Irish employers report younger staff disengaging over workplace expectations
Irish HR consultants say some employers are reporting disengagement among younger staff, including reluctance to take on duties beyond their job descriptions, “quiet quitting” and sighing when given instructions. They say these behaviours can frustrate managers and reflect changing expectations about work and professional conduct.
HR Buddy’s Damien McCarthy links some attitudes to social media exposure to others’ apparent success and to gaps in face-to-face workplace skills after the pandemic. HR Solutions’ Caroline Reidy says some new hires fail to turn up or leave after a week because the job does not match their expectations; she says clearer expectations and training in workplace etiquette can help address the issue.
- HR consultants report some younger staff sticking strictly to their duties.
- Some new hires reportedly disappear when a job differs from expectations.
- Employers are clarifying expectations and training in workplace etiquette.
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Employers and staff agree the duties and conditions of a job when someone is hired, but expectations can differ over how much work beyond those duties is part of the role. Managers may see extra tasks and following instructions as signs of commitment, while employees may put greater emphasis on clear limits and agreed responsibilities.
The pandemic changed how many people started or carried out work, including reducing some early-career workers’ chances to learn workplace routines face to face. Social media also shows people accounts of others’ careers and success, which HR consultants say may shape what some workers expect from a job.
HR consultants Damien McCarthy of HR Buddy and Caroline Reidy of HR Solutions advise employers to set out job expectations clearly and provide training in workplace conduct. The issue matters to both sides: misunderstandings can affect staff retention, working relationships and how teams get their work done.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Employers can reasonably expect staff to carry out agreed duties, respond professionally to instructions and show reliability, especially where colleagues depend on one another. From this perspective, reluctance to help beyond a narrow job description or leaving soon after starting can disrupt teams, while clearer expectations and workplace training may help younger staff settle in and succeed.
The case against
Younger employees can reasonably expect work to match what was advertised and their agreed role, with fair boundaries around extra duties and respect for their time. What managers call disengagement may sometimes reflect workers declining unpaid or undefined work, or adapting to different norms of communication; clear job expectations and supportive onboarding should therefore be matched by employers meeting their own commitments.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Refusing to go beyond their job description, quietly quitting and even sighing at a reasonable request from their manager… Inside the chaos of managing GEN Z and the latest insane trend that Zoomers are embracing”.