Futurologist Tristan Horx – “Generation Z is either very woke or wants a Lamborghini”

FOCUS online: Mr. Horx, Generation Z still has a lot of future ahead of it. In public perception, however, she is seen as lazy, unwilling to work and leisure-oriented. Is the cliche true?

Tristan Horx:
This has always been said about the next generation, going back to antiquity. Again, that skepticism is all too human, and probably comes from knowing that one day you’ll be just a tourist in the world of the Successors.

What distinguishes young people?

Horx:
The younger generation just has this urge to rebel and also to question existing models. This then leads to irritation among older people, who do not really want to deal with it, but prefer to use the stereotypes mentioned. Today, this also has to do with the fact that the older ones have been very successful with traditional working models. So eight hours a day, 40 hours a week, office and no home office.

What does Gen Z really want?

Horx:
Gen Z, like all other generations, want performance to be worthwhile. In terms of educational standards, this is the most informed generation ever. They are damn smart, have absorbed half the knowledge of the Internet and, contrary to the cliché, do not want to be lazy, but want to perform.

How homogeneous is this group?

Horx:
It is indeed very heterogeneous. Generation Z is either very woke or wants a Lamborghini. In this respect, it is actually not possible to lump an entire generation together.

Quiet Quitting: “I think: If you want to go, you should go loud”

With baby boomers either retiring or already, Gen Z is entering the workforce. What awaits you there?

Horx:
The job market is currently undergoing massive change. The latest development is that workers can dictate what they want and need. Due to demographic change, there are simply not enough young people who could follow the many older people. This strengthens the basis for negotiation enormously. This makes me optimistic that the world of work will adapt to the needs of the individual.

So we’re experiencing a shift right now?

Horx:
Generation Y, i.e. my generation, has tried in vain to bring more trust, meaning and flexibility into the world of work. Gen Z noticed this failure carefully and derived from it not to subordinate everything to work and, for example, to drop the pen at 5 p.m. and start the end of the day. For me, however, this is a defiant reaction and will subside over time.

Is defiance the German word for Quiet Quitting?

Horx:
Basically, Quiet Quitting is a form of resignation. This phenomenon does exist. According to the motto: I do my eight hours and then I want my peace. However, this is very dangerous, sometimes to the point where employees actively sabotage their employers because they become so frustrated. I think if you want to go, you should go loud. So that maybe things will change for the better in the future.

What does the working world of the future look like?

Horx:
Let’s assume the year 2040. Automation and digitization will then have permeated more and more professions. Artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT will be an essential factor in the working world. The interesting thing is that this time, new technologies are not threatening the lower-income professions, but the higher ones.

That means?

Horx:
Your job, my job is indeed threatened, but not that of the kindergarten teacher or nurse. The market is really getting mixed up. By 2040, however, we will have fewer working hours in absolute terms due to automation. In any case, all studies show that in creative professions, productivity decreases after four hours. Less is more.

“I’m sure that we will soon only work 30 hours a week”

How long will we work in 2040?

Horx:
Working on time is actually much too schematic for me. But if you want to stick to this logic: I am sure that we will soon only be working 30 hours a week. More and more occupations will decouple from time served as a productivity indicator.

Bosses, especially those in medium-sized companies and smaller, often family-run companies, usually tick completely differently. Isn’t that where the conflicts are programmed?

Horx:
That’s why I travel a lot with medium-sized companies. Of course, they notice extremely that the boomers (editor’s note: post-war years up to 1964) are retiring and there are considerable problems in filling the positions adequately. Because simply too little flexibility and too much attention is paid to pure presence. As a result, medium-sized companies gamble away their advantage of agility. Some big players are much further along because they know what they have to offer their employees.

“The boomers have made incredible progress”

“Boomer” is used as a swear word by Generation Z. Why?

Horx:
The boomers have advanced incredibly much. For example, when it comes to women’s rights, homosexual rights or environmental protection. We stand on the shoulders of giants. The problem is that the generations have few points of contact with each other and therefore eye each other with suspicion and discredit each other.

How could this be changed?

Horx:
One could, for example, introduce a generational quota in companies. That means: someone from Generation Z or Y must be at the management level – on an equal footing. I would also recommend this to politicians. There is already gender parity. Unfortunately, this is not very interesting for the parties because we have such a surplus of older people. A second option would be to establish a generational translator in companies. Because: We actually all want the same thing, only communicate brutally past each other and therefore carry out pseudo-conflicts.