GenShift Transcript: Episode 7—Gen Z (Paulina)

Katherine Jeffery: Welcome to GenShift, the podcast exploring how generation shaped the workplace. I created GenShift to open up real honest conversations about how generational differences show up in our daily work and how we can use them to work smarter together.

In each episode, we'll hear stories and insights that help bridge generational gaps so leaders, teams, and organizations can thrive. Today's spotlight is on Generation Z, the newest generation in the workplace. It's really important to listen to their perspective because they're bringing us fresh perspectives into the workplace, and also they're facing some pretty big stereotypes.

Today's guest is Paulina Seyffert. I met Paulina a few weeks ago in a workshop that she attended with her CEO, and I was so impressed with how she carried herself as well as how articulate she is, and she has incredible insights into her generation, and I'm so excited for her to share some of those with us today.

Now before we get to Paulina, I first wanna just talk about who is Generation Z. They were born in the mid nineties to the early 2010s. They are the first true digital natives and they're known for their tech fluency. They're pragmatism and very strong values. Their worldview has been shaped by the great recession and economic uncertainty, social movements and political polarization, climate change awareness, COVID-19, and the remote learning slash workplace.

Katherine Jeffery: When it comes to the workplace, they're hoping for authenticity, transparency, real time feedback that looks like casual conversation, balance and wellbeing, and meaningful values driven work. Some of the common stereotypes they often have to face are. They're really lazy or you're too sensitive, or gosh, you're so entitled.

Now. The big question for our episode today is what's the real story of Gen Z in the workplace and how do they see themselves when working across the generations? So I want to welcome you, Paulina, to the show. We're so excited to have you here and I'm very excited to be here. Thank you. Yes. And tell us a little bit about what you do for work on a day-to-day basis.

Paulina Seyffert: I am the executive assistant to our CEO, which is Hamza Dayoff. I work at a company called Phoenix Industries. We do the LED technology that you see in every emergency vehicle. So cop, car, ambulance, fire trucks, like you name it, we do that technology. It's a very niche field. Very male dominated, but it's a lot of fun, especially being able to work with my boss, Hamza.

You met him. He's so much fun. It's never a boring day with him. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yes. Never boring at your workplace, ever. I can only imagine. 

Paulina Seyffert: But yeah, I guess every day is completely different. It just depends on the agenda. We go from like meetings to, organizing the next steps of a new product or anything that has to be redone or fixed.

We're like all over the place, honestly. Meeting clients, dealers, you name it. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. Yeah. You move pretty fast too, right? Yes, I do. And I believe your boss is from another generation. Talk about that a little bit. 

Paulina Seyffert: Correct. My boss, he is a millennial, although I feel like he has certain traits of a Gen X.

But slowly I'm trying to get 'em into that, Gen Z mentality. I consider myself like a cusp also. Yeah. Because I was born in 1997, so I feel like, I have an older sister and obviously my parents, so I understood the dynamic. And I also have a little sister, so I'm literally like in the middle.

And I am slowly teaching him also. Like I get him onto the TikTok trends, all the stuff, literally. 

Katherine Jeffery: How's he doing with TikTok? 

Paulina Seyffert: We did a video once and he went viral. We got a lot of views. I think if I ever were to become famous on TikTok, it wouldn't be for me. It would be for him.

He's very entertaining overall. 

Katherine Jeffery: That is, I can vouch for that. Yeah. So what's the dynamic like between the two of you? Because we were talking before, so he's a Xennial, he's on the cusp of Millennial and Gen X, and you're a Zillennial on the cusp of Millennial and Gen Z. So what's the dynamic like between you?

Paulina Seyffert: I feel like we have a really good relationship. Sometimes I consider him like even a close friend. But obviously when it comes to work, I can definitely feel the shift. Although I feel like I can adapt easily. One thing that I'll never forget.

He told me out of all the interviews I did, you were the only one that did not ask, can it be hybrid or is it like a remote thing? Like you were ready to work in person with me. And at that time it was like, obviously during the pandemic it was, towards the end of it. And I've always been one to the whole hybrid remote thing was like so new to me.

Obviously all my courses in college got shifted to, being virtual remote. I was studying graphic design, which was really hard to learn from a professor because it's very like hands-on. They wanna show you like the cool techniques on the keyboard. And I don't know, it was just, it wasn't the same.

And so I was like, no, if I get a job, like I wanna be there in person, I wanna interact with the person. And so I never really thought about oh, hybrid, remote. It doesn't matter. Like I can be here every day. And that's something that he's used to. And it's been very hard because a lot of people do ask oh, can I be hybrid?

