Every employer has personal preferences when recruiting employees. Employers understand that a new recruit’s character is important in influencing the organisational culture. Nobody wants to hire someone who will come and negatively impact their organisational culture.
Enter Gen Z workers, a demographic that is reshaping organisational cultures in many Kenyan companies. Many human resource managers complain about Gen Z workers due to some perceptions.
Here are some statistics from a HR survey conducted on 782 hiring managers. Thirty-one percent of managers were hesitant to hire Gen Z workers due to these notions. Thirty percent had to terminate a Gen Z worker within one month of employment and a whooping 94 percent noted that Gen Z candidates behaved inappropriately during an interview.
The complaints ranged from disrespectful behaviour, rudeness and inappropriate dressing. They also noted poor communication skills and entitlement. At the workplace environment, some managers noted Gen Z were rude and insensitive. Some of them outrightly disrespected their managers and had no regard for company policies.
The survey aside, many managers note that Gen Z had their strengths. Some include being very tech-savvy and creative. They churn out a lot of innovative ideas that in the long run are beneficial to the company. They are eager to learn new trends and take on challenges.
Most of the managers I have spoken to generally find Gen Zs to be problematic. For a millennial or Gen X manager, disrespectful behaviours such as inappropriate dressing and rudeness, are deal breakers. More lenient millennial managers try to understand and accommodate Gen Z workers.
The differences and dynamics between the generations are the reason why a code of ethics is the answer to shaping organisational culture. Different generations perceive things differently. A code of ethics helps bring clarity and harmonisation as to what constitutes organisational culture. Without a code of ethics, an organisation may end up becoming ungovernable.
If no measures are taken to address bad behaviour, an employer may end up facing a coup, where an individual or a small group of individuals attempt to seize power and resist company policies.
Other than setting out the rules and regulations of a business, a code of ethics sets out the owners’ expectations of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in the office. Things like disrespect, rudeness, arrogance, inappropriate dressing, bad sexual conduct such as flirting and seduction can all be discouraged with a code of ethics.
To be effective, there ought to be punitive measures for those who constantly flout the code. There is also a need to train staff on the employer's expectations and on the contents of the code of ethics.
Many times, what is deemed as bad behaviour is probably a lack of experience and exposure to a working environment. Most Gen Zs are on their first jobs. Having a code of ethics may help to mentor them on what is acceptable behaviour in a working environment.
A code of ethics is something that can be referred to during disciplinary proceedings. It sets the basis for taking disciplinary action against those who constantly disobey the code.
