Millennial Manager vs Gen Z Manager: Who is better? - ETHRWorld (2024)

High performing and high potential employees are getting into managerial and leadership positions quicker, as career span or the number of years of experience is getting secondary to talent and capabilities.

As a result, the emergence of more and more young leaders and younger CXOs across sectors is getting common.

Furthermore, with the changing times, young Generation Z managers' leadership styles have also evolved and undergone massive transformation contrary to Millennial managers.

ETHRWorld spoke to industry leaders across sectors – energy, mining, real estate and software – to understand their perceptions, experiences and assessment of Gen Z leaders and managers vis-a-vis their Millennial counterparts, what each of them bring to the table, who is better and why.

Qualities in Millennial managers that Gen Z managers do not possess

Praveen Purohit, Vice President and Deputy Group CHRO, Vedanta, says, "Millennials are structured and mature in their approach; they excel in both- focusing on the process and the outcome, making them excellent problem solvers, ensuring effective results."

Purohit adds that Millennials also bring a holistic view and provide an overall perspective. Their greater experience allows them to visualise execution of projects over a longer time horizon and prepare for potential pitfalls.

Seconding Purohit's viewpoint, Madhuri Mehta, CHRO, Emaar India, says that Millennials often offer a superior blend of technical expertise and long-term stability, serving as reliable mentors and managers for their teams.

"Contrastingly, Gen Z managers favour independent and autonomous work environments, prefer more flexibility and balanced options like remote or hybrid work," says Mehta.

Mehta adds that Gen Z places a high emphasis on financial growth, even if it means frequently changing jobs and sacrificing employer loyalty.

Gen Z managers are generally adept with technology, while Millennial managers are often more knowledgeable in their fields and domain expertise.

"Growing up during the global social media revolution, Gen Z values tasks that align with causes they care about and that are currently trending. They may also become quickly disengaged if their work lacks relevance or excitement," Mehta says. She also shares her experience, dealing with shorter attention spans that leads Gen Zs to seek frequent and varied changes in their roles.

One major area that Mehta feels Millennials have an edge over Gen Zs is that they are more process-driven and comfortable at operating within established organisational frameworks and processes without deviations from the set protocols.

"Gen Zs, on the other hand, are more tech-savvy which can result in bending the framework and processes at times," she adds.

Anu Mathew, Chief People Officer, Perfios, opines that Millennials, having worked in the pre-internet era, have witnessed the rise of the internet and bring great respect for the accessibility to knowledge that was not as easily available earlier pre-internet.

Millennials believe in team collaboration and working together to build on each other’s ideas. In contrast, Gen Zs, who were born into the internet world, often view technology as their only, best ally and tend to be more individual workers.

Himal Tewari, CHRO and Chief - Sustainability & CSR, Tata Power, says, "Millennial managers have developed a strong understanding of traditional business practices, strategic planning, project management and leading large-scale initiatives, while Gen Z tends to perform well in areas that demand cutting-edge innovation, and are particularly strong in leveraging the latest technologies and trends.”

Qualities in Gen Z managers that Millennial managers could emulate

Mathew of Perfios shares one of the most pertinent qualities in his experience that Gen Z managers adopt– a different leadership approach that is more trust-based.

"They believe in empowering their teams. For example, most Gen Z managers do not prefer micromanagement and have not even experienced the old-fashioned attendance system of clocking in and out," says Mathew.

"Instead, they focus on outcomes and impact as their key metrics, rather than the time spent working on a task. They are also more encouraging towards new tech areas that can transform the way we work across different roles," Mathew adds.

Mehta of Emaar summarises some unique strengths of Gen Z managers as under:

1. Compared to Millennials, Gen Z managers are much more tech-savvy, particularly when it comes to leveraging social media and artificial intelligence.

For example, a Gen Z manager might introduce an innovative, Android-based project management app to enhance teamwork and productivity.

Millennials can greatly benefit from adopting such practices by staying abreast of new technological advancements and actively incorporating them into their work.

2. Gen Z managers are renowned for their adaptability and flexibility. Raised in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, they excel at navigating change and can quickly pivot when necessary.

For instance, during unforeseen events like the Covid-19 pandemic, Gen Z managers adeptly transitioned their team to remote or hybrid work arrangements, demonstrating remarkable agility in change management, as compared to Millennials who were getting used to the virtual ways slower.

Millennials may exhibit more reluctance toward altering established practices and workflows, potentially leading to challenges in agility.

3. Growing up in an interconnected world, Gen Z managers often possess a heightened awareness of cultural diversity and global trends.

They understand the importance of adopting a global perspective in strategic planning, which enhances the depth and comprehensiveness of their decision-making.