Or just completely remote. So yeah you can definitely feel the shift there. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. So he's used to being in person, correct. Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting what you just said because it's like your COVID years of college helped say, I want to be in the workplace. 

Paulina Seyffert: Yes. Although a lot of my friends are like, no, thrive working remote.

I love it. I don't have to be in person. I'm more of a social butterfly. Like I wanna interact, I wanna meet people. Although I am very quiet at the office, I just work directly with the chief officers. But either way, I love being able to interact, face-to-face, it's very different compared to right now where it's camera to camera.

Katherine Jeffery: Now we're on Zoom. Yeah. I think that's important for everyone to hear because everyone thinks, oh, Gen Z just doesn't wanna be in the office. And you're saying, no, actually, I do want to be in the office. 

Paulina Seyffert: Correct. Yeah. Yeah. I a hundred percent prefer to be in.  I just think the way people communicate can sometimes get twisted when it's through message.

And I think we even spoke about that during your presentation. And there's just nothing better than, being with someone, seeing them face to face, even like body language. Everything. I think it's super important in my opinion. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. I would agree with you.

Paulina Seyffert: Yeah, no, yeah. That's so 

Katherine Jeffery: important. 

Paulina Seyffert: I will say I do like it when I get to work remote sometimes where maybe it's a Friday and it's oh, you can do everything remote. It's oh, this is super nice. Like you stay in your pajamas, you're working, but you're still like your pajamas.

That's the best. Exactly. That little balance. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. So to have some flexibility, right? Yeah, exactly. That. That makes sense. I think we all like that in today's world, right? 

Paulina Seyffert: Yes. A perfect little balance. 

Katherine Jeffery: And are there any skills or is there a mindset that you bring that help you bridge that gap since he's from an older generation than you are?

Paulina Seyffert: Towards the beginning, it was very hard to find our dynamic and what worked for us. But overall communication, I think it's very important. Like if he didn't maybe approve of something that I was doing or he didn't like the way I was doing it. I was just like, no, you have to tell me in person.

Sometimes he would send me an email or can you do this, and that? And I'm just like, no. Tell me in person. I won't get upset. I won't get mad, like we're humans. Just that interaction, I think it's super important. I think that more than anything, the communication was what I think helped us grow together and have our dynamic like much stronger.

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. A lot of people ask about giving Gen Z feedback. So when he does come in person and give you feedback, like now that you've trained him right to do that, what does that look like for you? Yes. 

Paulina Seyffert: One thing that we mentioned during the presentation that you gave was.

I'm a perfectionist. And sometimes he would ask me like, send this email, and I'd be like, okay, wait, can you just double check it? And he would kinda stare at me like, you got this. And I was like, no, I know, but I need it to be perfect because if you replied back oh, and she also forgot to mention this, or you correct something for me, it's Ugh, I did something incorrect.

Or like, why didn't you tell me this? So I would maybe say that is something that like I've noticed that affects me and not just me. I feel like my friends have mentioned it also. We like to be guided and we wanna do things correctly. 

Katherine Jeffery: As I mentioned earlier, I've heard a lot of Gen Zs talk about feedback as an ongoing casual conversation.

Paulina Seyffert: Yes. That's also very important, obviously it just flows better. If it's like, hey, I need to talk to you, it's wait about what? Or what do you mean? Instead of saying oh, hey next time I like when you do it maybe this way instead of that way. Oh oh, okay, cool.

Perfect. Noted. Very different. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. Because you wanna get it right. Like you said, you're a perfectionist. You're trying to get it right, but you need to know what right means 

Paulina Seyffert: Exactly. Once you explain it well, it's okay, good I have noted I'll fix it.

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. Now people often stereotype Gen Z is very disengaged, and I think your boss would say you're the opposite of disengaged.

Paulina Seyffert: Yeah. I like to talk a lot with him. I feel like I do like to given my input, but there is moments where I am very reserved. And that's very funny you mentioned that because he literally told me this like a couple of days ago. 'Cause we like to check up on each other.

Hey, what's working? What's not working? Because there's also times where like it might work for a month and it's oh, just kidding. I don't like this flow. And then let's shift, yeah. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. Which is very important. 

Paulina Seyffert: It's normal also. Yeah. But I remember he even mentioned it'd be great if you engaged more in the meetings.

For me it was just like, oh wow. Interesting. So I do feel like I can get very timid at times. I think it also is like social anxiety. You meet new people during the meetings and at first I like to read the room. Like I sit down, I like to observe okay, they have a nice flow going.

