Do a lot of young people lack interpersonal skills in the workplace and life in general now?

zagfles

EnPointe said:

My on take on this is  is that it is very variable. 

I currently work in a  Training / Supervisory  role for a well known  food services  organisation ...   we have a lot of younger  (  both 16-18 and 18-25 )   workers  including in the latter  a good chunk of the  people in my role and the people in the  Shift Leader role, the majority of Site leadership teams are older than 25  as are a  decent slew of the Shift leaders and the trainer/ supervisors. 

we are fortunate  in that the normal policy of the organistion bans  Phones  and personal devices on the shop floor  unless you are a Manager or have a specific purporse for having your phone  etc on the shop floor, that said a lot of  the work  the trainers and the  managers do  does use  work supplied  tablet devices, although trainers can access  the training  materials on their own devices and  managers can access  training, food safety and operational analytics...  the upshot is  that 'da yoof' cannot bury their faces in their phones ... also  ' if there's time to lean there's time to clean ' ... 

some of  our young workers are very cionfident and capable dealing with the public, with colleagues and with  Supervisors  including up to the fraqnchisee and the  regional Team from the Brand , they can also have  involved conversations within their own  areas of knowledge and experience, although  often  as a more senior team we avoid  too much  that could turn political  for obvious reasons and will  keep relationships stuff  underwraps  becasue  there have been problems elsewherei n the wider business with  Sexual Safety ...   

My old workplace was like a dating agency, there were so many relationships between staff, sometimes managers and the staff who work for them. I met such a couple, long since retired, at our annual xmas drink and they'd just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, it's a shame as these days their relationship would probably be considered abusive just because they had different positions in the hierarchy and it probably wouldn't have started. 

It was quite funny when staff started relationships and tried to keep it secret, it was always obvious to everyone that two staff members were in a "secret" relationship just by the looks they couldn't help exchanging 

Tabieth

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

dumpster_fire2025 said:

Bigbobby said:

Is it just me or do other people think that in the workplace and life in general that in many cases young people seem to lack communication and social skills? I have been working in the NHS in pharmacy for just under 10 years now and started off as a pharmacy assistant and I have now worked my way up to a supervisor.  It is now that I am really starting to notice this issue in many of the younger staff in particular.
Several things I have noticed:
-You try and initiate conversation whether work related or banter during quiet periods...how was your weekend? How are you finding your new role?  Did you watch the footie last night?  All I seem to get is a few word response at best.
-The stare is the big one.  Again you ask a question and they just seem to freeze and do not know how to respond
-Lack of initiative and problem solving themselves.  As soon as something happens that is outside their routine, comfort zone or out of kilter a bit again they just seem to freeze, panic and expect me to solve all their problems.
-Scared of answering the phone.  As soon as the phone goes which of course requires verbal skills they just ignore it or just pass it on to a senior member of staff.
These are just some examples and I am not giving a blanket opinion saying these apply to every young person but from experience in many cases they do. 
I then ask myself way is this? 
-Is it social media/technology where communication is just through your phone which could mean that you are not developing proper face to face communication skills.  I see it all the time are work, down the street, on the bus etc where people are just on their phone all the time
-Lack of socialising in general?  When I was younger I climbed trees, played football on the park, then went to pub when older, fishing, hiking etc.  Looking back it was fun and it developed my social skills.  Is it the case that young people are now more isolated, staying at home more on their phones and computer playing games?  
-Are young people now being mollycoddled by their parents more and as a result are not developing their own independent living skills?
-Has the COVID pandemic/lockdowns has a lasting impact on young people?
-Financial constraints?  I remember the 2008 financial crisis and more recently the cost of living post pandemic.  Could it be a lack of UK economic growth over recent years, wage growth and inflation means young people have less money in their pocket? As a result they are less likely to afford social activities?  The amount of pubs and shops in my town that have shut is just absurd.
I am 39 now and looking back when I was younger I was more of an introvert.  I lacked life experience but by the time I hit my 20s I became more confident and learnt how to socialise and communicate better.  Fast forward to today and it seems that in many cases people who have now hit their 20s have still not developed their communication skills and this adds pressure and stress to other member of staff which I think is incredibly rude.
Again and I will emphasise again that this does not apply to every single young person.  I will totally respect other people other people's views who may disagree with me, I am just more interested in what other people's opinions, views and observations are?

Welcome to the HR culture.

I rarely speak to colleagues because my views are not DEI friendly. I suspect most people, whether they have my political views or not, know that a misunderstood word results in job termination. So we just don't bother anymore.

In my experience “a misunderstood word” never results in job termination. To dismiss someone for gross misconduct (quite rightly) requires a high bar. I have as a manager seen people dismissed for what they’ve said but it’s always been pretty vile and extreme. Never a “misunderstood word”. 

