Podcast #3: Generation Z and their view on work, technology and values
The values and attitudes of Generation Z are bringing about changes in the work environment and in social relations. In the third episode of our Na Vlne Kodu (in English “On the Wave of Code”) podcast, we dive into the world of Zoomers through our guest Jakub Novak from msg life Slovakia.
In today’s episode, we take a closer look at Generation Z, who grew up with mobile phones in their hands and the internet as an integral part of their lives. Members of Generation Z are just entering the workforce and are dramatically changing consumer behaviour and social trends. They are bringing new perspectives on technology, culture and the work environment, which is changing the way the rest of us operate. And how does this generation perceive the world? Are Zoomers really that different from those of us who grew up without TikTok and other social media? Our guest today is Jakub Novak from msg life Slovakia, who is a representative of Gen Z. Today, he will help us better understand their worldview and also answer the question of how to collaborate effectively across generations. The interview is conducted by our HR manager Ivana Hricova. We wish you a pleasant listening or reading.
Jakub, please introduce yourself and the philosophy of your generation. What are other generation names?
I’m Jakub Novak, I’m 21 years old and I’ve been working at msg for less than two years as a system administrator. I signed my contract with msg life on the day that was also my last day in high school. And like you said, I’m part of generation Z, which is just entering the job market and changing the work environment. Generations are divided by age, or by the year you were born. The basic ones are Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z – that’s my generation. And the generation that follows my generation is the Generation Alpha, which is expected to last until 2025, if I remember correctly. I’m not the youngest anymore…
Zoomers are said to have their own vocabulary, that is, special expressions that we may not always understand. Can you give an example?
I have to admit that I don’t know all of these terms. Yes, we have our own vocabulary, but not every Zoomer always understand it. But if I were to test you, I’d start with the word salty. Do you know what it means?
Like in salted caramel? Not even close, I guess…
No. It means that someone was grumpy or insolent. For example, if I say that a colleague was salty at a meeting, it means that he was being resentful. Or try to guess the term flexing.
Honestly, I have no idea what that could mean.
To flex on someone is to show off. When somebody is flexing, they’re showing off with something: “He’s flexing again with his Japanese.”
OMG, I would never guess that! Anyway, how much time do you spend on Instagram?
I’m trying to limit it. There was a time when I spent a lot of time on Instagram. Nowadays, I have my timer set to 1.5 hours a day. I try not to use up that timer because even that is an insane amount of time spent on social media in my opinion.
Generation Z grew up with a completely different approach to technology, social media and education. As a representative of this generation, what actually sets you apart from us older, maybe more experienced ones?
It’s the technology that sets us apart. We basically grew up with it, because it is in the last 10 to 20 years that the biggest development in technology has taken place. When I was born, some of today’s technologies didn’t exist. I saw some of the technologies being born and evolving and I was one of the early users. Since Zoomers literally grew up with technology, they probably know it a little better than you, who had to learn to work with it and adapt to it.
Many of us use different emoticons, you Zoomers the most. Which emoticon is the most typical for you?
This may sound a bit critical, but if I had to put our generation into one emoji, I’d use facepalm – that’s the emoji with a hand covering the face or eyes.
Is it true that your generation can’t survive without Wi-Fi for more than 10 minutes? Is that true for you too?
I guess it depends on the situation. If I have a work emergency or an open ticket that I need to resolve urgently and my internet goes down, that’s a problem for me. But outside of work hours, it is not. A lot of times I’m very happy when I don’t have a signal and can’t connect to the virtual world. When I know that I cannot access social media, the internet. I am glad to have this moment of peace when I don’t have to check my phone because I know that no notification will come.
Zoomers are also called the digital natives generation. Have you heard of it?
As you put it, no. But I hear quite a lot about the fact that we are a digital generation. And that we’re a rotten generation precisely because we’re a digital generation. But we grew up on technology that was developed by people who were already alive. So yes, we are a digital generation, but it is not our fault.
What about books? Do you prefer ebooks or printed books? What was the last book you read?