Maybe I can be more interactive or maybe I just have to be a little bit more quiet. So I definitely understand where people might see that view from. Mm-hmm. I'll even mention the CFO, he made a comment the other day. He was like, oh yeah, my daughter called me because she didn't know how to put gas and she was freaking out because she's just not used to that.

And then she was freaking out because she's oh my God, a car's now behind me. What's going on? And I think it's just like a social anxiety that we all are struggling with. I even see with my little sister, it's so common. Even with my COVID dog. We got a puppy during COVID, and obviously she probably thought she was the only puppy in the world. 

Katherine Jeffery: Right?

Paulina Seyffert: Finally, when we took her to a dog park, she was like, wait, what's going on? What is this? And she would get so scared, and she still struggles with that. So I, it's the same thing with us humans, it's normal. 

Katherine Jeffery: So what does it take then for you to engage and speak up in those meetings? 

Paulina Seyffert: Maybe just even them asking something simple like, how was your day?

 A little connection or a question that will connect you with that person. More than anything, we wanna feel that connection. We wanna feel like, hey, you're not just a coworker or a client. We're humans. We wanna interact, we wanna bond. This is work. We also have our personal lives, so it's nice when they ask something. I always get asked, I have my dog as my screensaver. And for me, I always get excited when they're like, oh my God, is that your dog? That's so cute. I'm like, oh, yes. And then you have a little conversation about it, and then you just feel comfortable. Then you're able to like, continue on with the meeting or the conversation. You just create that connection in that moment.

Paulina Seyffert: Yeah. 

Katherine Jeffery: And you feel seen on some level. 

Paulina Seyffert: Exactly. Oh, cool. Like we have something in common. This shouldn't be scary. Even if it's jumping into a conversation where it's I don't know, a contract or something that might be a little bit more intense. Just even that start of communication in the beginning.

Yeah. Helps the whole conversation flow. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. Talk to us now about your work ethic. 

Paulina Seyffert: My work ethic. I wanna say my friends and I we always hang out and we love to talk about our jobs.

 It's not like to brag or anything, but it's like what we do every day. Yeah. We spend most of our time working. So for me, like work is very important. I like to do everything very quickly. I like to know the exact instructions, what's being done or what I have to do.

And I like to execute everything that same day. And it's interesting because , during your presentation you made a very important comment saying that as kids we were used to having the parent there, telling us what to do, coaches. And it's true. And I definitely do depend on my boss every day.

I get to work for him to be like, okay, X, Y, and Z has to be completed today this and that. And I need that guidance. I think it's also a struggle for me, for my boss to be like, oh make something up or, be creative and do something or figure it out. Like I can figure it out, but just gimme bullet points in a way of what has to be done.

So that's the way I kind of work and my boss understands that so we have a nice flow with it. 

Katherine Jeffery: So give you a goal and then allow some time to talk through the steps towards that goal, and then you'll take off. Yeah. And you've probably already started it before you finished, right?

Having the conversation in some ways? 

Paulina Seyffert: Oh yeah. I do everything pretty quickly. But no, definitely just having that conversation of what has to be done. And then sometimes even during it, if I have a question and I just can't figure it out, I'll definitely try my best to do it on my own.

But, like later ask can you just repeat or can you explain this to me again? It's just kinda like a reassurance type of thing for me. Now that I think about it, it's always about guidance. Yeah. I don't think I've ever went up to someone and told them like, you need to do this, and that. It's always been like the complete opposite. 

Katherine Jeffery: That's a good word.

Guidance. Yeah. When I think about that guidance, like when you show up at work, what are the values that are guiding you? 

Paulina Seyffert: That's a really good question. The values that guide me. I would consider one of my values is loyalty in a way. I wanna impress, my boss at the end of the day, like I wanna show him that I respect him and that the job that he's handing over to me, I'm gonna take care of it and I wanna do the best as I can.

I think loyalty is a huge one for me. Another value is, understanding. I've learned that depending on the person, I shouldn't take anything personal. If I ask something and someone gets annoyed and they come at me, and I'm just like, oh, sorry.

Sometimes I'm like okay, okay. No, no, okay. No. It's all right. It's like they have so much going on. The way they responded to me isn't even about me. Whatever. I'm gonna take the information and just keep going. What else? That's a really good question. What other type of values? I guess like integrity as well, like ownership of my work.

If I make a mistake on it, it's okay, shoot, I made a mistake. What can I do so that I don't repeat it again? Maybe those would be my top three that I can think of. 

Katherine Jeffery: I love that. And when you talk about loyalty, so for a lot of older generations, loyalty means I'm gonna work for this company for 30 years.

That's what loyalty means to them. So how would you define loyalty? 

