'They Have Forgotten How To Talk & Dress': Why Companies Are Offering 'Etiquette Classes' To Gen Z

At a time when many companies around the world are switching back to work from the office after around three years of remote working during the pandemic, it seems that there is a new headache for the companies.

'Gen Z Has Forgotten How To Dress & Talk'

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As strange as it may sound, young employees, especially the Gen Zs, are 'not ready' to return to the office. No, we are not talking about the willingness to come to the office, we are talking about basic etiquette such as knowing how to dress and how to hold conversations at the workplace.

After years without ever setting foot in an office, some employees have forgotten how to dress, how to interact, and how to behave in a way consistent with their office¡¯s expectations. According to their bosses, at least, Fortune reported.

Companies Begin Offering 'Etiquette Classes'

To tackle this, 45% of companies are offering etiquette classes to their employees and another 18% are planning to do the same by the end of the year, per a Resume Builder survey that polled 1,000-plus leaders.

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Such classes educate attendees on everything from making polite conversation to learning proper dress code to crafting professional emails. Some programs also address more abstract lessons, like how to receive constructive criticism, which hot-button topics (like politics or religion) to avoid in the workplace, or even just taking appropriate lunch breaks.

While these ideas might seem intuitive to a more seasoned worker, the covid pandemic has eroded norms to such a point that bosses believe many people need the reminders. Plus, young Gen Z entry-level employees who graduated into the pandemic aren¡¯t familiar with office professionalism.

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But it¡¯s also not just about the office as the world navigates remote and hybrid work; one CEO told ResumeBuilder he¡¯s also held classes on virtual etiquette, which centres on mindfulness regarding time zones, managing video call fatigue, and communicating online effectively. Most leaders who offer professionalism lessons told Resume Builder they¡¯ve been highly effective.

A decline in workers¡¯ interpersonal skills and professional conduct revealed ¡°a growing need for this type of training,¡± Young Pham, co-founder of media company Bizreport, told Resume Builder. Pham¡¯s company initially offered training just to new hires, but quickly realized ¡°that office etiquette training is beneficial for all employees, regardless of experience level or position,¡± he said.

Also Read: TCS Struggles To Get Millennial Employees Back To Office

Even 'Big Four' Offering Training To Gen Z

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Even some Big Four consultancies, including Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC are reportedly offering specialized training just for Gen Z workers.

¡°Gen Zers get criticized for lack of professionalism, which is code for not having the ¡®soft skills¡¯ needed to be effective at work,¡± Stacie Haller, ResumeBuilder¡¯s chief career advisor, wrote in the report. That¡¯s because they had far fewer opportunities to learn them on-site. As such, the classes shouldn¡¯t be viewed as a punishment so much as a helping hand.

Jon Holt, CEO of KPMG U.K., said that he admires Gen Z¡¯s resilience. ¡°It¡¯s important that as a business we support them as they begin their training and careers with us,¡± he said. ¡°This includes offering additional courses to help them build soft skills.¡±

KPMG U.K.¡¯s incoming campus hires receive lessons on skills Holt considers fundamental, such as teamwork, giving presentations, and effective face-to-face communication, as per the report. But the fact that most companies ResumeBuilder spoke to said they offer classes for all workers implies that even the oldest workers could benefit from getting back to basics

Also Read: How World's Empty Offices Post Pandemic Are Turning Into a Debt Time Bomb

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