I personally don’t like the electronic form of books. I don’t like e-readers and reading on the tablet or computer. I really spend a lot of time behind a monitor and it’s taxing on my eyes. When I want to read something, I want to feel the paper in my hands. There are a few books I am reading now, they are non-fiction. Yesterday, I read a book called Learn to read people like a book. It’s about understanding emotions and personality types.
Generation Z is said to be very mindful of mental health. Is this something important to you or is it just a trend on social media?
In my opinion, it’s not a trend. It is a problem of our generation – at least from what I perceive around me and what has happened to people around me. It’s been in the news a lot that various forms of depression and anxiety disorders are on the rise. I think one of the reasons is technology. I’ve read about studies that have looked at the link between technology and anxiety or depression. Almost everybody shows off on social media. And people often compare with what they see there. But it doesn’t always reflect reality it’s rarely what it looks like. However, if I don’t take this into account and spend too much time comparing myself to what I see, it can cause a mental imbalance.
What does the working world look like through the eyes of your generation? Is work more than just a job for you? Are you looking for meaning, balance, self-fulfillment?
For me personally, it is very important that the work is meaningful. I see a lot of people around me, not only from my generation, who go to work, do 8 hours and go home. When people don’t like their work, efficiency goes down and the results are not as good as when it is done by someone who is passionate about it. Personally, I’m always looking for some meaning in what I do. Even in my position, because I work with quite complex systems, I see meaning in being able to create some value – some order or structure in information, the data, the management. And that’s what gives me that meaning and drives me forward. Not that I come in, stay there as long as I have to, get some money, go home at 4 p.m. and don’t want to hear about work anymore.
Your generation is trying to maintain some work-life balance. How would you define your ideal working day? . Ako by si definoval svoj ideálny pracovný deň?
I have a problem with balance sometimes, because I really love my job. Sure, not everything is interesting, that’s not in any job, but most of the work is really fulfilling for me. Sometimes I have to force myself to stop working. Sometimes I start doing something and suddenly it’s two in the morning. I try not to do that, but still, it happened to me sometimes. But if I have to define my ideal working time or working day, it’s definitely not just sitting at the computer. When I come into the office, I’m happy to see a colleague if there’s someone that day, because a lot of colleagues work remote or have a hybrid model. So I don’t always see the same colleagues, but at least I see a face that I can talk to! Part of the day I just work alone in the office, trying to be as productive as possible with my phone set in work mode so I’m not distracted by notifications and trying to give my best performance. But then we go for coffee, for lunch, for another coffee and then I work as hard as I can again. So it’s not just about sitting at the computer, it’s also about getting some rest, going to the office, meeting people and talking.
They say your generation grew up on motivational quotes on Instagram. Is it true?
Yes, I think our generation grows up sometimes on overly motivational quotes. It’s fine to a certain extent, yes, it does motivate you when you read something that fits your situation, but there’s no need to overdo it.
How does your generation perceive traditional work benefits such as meal vouchers or company parties? Are these just an anachronism for you or do you appreciate them?
I really like corporate events. Since I sit behind a monitor almost all day, I like to get away from it. And just like when someone works with people, they prefer to relax and have peace and quiet, for me it’s the exact opposite. I sit in silence all day and concentrate and then I need to go among people. When we get opportunity to participate in corporate events outside of working hours, whether it’s painting, different workshops, fitness classes, group workouts and so on – I am in. It’s very important to me because I get to see people again and I can connect with them. I very much appreciate that the company organizes such events.
You mentioned that you also work from home. What is your ideal dress code? Do you work in pyjamas?
I don’t work from home much, my job requires me to be in the office (learn more about tips for home office efficiency). However, wherever am I, office or home, it’s never pyjamas. I feel very comfortable in a shirt or smart-sporty clothes. At home, however, there’s no point in wearing a shirt because no one can see me. Most meetings are held without cameras. And I don’t work in sweatpants either, I usually wear some jeans and a t-shirt.
In your opinion, what are the strategies to set up cooperation between different generations? How can we cooperate with each other?
