Managing Gen Z: 6 Practices That Build Trust, Accountability, and Results

Kristin Schinella
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 22:36:52 +0000
Career-growth, Communication, Gen-z, Gen-z-employees, Gen-z-workers, Generation-z, Generational-differences, Leadership, Remote-work, Workplace-norms, Young-employees, Managing-gen-z

Managing Gen Z is often perceived as challenging. Employers frequently report that Gen Z employees are harder to retain and manage than previous generations, citing issues related to expectations, communication style, and workplace norms.

But perception doesn’t always match potential. With intentional leadership, managing Gen Z becomes less about accommodating quirks and more about unlocking capability. Let’s begin by acknowledging why Gen Z might feel different to manage (and, of course, these don’t apply universally):

If they began their careers during Covid, flexibility is non-negotiable—they were onboarded into remote work.

Remote work has left some feeling disconnected from managers and peers.

As digital natives, they are less practiced at tolerating boredom; they crave stimulation and meaning.

Many are highly social and emotionally attuned, preferring relational over transactional environments.

Job hopping isn’t taboo to them—it’s strategic.

Their communication style skews casual, which can be misread as flippant.

If you’re navigating these dynamics, here are six evidence-based, experience-informed practices to help manage Gen Z in a way that’s both rigorous and human.

How to Effectively Manage Gen Z

1. Prioritize Connection—Early and Often

Knowing that social connection matters deeply to many Gen Zers, invest early in building rapport and community. Start simple. Ask about their previous work experiences and what they loved (or didn’t). Explore their interests, causes, or aspirations. Introduce them to peers with similar passions or complementary roles.

Keep in mind, this isn’t just Gen Z, it’s human. When people feel known and valued, they form an emotional attachment to an organization. For early-career employees, that attachment helps build resilience through inevitable learning curves.

2. Set the Stage: Normalize Workplace Norms Explicitly

Most Gen Z employees aren’t just new to your company, they’re new to work. They may not yet have an internalized script for navigating a workplace culture.

Remember when you first started a job? So much of what you learned wasn’t taught—it was absorbed. You watched how your boss greeted clients, what she wore on big meeting days, how people asked for help or handled feedback. Human beings learn by observing others. And it used to be those cues were ambient: picked up in elevators, on lunch breaks, through office doorways left ajar.

Remote and hybrid work has made all of that less visible and much more opaque. To combat that, you need to intentionally articulate what used to be modeled. Think carefully about your company norms and then overcommunicate them. Don’t assume they’re obvious; assume they’re invisible. Make the implicit explicit:

Provide context: Explain not just what needs to be done, but why it matters.

Clarify workplace norms: When is casual dress okay, and what’s the expectation for client Zooms?

Set communication standards: Is Slack appropriate at all times? When should employees pick up the phone?

Ask for input: “What helps you do your best work?" "How do you prefer to receive feedback?”

Clarity is a gift, not a burden.

3. Coach in Public, Correct in Private

Gen Z thrives on feedback. When you offer real-time course correction with care, humor, and kindness, mistakes become learning opportunities.

Practical approach:

When multiple people are making the same error, use it as a team-wide teachable moment.

Save more direct, potentially sensitive feedback for private conversations.

Frame feedback as a performance enhancer: “Here’s how we can sharpen this next time.”

Many Gen Z employees want feedback, but no one wants to be shamed. The higher the psychological safety, the more open they are to correction, and the more quickly they self-regulate. Remember, feedback reduces people’s anxiety, so do it frequently to help people course correct and know they are on the right track.

4. Design for Autonomy and Add Structure as Needed

One common management trap is assuming early-career professionals require close supervision before trust is earned. This is an understandably difficult thing for managers to do. Here are some tips to layer in the scaffolding so you can feel okay offering trust first, then calibrating structure based on need:

Break projects into clear, milestone-based deliverables with regular checkpoints to ensure their work is on the right track and meeting expectations.

Pop over to their desk or shoot them a message that asks, “How’s it going? Remember, if you get stuck, I am here to answer any questions.” This lets them know that you are available and don’t mind giving guidance.

Encourage them to define their own approach first before defaulting to manager-led solutions. That builds critical thinking and accountability.

Gen Z has grown up with access to nearly infinite information. They’re used to figuring things out. But what they often lack is clarity around organizational context and priorities. This approach communicates: I trust you to figure things out. I’m here when you need me. And it helps prevent the dependency spiral that slows development and motivation.

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5. Make Career Growth Concrete, Not Conceptual

Gen Z has been told for years that they need to be ambitious, that they should seek growth and meaning. But when they step into a workplace and find vague promises like “We’ll think of you for the next opportunity,” that messaging rings hollow. Clarity for learning and growth is very important to so many in the workforce, and this generation is no different. Here’s what that looks like:

Show them how people actually grow at your company—map out lateral moves, not just ladders.

Co-create a six-month or 12-month development plan and revisit it regularly.

Perhaps most importantly, give them a chance to observe leadership in action—bring them into rooms they wouldn’t otherwise enter. Even if they just listen, the exposure is formative.

Don’t underestimate the power of visibility. Many Gen Z employees are still figuring out what success looks like at work. Show them. Narrate it. Let them touch it.

And if promotions aren’t available? Make sure they’re learning something new, building meaningful skills, or expanding their network. Professional growth isn’t just about the next job title—it’s about forward movement and investment. When they feel you’re invested in their future, they will invest more deeply in your present.

6. Calibrate Accountability Without Micromanaging

Gen Z responds well to structure and standards—but not when rules feel arbitrary or inconsistent. Accountability without clarity often leads to either defensiveness or disengagement. And no one thrives in a workplace that feels like a guessing game.

The goal here isn’t to lower expectations, it’s to codify them. Here's how to strike a balance:

Create shared project dashboards so that everyone knows what’s happening, when, and by whom. Visibility = accountability without surveillance.

When mistakes happen, resist the urge to jump straight to blame. Ask, “Where did the process break down? What could we clarify for next time?”

Define what “good enough” means, not just what excellence looks like. Otherwise, high performers may burn themselves out trying to chase an undefined bar.

This generation grew up with grading rubrics and coaching frameworks. Use that familiarity to your advantage. Set standards clearly, then trust them to meet or exceed them.

Building a New Generation of Leaders

Managing Gen Z isn’t about lowering standards; it’s about raising your level of intentionality. Communicate expectations clearly. Offer structure that supports and guides employees to do high-quality work. Show them what this looks like and design an experience where early-career professionals can grow into their potential.

I cannot say this strongly enough: if you want young employees to give “extra”—to work late, to jump in on weekends, to stretch beyond their job description—and they’re not being highly compensated, then praise and gratitude aren’t just throwaway comments. They are part of the compensation package.

Gen Z doesn’t assume they’re doing well unless you tell them. But more importantly, they don’t know what excellence looks like in your eyes unless you point it out. Say thank you. Publicly recognize extra effort and offer private acknowledgment when it’s earned. Be specific. Be sincere. Acknowledgment provides directional feedback and tells people that this is what matters here, this is what good looks like—keep going.

You’re not just overseeing tasks, you’re shaping capability. You’re building the next generation of leaders, one moment of clarity, generosity, and encouragement at a time.