Paulina Seyffert: When I think about where I'm currently at, and these are conversations that I've even had with my boss it's very normal nowadays for people to like work two to three years somewhere and they wanna jump somewhere else.

And that's like totally fine. But I value security and growth. And if I know that I can be at a company that I'm loyal to and they're loyal back to me, I can keep, growing with them, expanding my knowledge. 'Cause sometimes I even think about it like every year I learn something new every time, even being in the same position.

So it's like just expanding your knowledge, growing together and just having that balance. I feel like when I look at my life, I do wanna continue growing, but I don't want the stress of oh I'm not happy. I don't feel like they treat me well. Now I have to like, think about maybe finding another job and then you just that stress.

I don't want it, I do not want it. I feel like COVID brought a lot of stress on everyone and I felt no one felt secured in their job, in their life. People, were dying during that time. So it was just like valuing your life in that moment and, taking that moment to also look back and be like, okay, you can't take these things for granted.

So what can you do? Be loyal, stay committed find that happy medium overall. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. So I hear you talking about stability. 

Paulina Seyffert: Yes. I actually think stability for Gen Zs, is very important. I think we wanna live a life that's balance. My older sister I saw when she was like barely starting to work, she made it to a point where she would just work all the time.

She interned at a news station. She was working crazy hours and she was super stressed and this was like as a intern. But she loved it and then she ended up being like a reporter. But the hours were like insane. And I and my friends also, 'cause we talk about this all the time.

We just want that like stability balance of work is work, my personal life is my personal life, I'm not stressed all the time. It's, really important for everyone, especially during a time where we didn't feel that stability for a while. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. Yeah. I really hear that in how you're talking and what you're talking about and what's important to you at the workplace.

And it makes a lot of sense because of what you went through at such a kind of tender age, before you entered the world of work. 

Paulina Seyffert: It's crazy because I feel like it happened like maybe two years ago, but it's already what, 2025 like Yeah, five years. I don't know, time goes by so quickly, but I remember it so clearly, just being locked in your house for days, weeks, talking to your friends through FaceTime.

When I finally got to see my friends, we like threw like this huge party, like hug each other. We took it for granted. And so I feel like, a lot of the reasons why Gen Z people want the hybrid or the remote life is because, oh, if I can go to Hawaii and work remote, like I'm still working, but, I'm still like enjoying my life, yep. It's not just all work and then just a little bit of your free time, like your life. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yep. Now, another thing you mentioned that I wanna ask you about is you said I'll be loyal to the company if the company's loyal to me. What does that mean for the company to be loyal to you?

Paulina Seyffert: My company does a really good job at this. Obviously, to the point of every year we sit down, what did you like what did you not like? Obviously, they give me their feedback and I give them my feedback, and finding that balance. A perfect example would be, at the beginning, the schedule, it was like a nine to five type of schedule. But I'm very fast paced, so I would finish around maybe 3:00 PM and I'm just like, now what? And for me, just like sitting down just because I have to stay until five was driving me crazy.

I could literally be going on a nice walk or, being family. What do you mean? Just I have to sit here until 5:00 PM. And so for me, it was just kinda like, okay let's, work this out or what, how can we meet halfway? Because there's moments where it's 7:00 PM and I'll get an email and I'll work.

I was like, okay, I can do this really quickly. I don't mind it. That flexibility where it's like, if a task is completed and you truly don't have to be there, you're able to, leave or continue it from home if you need to. Just that nice happy balance, which I guess falls into a little of the hybrid remote stuff. But that's one good example I could give, but overall just communication. Them understanding what my needs are and vice versa, what my strengths are and what my weaknesses are, and not force things. You can grow obviously, but at the end of the day, I feel like people can't change who you are and if there's some things that you're just not good at.

You shouldn't be forced to do them is another.

The benefits that my company has, there's a gym in there, so they value if you want like a little break, do a little workout, you can work out. I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't think I've ever stepped outta that gym, but it's so nice to have and a lot of people do.

I look at it, I'm like, nice. My boss gives us unlimited PTO days, which is a huge benefit because I think 'cause of that, no one takes advantage of it. It's very much okay I'll be off, but if you need anything, I can respond. So even though I'm out and I have the unlimited days, I am still checking my emails instead of, when they're super strict of no, you only have certain days off.

It's okay, fine, but you're not gonna hear from me those days. I wanna take advantage of those days. So things like that, I would say. 

Katherine Jeffery: That's really helpful. Really helpful.