Generational differences can sometimes be complicated because the perception of reality and the world is completely different. I see this with my parents, for example. When I send them a reply to a message in emoticons expressing something, they don’t always understand what I meant. But there are different techniques to improve this. Whether it’s adjusted communication, for example in-person meetings versus online platforms. Older generations are used to face-to-face meetings. My generation experienced Covid, so for a couple of years I functioned only online, without meeing literally anybody. It was hard for me because I really like the face-to-face contact with people. Through a screen it’s impersonal, you can’t read emotions. Personal contact is different. And in terms of other strategies, it’s creating opportunities for team work, where we can communicate with each other so that we’re not each doing separate things. In our team, for example, there’s quite a big generation gap between some of my colleagues. But I personally see support from them. I’m never afraid to come to them saying I don’t know something. They don’t make fun of me and they always help me solve the problem. They don’t patronize me, they always try to guide me on how to do it or where to find the information. Because after all, nobody knows everything. I admit to myself that I don’t know everything. Which is why sometimes I have to come and ask for help, because I don’t want to mess anything up. And I know that my colleagues are experienced and have done it before. I don’t feel any condescension on their part or that they’re trying to put me down just because I’m younger. So we have teamwork set up very well and it’s very nice to work with people across generations. After all, we are in the IT business. The people who developed those technologies are still working in IT, and people like me, who were born when they were developed, are still working with them.
Do you use flexible working hours? What other company benefits do you like?
Flexible working hours is one of the huge benefits that msg life provides. We have fixed hours when we have to be available, it’s from 9:00 to 3:30 p.m.. The rest of the time I can schedule as I need. If I need to move somewhere, that remaining time is off-peak and the transfer to or from work is seamless. If I need to run an errand in the morning, I know that I can just go to that particular place at 8 a.m. because I can get it done and be in the office by 9 a.m.
What is your top benefit?
If I had to pick one – after all, we have dozens of them – for me the top benefit I like and use the most is massage. Because of the fact that I sit or stand most of the day, since we got electronic desks – for me this is one of the top benefits a company can provide. Plus workout. It really helps a lot.
Jakub, social media and technology are a natural part of life for your generation. What are their drawbacks?
I think that instead of bringing us closer together, social networks are separating us more and more. It’s too easy to connect with someone. If I can text a person in 5 seconds, why would I spend dozens of minutes moving to see them in person? For me, however, that personal contact is much more important. If I have to choose between going for coffee or texting, I choose coffee. I read the book Digital Dementia by German neuroscientist and psychiatrist Manfred Spitzer, who explains what happens to our brains if we spend too much time not only on social media, but with technology in general. How it affects our brains, creates addiction. I definitely recommend this book to our listeners. In my opinion, it’s definitely not beneficial to spend too much time on social media.
What about the mobile phone? How do you handle situations when your mobile phone has no signal?
I’d probably say the same thing as with the Wi-fi – it depends on the situation. If I have people with me, that is, if I’m in company and not currently dealing with work or some other obligation, I don’t necessarily need my phone. I don’t need the signal because I’m with people. But if there is a work emergency or some case that I need to solve, it is important that I have the signal.
How much time spent on social media is too much for you?
I personally think any time spent on social media is too much for me. It’s a waste of time. I could use that hour and a half I mentioned for completely different things. But it’s not an hour and a half straight. It’s those few-minute stretches where I open Instagram, look at something, close it again. But when you accumulate that over the course of a day, it’s an hour and a half. It’s too much time.
The world without technology is sometimes better. Just going out in nature, spending time with your colleagues, going for coffee, having lunch together… That’s the best.
Yes, I was looking forward to coming here for a month because I knew how beautiful the road between Ruzomberok and Rojkov would be. With all these colours! And that’s a great experience for me – that I’m passing through this magical autumn landscape, coming here, talking to you. It’s completely different than when I’m sitting at home locked behind my computer. The personal contact is different.
Your generation is also known for having a very different approach to relationships and social issues. How do you perceive this? Is it more about digital friendships or do Zoomers like meeting face to face?
