Gen Z Is Getting Eaten Alive at Work—And It’s Not Their Fault
Let’s cut the fluff: Gen Z is struggling in the workplace, and a lot of the blame falls on the adults who raised, taught, and coached them. Parents, schools, and youth sports built this generation to chase grades, clout, and dopamine—not to handle hard feedback, ambiguity, or a 7 a.m. team meeting that doesn’t include a ring light.
Now, reality’s biting back. The office is not a curated safe space. The real world doesn’t give gold stars for “showing up.” And performance reviews don’t care how many followers you have on TikTok.
Don’t take my word for it—the data’s brutal.
A 2023 ResumeBuilder survey found that 74% of managers say Gen Z is more difficult to work with than other generations.
Over 20% of Gen Z employees were fired in their first year—far more than any other generation in the same time period (Forbes, 2023).
Harvard Business Review reported that many Gen Z workers lack essential soft skills like resilience, communication, and problem-solving.
This isn’t about some tired “kids these days” rant. I’m not some boomer banging on about grit while sipping whiskey. I’m saying we failed them—and now we have to fix it.
They Were Set Up to Lose
We taught them test scores mattered more than tough conversations. We gave them “self-care” but forgot to teach self-discipline. We filled their heads with dreams of six-figure tech jobs and forgot to show them how to navigate a bad boss or a project that hits the fan. And now we’re shocked when they ghost their employer after a tough week.
The corporate world is chewing them up—and they’re either quitting, getting fired, or burning out.
This isn’t sustainable. It’s not good for them, and it’s a disaster for business.
That’s Where Peak Ops Comes In
At Peak Ops Advisors, we don’t offer feel-good leadership theory or buzzword bingo. We run a No-BS Leadership Curriculum designed to train Gen Z professionals to excel—not just survive—in the modern workplace.
We teach real-world execution. We teach emotional discipline. We teach accountability as a form of leadership—not punishment. And we do it by putting them in the same room (or ruck trail) with senior operators who’ve led through crisis, scale, and hard knocks.
It’s not about breaking them down. It’s about building them up—with real tools, not motivational posters.
From Soft Skills to Savage Execution
Our curriculum includes:
Tactical communication (how to speak clearly and confidently when the pressure’s on)
Operational clarity (how to prioritize and act in chaos)
Feedback fluency (how to give and take hard truths without shutting down)
Leadership from the bottom (because your title doesn’t determine your impact)
We also offer 1-on-1 executive mentorship and a hands-on program called Memento Ruckus—a physical, team-based challenge where leadership isn’t theoretical. It’s real, sweaty, and uncomfortable. Just like life.
Let’s Stop Whining and Start Leading
Here’s the bottom line: Gen Z isn’t broken. They’re just underprepared. And it’s time we stop mocking them and start mentoring them.
So if you’re a founder, VP, or people leader wondering why your new hires can’t handle pressure, don’t just fire and replace them. Train them. Lead them. Challenge them. That’s what we do.
And if you’re Gen Z reading this? Let’s go. We’ll help you level up—just don’t expect it to be easy. Growth never is.
-Tony