You've probably seen it before. A Gen Z employee suggests new software, but their boomer manager shuts it down with, no, we've always done it this way. Or maybe you've watched a traditionalist roll their eyes when a millennial colleague asks about working remotely. These moments create unproductive tension leading to frustration, dissatisfaction, and stress, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Work. Places don't have to be divided. That's why I created the Gen Shift e-learning course. With over 20 years studying generational differences, I've built over 40 lessons to help bridge the gap in life leadership and work. Enroll today and get 10% off with promo code, podgenshift. Want to go deeper, schedule a free demo or book a workshop with your team to develop practical strategies for intergenerational success, visit katherinejeffery.com/elearning.

To get started, let's build a space where every generation can thrive. 

Katherine Jeffery: When you think about older colleagues within the workplace, how would you say that your approach differs from theirs?

Paulina Seyffert: I wanna say they take things very seriously and very strict, and they're very straight to the point. While I feel like people my age are just more relaxed hey what are you doing? And it's Hey, I need this done right now. It's oh, okay. Sure. Even engaging with them and trying to like, get to know them more or see like what type of hobbies they like or making a comment, if they have a, I don't know a Steelers mug, it's oh, you like the Steelers, stuff like that where you can slowly create that interaction and then they start to loosen up a bit.

But no, yeah, you can definitely I've always felt it. They're just, very professional, very straightforward, and they're there to just, work. So it is like the tugging war. Come on listen up. But I feel like over time they start to adapt as well 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. And do you work at that? Are you intentional about saying, oh, you like the Steelers, or, whatever is that?

Paulina Seyffert: I'm a huge observer. Like I said, if I enter a room and I don't know anyone, I will be quiet at the first couple of minutes because I'm just like gathering my data.

And I will say I feel like I suffer a lot from social anxiety. So it's okay, sit down, breathe in, relax. We're all humans. Gather your information. That person has a pen and it has. I don't know, maybe like an initial oh is that your initial, or what does that mean? Or they have a book next to them oh, you, so you like to read.

What do you, what are you reading? Yeah. What do you recommend it? I really do to observe. I find that very important. 

Katherine Jeffery: And you've mentioned social anxiety a few times. You've also mentioned your friends, like where do they fit in all that? And is that something you would say applies to a lot of your generation or is that something very personal to you?

Paulina Seyffert: I feel like a lot of my friends have social anxiety and the, one of the examples was even the daughter of our CFO. Right? She got anxiety because she didn't know how to put gas and then she saw a car, obviously the car is oh, she's gonna wrap up soon. I'll go. It's not like the car was rushing her, but even that moment she was probably like, oh my God, there's a car behind me and I'm taking forever.

And it's just okay, like we need to relax. And I'm not sure exactly where it all stems from. I'm not gonna lie, I remember when I moved to Austin I would have to go shopping and I feel like I would have to mentally prepare myself. Paulina, you're gonna go out to target if people aren't just staring at me, like they don't care about me.

Go pick up what you have to pick up and go on. I don't know if it was just because we were just in our little bubble, which is weird because it's not like COVID was for so many years, but I can only imagine the people that are younger than me, that felt that effect more at such a young age.

Especially like kids that probably didn't go to school until, towards the end of 2021. It's huge shock for everyone. Yeah. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. It really is. And I think that's an interesting point. We don't know yet how that's gonna impact those who are younger than you. We've certainly seen some signs.

Paulina Seyffert: Yeah. It's just so interesting. It's actually very funny 'cause I like to see I don't know if this is just like a sister thing, but I look at my little sister and I'm like, that's so interesting. At your age I wanted to be at all the bars, all the parties, like I wanted to engage.

And she's no, I like being in my room. I like chilling in my room and I'm just like, why? That's especially like now that COVID passed, it's I feel like you would want to, but I feel like for her, it just stresses her out. She's oh, that was a lot, that was like too many people next week and I'm not going out.

I need to recharge my social battery. Hmm. And I'm like, so do I, but like she does it to like an extreme. Yeah. And I feel like even her friends do it, so I'm just like, is this just like a generational thing? And she's also a Gen Z, but I in that moment feel like I lean more towards a Millennial than a Gen Z during those specific moments.

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. And that makes sense. You're like, you're right there. Yeah. So let's talk a few minutes about the Gen Z trends that are happening at the workplace. 

Paulina Seyffert: Yeah. 

Katherine Jeffery: Okay. And the first one is that idea of conscious embossing. So gen, this is Gen Z deliberately stepping away from traditional middle management past to prioritize balance, autonomy, and mental health over actually climbing up that corporate ladder.

Do you see that in yourself or in your peers? 