There've been a few high profile examples of exactly that happening (eg John Torode singing a song with a bad word). But yes it's different when the mass media get involved and organisations fall over themselves to say they treat this sort of thing "very seriously" and immediate knee-jerk reactions are required for PR reasons. 

I take your point but I don’t think Masterchef (or the BBC) are typical of workplace dignity at work HR policies. And it goes both ways, Wallace’s behaviours went unchallenged for many years before any action was taken…

Yup - it's not typical but there have been examples of people in ordinary jobs being disciplined or sacked for a one off misunderstood or disputed remark. 

And there are a lot of older people who simply don't know "the rules", I've heard some use words or phrases that would probably get them into trouble in a lot of workplaces but there was no malice or "hate" just a lack of knowledge about the correct terms people should use these days. 

Maybe. Maybe not. It’s hard to argue with such anecdote. But everywhere I’ve worked (public sector) has clear policies and I’ve never known a policy that would allow someone to be dismissed for a misunderstood or disputed remark. Not have I ever seen it happen. In fact quite the reverse, I’ve seen racism and sexism go unchecked for years in many organisations. Of course that’s also anecdote but, given the hard data (such as women not getting equal pay), there is some evidence to support it. 

And “the rules” really aren’t that hard! Someone able to work and function in the 2025 workplace really should be able to figure them out!

zagfles

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

dumpster_fire2025 said:

Bigbobby said:

Is it just me or do other people think that in the workplace and life in general that in many cases young people seem to lack communication and social skills? I have been working in the NHS in pharmacy for just under 10 years now and started off as a pharmacy assistant and I have now worked my way up to a supervisor.  It is now that I am really starting to notice this issue in many of the younger staff in particular.
Several things I have noticed:
-You try and initiate conversation whether work related or banter during quiet periods...how was your weekend? How are you finding your new role?  Did you watch the footie last night?  All I seem to get is a few word response at best.
-The stare is the big one.  Again you ask a question and they just seem to freeze and do not know how to respond
-Lack of initiative and problem solving themselves.  As soon as something happens that is outside their routine, comfort zone or out of kilter a bit again they just seem to freeze, panic and expect me to solve all their problems.
-Scared of answering the phone.  As soon as the phone goes which of course requires verbal skills they just ignore it or just pass it on to a senior member of staff.
These are just some examples and I am not giving a blanket opinion saying these apply to every young person but from experience in many cases they do. 
I then ask myself way is this? 
-Is it social media/technology where communication is just through your phone which could mean that you are not developing proper face to face communication skills.  I see it all the time are work, down the street, on the bus etc where people are just on their phone all the time
-Lack of socialising in general?  When I was younger I climbed trees, played football on the park, then went to pub when older, fishing, hiking etc.  Looking back it was fun and it developed my social skills.  Is it the case that young people are now more isolated, staying at home more on their phones and computer playing games?  
-Are young people now being mollycoddled by their parents more and as a result are not developing their own independent living skills?
-Has the COVID pandemic/lockdowns has a lasting impact on young people?
-Financial constraints?  I remember the 2008 financial crisis and more recently the cost of living post pandemic.  Could it be a lack of UK economic growth over recent years, wage growth and inflation means young people have less money in their pocket? As a result they are less likely to afford social activities?  The amount of pubs and shops in my town that have shut is just absurd.
I am 39 now and looking back when I was younger I was more of an introvert.  I lacked life experience but by the time I hit my 20s I became more confident and learnt how to socialise and communicate better.  Fast forward to today and it seems that in many cases people who have now hit their 20s have still not developed their communication skills and this adds pressure and stress to other member of staff which I think is incredibly rude.
Again and I will emphasise again that this does not apply to every single young person.  I will totally respect other people other people's views who may disagree with me, I am just more interested in what other people's opinions, views and observations are?

Welcome to the HR culture.

I rarely speak to colleagues because my views are not DEI friendly. I suspect most people, whether they have my political views or not, know that a misunderstood word results in job termination. So we just don't bother anymore.

In my experience “a misunderstood word” never results in job termination. To dismiss someone for gross misconduct (quite rightly) requires a high bar. I have as a manager seen people dismissed for what they’ve said but it’s always been pretty vile and extreme. Never a “misunderstood word”. 

There've been a few high profile examples of exactly that happening (eg John Torode singing a song with a bad word). But yes it's different when the mass media get involved and organisations fall over themselves to say they treat this sort of thing "very seriously" and immediate knee-jerk reactions are required for PR reasons. 

I take your point but I don’t think Masterchef (or the BBC) are typical of workplace dignity at work HR policies. And it goes both ways, Wallace’s behaviours went unchallenged for many years before any action was taken…

Yup - it's not typical but there have been examples of people in ordinary jobs being disciplined or sacked for a one off misunderstood or disputed remark. 