Millennials can improve their leadership and decision-making by embracing diverse viewpoints and integrating a broader, global data set into their strategies.

4. Gen Zs are always in the lookout for learning, upskilling and courses that help them advance professionally and personally.

They value opportunities to collaborate and learn from each other. The learnings and collaborations expose them to more knowledge, perceptions and opportunities making them better decision-makers.

Millennials, on the other hand, might be fixated on their knowledge and experiences and unwilling to unlearn and relearn as quickly as Gen Z.

Purohit of Vedanta seconds Mehta's viewpoints on Gen Zs’ agility and adaptability, and adds how he has seen and experienced that they give more importance to physical and mental wellbeing as well, something Millennials didn't think of much, and are gradually getting inspired by.

Another stand-out quality, Purohit has observed is how Gen Zs often embrace disruptive or non-traditional ideas.

"In today's digital and AI driven era, the disruptive, collaborative and unconventional outlooks are something Millennial managers can learn from Gen Zs," says Purohit.

Tewari of Tata Power seconds Purohit’s view and discusses his own experiences of how Gen Zs excel in roles that require creative problem-solving and tech-driven innovation, offering a fresh perspective on conventional challenges.

Additionally, Mehta acknowledges Gen Zs’ other distinctive qualities like how they champion diverse, inclusive and socially responsible organisational practices, reflecting their strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

"Environmental sustainability remains another top concern for Gen Zs with 62 percent of Gen Zs reporting feeling anxious or worried about climate change, leading to integrating these values into their business practices," says Mehta.

Millennial manager vs Gen Z manager: Who performs better, where and why?

According to Mehta's observations, Millennial-led teams frequently succeed in fields or initiatives that call for striking a balance between sustainable business strategy and technology adoption which is a good fit for traditional industries like manufacturing, healthcare and finance.

"Teams that require strong mentorship and development programmes generally tend to perform better under Millennial managers, creating a cohesive team that focuses on long-term productivity," says Mehta.

Conversely, Mehta says that Gen Z managers are more likely to succeed in fast-paced, agile, rapidly changing, technologically advanced set-ups like consulting, startups or the creative industries, where their entrepreneurial spirit and natural aptitude for technology enables them to quickly adjust to new developments.

"They thrive on tasks that call for risk, flexibility, inventiveness and tech-focused solutions. Teams that operate in hybrid or remote work environments often excel under Gen Z managers due to their strong technical and digital skills,” says Mehta.

Purohit says that Millennial managers perform better in projects that require long-term strategic thinking and institutional knowledge. Being seasoned also helps them perform better in regulatory environments where navigating requirements of various stakeholders are required.

This, Purohit explains with an instance, how in the development of a mining site– one must balance innovation with adherence to regulations.

"Nonetheless, Gen Z managers have an edge in projects that require constant adaptability. Their digital fluency, social media adeptness, combined with the ability to collaborate and engage with a younger audience, makes them great solution providers,” says Purohit.

Seconding the views of Mehta and Purohit, Mathew explains Gen Z managers’ adaptability, risk taking ability and creativity, with an instance.

Mathew says, “If a Gen Z manager is leading a team to develop a new mobile app, he may encourage more experimentation and rapid prototyping, resulting in innovative features and a user-centric design.”

Gen Zs’ approach can inspire team members to think out-of-the-box and contribute unique ideas, driving the success of projects that require fresh perspectives and a high degree of creativity.

Gen Z leadership: Downsides

According to Purohit, some areas where Gen Zs have scope for growth are developing structured thinking, balancing innovation with established processes and protocols, and refining interpersonal skills, i.e., face-to-face communication, over and above their innate strength in virtual communication.

Mehta feels that Gen Zs’ upbringing in a fast-paced, instant-gratification environment may pose challenges in their developing patience and long-term strategic thinking.

"Additionally, Gen Z leaders may need to enhance their interpersonal skills, such as effective communication and relationship management, as they tend to favour more independent work and thought," says Mehta.

Mehta adds, "By focusing on these areas, Gen Z leaders can improve their ability to foster team cohesion and lead effectively, navigating complex challenges and drive sustained success across various organisational settings."

Purohit concludes, "The bottom line for me is– both generations bring unique qualities and behaviours to the table, and what is most practical is we nurture the best of both. The way I see it, any team where Gen Z is given a free-hand to innovate and disrupt, while having the guidance and stability of Millennial managers can be a deadly combination in tackling today’s challenges."

Tewari adds, "I think the unique strengths of both complement each other, driving the organisation's vision of a sustainable and innovative future. By working in tandem, both Millennials and Gen Zs foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning, and we harness the best of both generations, propelling our organisations to new heights."

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