Paulina Seyffert: I don't think I see it in myself, to be honest. I wanna, like I said, I'm very loyal, I wanna continue growing. I feel like there's potential to keep growing, but I can see it among a lot of people and I do get it, and I feel like it just really goes back to them being like I'm not gonna stress myself out.

I am not working. Or, What's like the phrase where it's some people live to work and some people work to live Yeah. Type of thing. It's, I just think it's truly that. At the end of the day, I think it's what that specific Gen Z wants in their life. And there's some people that are very driven.

And there's some people that are just like, Hey, I like this flexibility. Like I shouldn't be stressed or I don't have to like, be a chief officer. Like, It's just, especially, the fact that so many people are now getting a good source of income through social media as being an influencer where it's so easy a ten second video.

Also, I feel like everyone's patience is going less and less. There's sometimes moments where I'm like, I'm watching TV and I wanna fast forward it, and I'm like, why do I do this? I used to never do this. And it's because on TikTok, the videos are so short and fast that you just, Nope, don't like it.

Next next. You fast forward it like times two, speed. People get tired easily or they get bored. Maybe they don't want that responsibility. They just want that fun, relaxed lifestyle. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yep. It's interesting. So you don't see it in yourself.

You're a go-getter. I feel like that's my impression of you, that you're like, you work hard and you know what you want and where you wanna go. 

Paulina Seyffert: Correct. Yeah. I definitely feel at a really young age. I remember my parents never really forced me to get a job, but I got a job when I was like 15 years old and I loved it.

It just made me feel very independent. Slowly my parents were like, okay, you wanna act like a big girl? Okay, sounds good. You're gonna now pay for your trips with your friends, it's okay, work for it. We're not just gonna give you the money to go.

So I feel like I do think at the moment I would get very upset, but I do think my parents for that, and I feel like it's. It's truly because of my parents that I am the way I am. I do feel like I am a go-getter. My boss will give me like a list of things that I have to complete, and if I don't complete it by the end of the day, I'll go to bed and I'll have like anxiety, I'll have, I'm like, I can't believe I didn't finish this.

It's or I have to wake up early and or how fast can I finish this? Because just having that on my plate is absolutely not. I like to keep the ball rolling. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. So you're giving your parents a lot of credit for teaching you those values? Yeah.

Paulina Seyffert: Yes. Yeah. Especially I'm a middle child, so… 

Katherine Jeffery: Me too. 

Paulina Seyffert: Actually, it's so funny 'cause we talked about how the middle children are disappearing slowly. That's right. That's right. Yep. I was so sad when I read that. I was like, oh, it's so sad. I know. No, it's great having a role model, an older sister. She's also been very driven to the point where the example that I gave that she interned at a workstation, which crazy hours, like sometimes she would go in at three in the morning because they had to do the morning show. And even after she would get off work, she would still be active. What else can I do? It's I feel like it's truly just like what I witnessed as a child and what I find normal.

So it's okay, like they did it. I needed to be doing it also. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. This is how it works. Yeah, that's exactly, that's what you were shown. Exactly. Okay.

Gen Z is often called the learning generation and they seem to really value mentorship, coaching, micro learning. You used the word guidance earlier, which I think fits under all of that.

And some say if growth opportunities aren't there, that Gen Z's just gonna move on. How true is that for you and what kind of development feels the most valuable to you? 

Paulina Seyffert: I actually do feel like it is very true. A lot of people like being self-taught. When someone gives you a project and you know nothing about the project, it truly forces you to find the solution.

And I feel like you actually learn more instead of getting the habits that person might have. I guess like cutting the system in a way. Oh, teach me. And then I feel like maybe they just get used to the babyness rather than trying to be independent and saying like, how can I do it on my own?

But I will say, when someone's there to guide you, you don't have that fear of I'm gonna let someone down because you have someone to lean on. So I think it is helpful in a way, and when you don't have that. You feel lost, and when you feel lost, you feel like no one's understanding you or you feel unheard or unseen.

And I feel like that's when people are just like, I don't like this next next job. I see it both ways. Mm-hmm. My older sister was very much no, you need to learn how to do it on your own. Definitely try to find the solution and you actually end up finding a better solution because it's your solution.

Rather than following the guides. I sometimes I'll do that, but sometimes, I'll definitely tell my boss like how do you do this? Or Can you guide me? Or can you gimme like a layout? I see myself more in between, but like I said I consider myself a cusp overall. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah.

Paulina Seyffert: But no, I definitely do see that. Every day in where I work, you have the people that really depend on that guidance and other people that are like, no, I got it. And usually those people are the older ones. They're like no, I got it. I'll figure it out. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. 

