Gen Z is overwhelmed by “tech shame” at work, more so than boomers

According to a global HP survey of 10,000 office workers around the world, they are most likely to feel plagued by technology issues at work. This may come as a surprise given that the youngest generation is digitally native and often tasked with explaining newfangled gadgets or gadgets to their older colleagues at work. But that can put Gen Z under pressure.

While 1 in 5 young office workers say they feel condemned because of technical issues, only 1 in 25 of their older colleagues feels the same way, according to HP. They’re also ten times more embarrassed when they have those technical snafus than their 40+ peers.

There are several reasons for this “technological disgrace,” Debbie Irish, HP’s UK and Ireland head of human resources, told WorkLife. For one, she says, it could be related to not being able to afford better tech equipment or Wi-Fi like older peers can, as Gen Z is still largely based on entry-level salaries. They may also generally feel less secure in their jobs.

“Some young professionals are entering the workforce in fully virtual environments for the first time,” says Irish. “They have less personal time in the office than any other generation and have limited access to officers, mentors and even their bosses.”

It’s enough to stop Gen Z from attending a meeting — a quarter of the generation would actively avoid attending if they felt their technology would cause a disruption, according to the HP report. This percentage drops to 6% for the over 40s.

Despite their penchant for TikTok, younger generations don’t feel all that equipped to live in a remote or hybrid world where digital skills are more important. LaSalle Network found that the Class of 2022 cited technical skills as the number one thing they feel unprepared for in the job market.

And taking on the responsibility to lead others on technology issues can also make Gen Z feel embarrassed when they face their own problems. While it can be a source of knowledge, it can convey a sense of importance, but describing how a file is regularly converted can become tiresome.

According to a survey of 1,000 workers by software company OSlash, Gen Z workers spend an average of eight hours a week helping their older colleagues locate their computer files. That equates to $11,000 annually in wasted employee time. And more than a quarter of Gen Zers reported that they couldn’t get their day job done because they had to juggle tech support tasks.

Also, work isn’t just social media and Zoom — and that can be part of the problem for Gen Z. Some offices still rely on more traditional forms of technology that they are unfamiliar with. Older technologies like fax machines leave younger workers confused and feel like scammer syndrome, according to research from Asana.

Perhaps these mistakes are just simple outliers for those with more career confidence. But for some Gen Zers on already shaky ground, it’s not just about turning it off and on, it’s about feeling confident in your job

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