and communications at work and lifestyle benefits platform Compt, said being born in 1993 often leaves her “caught between two different work philosophies.”
“It’s an interesting time to be in this middle ground, often acting as a bridge between different generational perspectives,” Schneider said of seeing changes in workplace culture. “It’s also wild here.”
Jishnu Jayan Nair, 29, told BI that it is “a bit tricky to find your place in the workplace” as a millennial.
“I manage a small team of Gen Zs while reporting to a millennial manager,” he said of his role at a grocery store. “Balancing the different perspectives and expectations from both groups and getting them on the same page can be challenging at times.”
Millennials and Gen Zers struggle
Millennials came of age at a difficult time. Thanks to the Great Recession of 2008, they found a job market with stagnant wages and high unemployment and struggled to reach milestones like moving and buying a home.
A Washington Post analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data found that Gen Zers may have it even worse, being disproportionately affected by the rising cost of living, high home ownership costs and credit card debt. credit.
For those in the middle, life has always seemed challenging.
Riannon Palmer, founder of Lem-uhn, a PR and communications agency, told BI that she often thinks about balancing her career and life outside of work.
“You feel like you have to prove to yourself that you’re working hard,” Palmer said. “It’s that constant balance between wanting to meet your expectations but also wanting to have good mental health.”
A hidden superpower?
Ilana Zivkovich, CEO and founder of organizational coaching and consulting firm Werq, which specializes in management and leadership, told BI that the challenges millennials face may actually represent their strengths.
They naturally bond with older and younger colleagues, she said.
“Essentially, they are ninjas in the workplace who can bridge generation gaps that might otherwise create barriers,” she said.
“By identifying who these people are and encouraging them to fully express their perspective and beliefs, we can then shape the most holistic, connected and future-ready workforce.”
Kevin Shahnazari, the 26-year-old founder of credit card recommendation platform FinlyWealth, told BI that being a millennial has worked in his favor.
“I can jump into rigorous sprints of work and more relaxed periods where things need creative input,” he said.
Hart, the content creator, said she wants to see being a millennial as “some kind of superpower.”
“I think a lot of people are in this kind of millennial push and pull — wanting to be their best, also wanting to slow down, wanting to embrace parts of both cultures,” she said. “It’s a superpower and it’s a curse.”