The Gen Z Stare at Work

The Deadpan Divide: How Older Gens View the Gen Z Stare

• The majority of older generations (Gen X and millennials) interpret the Gen Z stare as disinterest (71%).

  • Hybrid workers (74%) are more likely than fully in-person (70%) or fully remote (69%) workers to say it looks this way.

  • Government workers (78%) are the most likely to say the stare looks like disinterest compared to other industries.

• Media professionals (64%) are the most likely to say the Gen Z stare means the person is processing information (often at double or triple the rate of other industries).

• Finance workers (68%) are the most likely to interpret the stare as boredom.

• More than half of older generations (52%) say they've felt uncomfortable because of the Gen Z stare. Those working in education (68%) were the most likely to report this.

• 39% of older generations say that the Gen Z stare has affected work meetings. Professionals in finance (66%) are most likely to say this.

• 35% of older generations say the Gen Z stare has affected client interactions, and healthcare professionals (46%) are most likely to say so.

Gen Z Shares Why They Stare

• Gen Zers working in hospitality and food (65%) are the most likely to be told they look bored, uninterested, or intimidating.

• Most Gen Zers (33%) say they do not intentionally tone down their expressions at work, with government workers being the most likely to say this (45%).

• 25% are actually trying to appear emotionally expressive, with Gen Z retail workers doing so the most (40%).

• A majority of Gen Zers (56%) believe their stare won't hurt their career advancement.

• Those working at large companies with 250 or more employees are the most likely to say the stare will hurt their career advancement, at 24%.

• More than half of Gen Zers (54%) say they feel pressure to perform emotional cues even when they do not match their internal state or feel pressure to "break the stare."

  • Gen Z workers in finance (68%) are the most likely to say they feel pressure to perform, compared to those working in other industries.

  • Government and hospitality workers (19%) are the most likely to say they do not feel pressure to perform, compared to those in other industries.

  • Hybrid workers (60%) are the most likely to say they feel pressure to perform, compared to fully remote (54%) or fully in-person workers (50%).

• More than half of Gen Zers working in government (55%) say keeping a neutral expression helps them feel more in control, followed by tech workers (42%).

• Gen Z workers in finance (36%) are more likely than those in other industries to say that keeping a neutral expression helps them feel less vulnerable.

Minding the Body Language Gap

• 74% of Gen Zers think older generations are overinterpreting their communication style at work.

• Nearly half of Gen Zers (47%) say people care about the Gen Z stare because social media turned it into a trend, with those working in retail the most likely to agree.

• More than 1 in 10 Gen Z (13%) have often felt misunderstood due to their body language or facial expressions at work, and another 47% sometimes experience these feelings.

  • Gen Z workers in hospitality and food jobs are the most likely to say they often feel this way.

• Gen Zers are the most likely to say that all nonverbal behaviors, aside from handshakes, feel outdated in the workplace.

• According to older generations, millennials have the best communication skills when compared to Gen X and Gen Z.

Methodology

Clarify Capital surveyed 986 American workers for this study. Of the respondents, 49% were women, 48% were men, and 2% identified as nonbinary. By generation, 35% were Gen Z, 42% were millennials, and 22% were Gen X, with millennials and Gen X grouped together when referring to "older generations." Respondents worked in a mix of settings: 49% fully in person, 18% fully remote, and 32% hybrid. Roles also varied, with 25% entry-level employees, 33% mid-level employees, 11% senior employees, 9% first-level managers, 11% mid-level managers, 5% senior managers, and 6% executive leaders. Percentages in this report may not total 100% because of rounding.

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