Paulina Seyffert: Where they're just, hey, how do you do this?

Trying to find that shortcut is what I was trying to say earlier.

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. That's good. Okay. Research also shows that Gen Z wants to work for companies whose values match their own around things like social impact, sustainability, inclusion. How important is that for you when choosing or staying with an employer?

Paulina Seyffert: I think it's very important just because, like I said as anyone that has a job we're mostly there the majority of the time. So just feeling like they understand you or they're trying to, engage with you or provide things that will keep you happy in the long run. I actually do find it very important.

My company doesn't specifically do this, but my friends, they love going to happy hours after work with their coworkers and their company and just, it's a way of everyone coming together outside of work and just talking about okay, like work is on the side. Let's be humans.

Let's interact, let's bond. I feel like where I work, they do it in different ways. As simple as the gym that I told you about, where it's like we care about your fitness. They had mentioned before that they created a little soccer league at one point.

And I was like, let's bring that back. I never got to do that. I wanna do that. I actually think that's really fun. I think it's fun being able to interact and have a connection with the people that you see every single day. think that's what a lot of Gen Z people want and value.

Especially because we are still very young and a lot of us, I don't wanna talk for everyone, but the majority of us don't have families yet. Because I know some people are just like, no, I wanna go home. I wanna be with my kids. Which is okay, yes, I totally understand. But then you have the others that are, it's like we're just, we're having fun.

Like we wanna still keep talking, getting to know your coworkers, hanging out with them, having a good time with them. It's just very normal. 

That, makes a lot of sense. Yeah. Okay. Here's the next one. You've grown up with less focus on hierarchy and more on like leaders really being authentic and human, which you talked about at the beginning.

Katherine Jeffery: What do you look for in a boss or a mentor and what would really turn you off? Ooh, I don't wanna work for that person. 

Paulina Seyffert: Honestly I would never wanna work with someone where I felt controlled or it felt like you are just an employee. I wanna be able to say oh, I have a great relationship with like my coworkers, with my boss.

They understand me, they know my needs. They want the best for me. Like they are showing loyalty. They want me to continue working with them and growing the company together. My boss always says like, when the company grows, like we all grow together. It's not the company grows and you guys stay the same. Absolutely not.

My boss does a really good job in motivating the people around him. He is very intentional when he speaks, and he's always, giving us a confidence boost. Even when I do something wrong, he'll give me a compliment and then he'll give me where I went wrong.

And then he ends it with another compliment. 

Katherine Jeffery: The compliment sandwich. 

Paulina Seyffert: Yeah. Where it's oh, okay okay, I'll take the two goods and I'll work on the one bad. But even stuff like that is important rather than just, them being super rude, direct and, not caring about your feelings.

Like bosses go through a lot, like so many personalities and it's really hard to remember oh, this person gets sensitive on this subject, this person is like this. I have to word it this way. Like I get it. It's very confusing. But even then itself, them understanding and getting to know the person and knowing I can't say it this way because it will hurt them.

Yes. And then, and it, it does affect them. Yeah. It's a two street. My boss and I talk about this all the time 'cause I always tell him like you have the power. And he's no, so do you guys. Because at any moment you guys can also bail on us and be like, hey, I don't want this bye. And then now we're like, oh gosh, we took a year of training you, or we did this and that, and having to start over.

So it's just feeling understood, seen, valued. All of that. 

Katherine Jeffery: So it sounds like you and your boss actually talk about no, this is what I need, this is what you need. And we both have to do this well, to make it work. 

Paulina Seyffert: Correct. Yes. We actually check up on each other like maybe every two months.

And we even talk about maybe we need to do it more, because sometimes even in those moments, things get, lost in translation or there's moments where a lot of stress comes into play because of certain things that are going and then you forget. 'cause you're, at the end of the day we're humans and we sometimes just focus on ourselves and we forget wait, that's how I am.

I have to remember that this is how this person is. So even like a quick checkup there is hey, this is how I'm feeling. Oh, I'm feeling like this. Oh, okay, we just misunderstood each other. Let's realign.

Katherine Jeffery: Excellent. So again, like emotional intelligence is what you're talking about now, right?

Like I've gotta be aware of myself, what I need, but I also need to understand the people that I'm working with and what they need. 

Paulina Seyffert: Correct. Because yeah, I feel like everyone can easily fall into the victim mentality. Oh, poor me. Like they don't get me. It's they don't get you 'cause you're probably not even communicating what's going on and vice versa.