We experienced Covid, when we had to be isolated from other people, most relationships at that time were online. I think this whole situation has changed the way our generation approaches social issues, because we’ve gotten used to dealing with things online. It’s easier to hide behind an anonymous profile or say something online even non-anonymously than it is to say it in real life to your face because online I’m not standing in front of you and I can’t see you. And that, to me, is not good. People are not afraid of saying things, there’s less mutual respect and people want to argue, they don’t want to deal with social issues or communication. So if I had to answer that question about what the Generation Z approach to relationships is, I think it’s very individual. I personally prefer personal contact, but I know people who wouldn’t leave the house all day if they didn’t have to. They’ll have groceries brought home and just sit at home because it suits them that way. I am not here to judge them, but it’s not for me.
When was the last time you searched for something on Google without an incognito window turned on?
You know what, I don’t know the last time I had an incognito window on. I need to get back to most of the information I search for, and I almost never search for anything that someone shouldn’t see. So I don’t really use it.
Do you think it’s still important to learn things by heart or is Google all-powerful and you can find everything on it right away?
You can find everything on it, and maybe even right away if you can define what you’re looking for. But to define what you’re looking for, you need to have some knowledge. Earlier we were talking about chatGPT and not knowing how to generate something. I still say it can’t read minds. ChatGPT can do what you want, but it can’t read your mind. And I see that people sometimes have trouble expressing what they want to say. If you can define what you want to find, in the vast majority of cases you can find it immediately.
Do you think that your generation is interested in ecology? Why is it so?
We all see the state of our planet. We are taking over from some other generation that left it in this state. It’s not just a trend to make something look good. Okay, I came here by car. That car has pretty high gas consumption, so I can’t pretend it was eco-friendly. But since I live in the town and mostly need to drive short distances, I’m considering getting an electric car. Ecology is important to us, after all we all breathe the same air. I am concerned that the carbon footprint I leave behind is as small as possible. Also, I don’t like litter on the streets, so I try not to drop any.
Do you also use bicycle to get to work?
I used to ride an electric scooter… Yes, it’s a battery again, you have to charge it. It’s not a foot-powered thing. But for example, when we had a fitness challenge at work in May, I walked everywhere. I did about half a million steps then. That was a month when I almost never started the car. That’s when I found out how much time I have, because if I plan things out, I can plan my whole day to fit everything in. It doesn’t always work, of course – sometimes it’s raining, sometimes it’s windy, sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it’s too hot, but it’s definitely the most environmentally friendly way to get around. But back to the question. I think that it is precisely because we live on this planet and want to live well on it that we should look after it.
Jakub, do you have any recommendations for other generations to be able to communicate effectively with each other?
If I were to summarize, I wouldn’t go completely for recommendations on how to communicate, but I would highlight that it’s important not to judge by age. Yes, I am young, inexperienced, but I want to learn. And that willingness to learn is directly proportional to what I see from the other side. So if I see a condescending attitude, my willingness to learn goes down because I know that person is not taking me seriously. On the other hand, if I see that I get full support in the team, whether from the boss or from my colleagues, I want to learn because I want to prove to myself and to others that I know what I’m doing and that I want to keep improving. And when I said Zoomers want to learn, we also want to work. Of course, I not saying all of us. That’s not the case in any generation. Maybe in our generation there’s a little bit higher ratio of those who don’t want to work. But I personally want to work, but my motivation is different from other generations. Because of the technology and everything else we’ve talked about in the last 30 minutes, my motivation to do something is completely different than some 30-something, 40-something, 50-something year old person. The older generations might have to adapt a little bit in that, but of course, we also have to adapt to you who have been here a little bit longer. Our generation should be more open to advice from the elders and listen to what they say. Young people sometimes think they know everything. I used to think that too, to a certain extent. And when such thoughts come up, I try to ignore them. Even if we don’t want to take someone’s advice, we should at least listen to it.
Yes, exactly. I think the most important thing is that all generations learn from each other. Dear listeners, thank you for being with us in today’s episode of the Na Vlne Kodu podcast, brought to you by msg life Slovakia. My guest in the studio today was Jakub Novak. I hope you had fun and learned something new. Don’t forget to follow us and keep listening! I am Ivana Hricova and until the next time, goodbye.
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