It always happens where I think something, and then when I finally voice it out, they think something else and I'm just like, wait, no. And it's oh my God, we're just both in the wrong. This is, this was not it. And then you just fix it and it's all good again. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah. So you realize there was this tension happening or somebody didn't like something, but then when you bring it to the surface it's oh, we can get through this.

This isn't so bad. 

Paulina Seyffert: Exactly. Exactly. Oh yeah. It happens all the time. 

Katherine Jeffery: It's very normal. Yeah. That's kinda life and relationships, right? 

Now many Gen Zers are building side hustles. Your very entrepreneurial generation even while holding a job. Why do you think that's so common in your generation, and how do you see it maybe shaping the future of work?

Paulina Seyffert: I wanna say a lot has to do with just like being independent and having control of your free time. Being like, oh, I wanna do this on the side because I want to, because I can. And also, the creative side oh, I love my job, but like maybe after hours, like some, I don't know, I'll just give an example.

Someone that like loves the gym life will be like, wait, I can be an gym instructor from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and help someone else. It also falls with, like wanting to give and connect and just explore the world. Not necessarily have this very strict nine to five schedule repeat type of thing.

 I see it as like having control of your life and that goes back to having stability. Okay I like doing this and that. If one goes wrong, I have somewhere to lean on or something to lean on, like I still have my two little side businesses or this and that. 

Katherine Jeffery: Because you have options.

Paulina Seyffert: I also feel like a lot of people get a nice flow. I have a friend and she tells me like I have a nice flow, like where I'm currently at, and, she has an Etsy shop and so she knows how to like, manage her work very well because it's such a set thing where it's like the basics where she has that time to be creative and do her own thing.

So maybe it's even like changing the flow of your schedule or day-to-day life where it doesn't feel so clean and boring. I just, I really think it just depends on the person. 

Katherine Jeffery: It could be a creative outlet or a purpose-driven outlet, or it could be for stability. There's these different options in case the rug gets pulled out from under you.

Paulina Seyffert: Exactly. Maybe it's because I am not married, 'cause I can never see my older sister get off of work and be like, okay, let me now do my side business like she has a child. So she's no, I need to go home. I need to be a mom.

I need to spend time with my family. Like some of us are now, are getting married, some are in relationships, but there's those people that get off of work and it's okay, what else can I do? How else can you know, I grow on my own or better myself or better my lifestyle more than anything.

I feel like everything is now at our fingertips, especially with AI technology. We just keep wanting more and more. So that pushes you to find another, I guess like route to growing. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yeah, that's really well said. Okay, so as we wrap up, if you could give one piece of advice, either to leaders who are working with Gen Z or to Gen Zs entering the workplace, what would it be?

Paulina Seyffert: For leaders, create that connection and bond with your employees. Obviously there's always a balance. Find that balance. But it'll take you so far with your employees to the point where if you create that bond, they'll wanna keep growing with you. I know some people say you shouldn't see your work as like a family, but sometimes it does end up being like a family.

When people are there and supporting each other and lifting each other up, I don't see it ever really going wrong. And for the people like entering, the field, I personally would say always take a step back, breathe, observe the room, analyze, try to adapt and not take things so personally because especially older people have a different way of viewing things and reacting to things.

And it's not all a personal attack to someone. So emotional intelligence is what we mentioned overall. I highly recommend learning it and understanding it. Doing it. 

Katherine Jeffery: So good. So EQ will help you bridge that generational divide you just heard here from Paulina. Yes. 

Paulina Seyffert: That will save the world.

Katherine Jeffery: Yes. So important. So thank you so much. I think you've just done an excellent job of articulating the mindset of Gen Z and the things that. Are really important to you. And how that actually translates into those workplace relationships. So thank you so much for joining us today.

 One of the biggest takeaways for me today is that Gen Z isn't just reshaping the workplace for themselves.

They're actually holding up a mirror for all of And they have a push for balance, growth, authenticity, and purpose. And it's actually a push toward healthier, more human workplaces across the generations. So the question isn't just how we adapt to Gen Z, but how do we allow their values to actually challenge and improve the way that all of us work?

'Cause I think sometimes, as older generations we get frustrated 'cause we're like, we didn't get to do it that way. Like, why are you insisting on that? And that's where some of that tension can rise to the surface. Do you have thoughts on that? 

Paulina Seyffert: No, I think I a hundred percent agree, but like I said, once you talk it out, you realize it's in your head. And at the end of the day, we all have the same end goal, especially when it comes to the workplace, which is growing together and learning and doing better for ourselves. 

Katherine Jeffery: Yes. Perfect ending. 

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GenShift is all about helping us understand and embrace the strengths of every generation.

Thanks for listening, and here's to building workplaces where we grow stronger together.