And there are a lot of older people who simply don't know "the rules", I've heard some use words or phrases that would probably get them into trouble in a lot of workplaces but there was no malice or "hate" just a lack of knowledge about the correct terms people should use these days. 

Maybe. Maybe not. It’s hard to argue with such anecdote. But everywhere I’ve worked (public sector) has clear policies and I’ve never known a policy that would allow someone to be dismissed for a misunderstood or disputed remark. Not have I ever seen it happen. In fact quite the reverse, I’ve seen racism and sexism go unchecked for years in many organisations. Of course that’s also anecdote but, given the hard data (such as women not getting equal pay), there is some evidence to support it. 

And “the rules” really aren’t that hard! Someone able to work and function in the 2025 workplace really should be able to figure them out!

The "rules" aren't rules you "figure out", they are rules you have to know. And some people just don't know them because they've not moved in circles where they find them out, no fault of their own. 

Hard data of inequality doesn't automatically imply discrimination. If it did the criminal justice system is far more discriminatory than workplace pay. Been discussed here in depth.  

twopenny

A question I have asked on a chat forum and in real life - When did you last learn something off by heart?
People think they don't need to remember anything because you can just look it up on the net.
It's quick but it doesn't teach you anything and it's not always accurate.

If someone messages they expect a quick reply. Iff someone phones they no longer ask if it's a convenient time to chat.
If you are with someone and their phone goes they ditch talking to you to spend time speaking to someone else. You wouldn't just leave the person you are with to talk to someone else in real life.

And of course there's the instant ask Alexa etc. instant gratification. I hear people talking to shop workers as though they are a machine.

 But for me what really gets my goat is the number of times I go into a shop and the person behind the counter is on their phone or laptop and completely ignoring potential customers. 
I started work in shops and you had to always stand up, look busy, greet potential customers. At no time were you to sit and read a book when being paid to do a job. Did I resent it, heck yes but would never say so. 
Stood me in good stead through the working years.

Tabieth

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

dumpster_fire2025 said:

Bigbobby said:

Is it just me or do other people think that in the workplace and life in general that in many cases young people seem to lack communication and social skills? I have been working in the NHS in pharmacy for just under 10 years now and started off as a pharmacy assistant and I have now worked my way up to a supervisor.  It is now that I am really starting to notice this issue in many of the younger staff in particular.
Several things I have noticed:
-You try and initiate conversation whether work related or banter during quiet periods...how was your weekend? How are you finding your new role?  Did you watch the footie last night?  All I seem to get is a few word response at best.
-The stare is the big one.  Again you ask a question and they just seem to freeze and do not know how to respond
-Lack of initiative and problem solving themselves.  As soon as something happens that is outside their routine, comfort zone or out of kilter a bit again they just seem to freeze, panic and expect me to solve all their problems.
-Scared of answering the phone.  As soon as the phone goes which of course requires verbal skills they just ignore it or just pass it on to a senior member of staff.
These are just some examples and I am not giving a blanket opinion saying these apply to every young person but from experience in many cases they do. 
I then ask myself way is this? 
-Is it social media/technology where communication is just through your phone which could mean that you are not developing proper face to face communication skills.  I see it all the time are work, down the street, on the bus etc where people are just on their phone all the time
-Lack of socialising in general?  When I was younger I climbed trees, played football on the park, then went to pub when older, fishing, hiking etc.  Looking back it was fun and it developed my social skills.  Is it the case that young people are now more isolated, staying at home more on their phones and computer playing games?  
-Are young people now being mollycoddled by their parents more and as a result are not developing their own independent living skills?
-Has the COVID pandemic/lockdowns has a lasting impact on young people?
-Financial constraints?  I remember the 2008 financial crisis and more recently the cost of living post pandemic.  Could it be a lack of UK economic growth over recent years, wage growth and inflation means young people have less money in their pocket? As a result they are less likely to afford social activities?  The amount of pubs and shops in my town that have shut is just absurd.
I am 39 now and looking back when I was younger I was more of an introvert.  I lacked life experience but by the time I hit my 20s I became more confident and learnt how to socialise and communicate better.  Fast forward to today and it seems that in many cases people who have now hit their 20s have still not developed their communication skills and this adds pressure and stress to other member of staff which I think is incredibly rude.
Again and I will emphasise again that this does not apply to every single young person.  I will totally respect other people other people's views who may disagree with me, I am just more interested in what other people's opinions, views and observations are?

Welcome to the HR culture.

I rarely speak to colleagues because my views are not DEI friendly. I suspect most people, whether they have my political views or not, know that a misunderstood word results in job termination. So we just don't bother anymore.

In my experience “a misunderstood word” never results in job termination. To dismiss someone for gross misconduct (quite rightly) requires a high bar. I have as a manager seen people dismissed for what they’ve said but it’s always been pretty vile and extreme. Never a “misunderstood word”. 

There've been a few high profile examples of exactly that happening (eg John Torode singing a song with a bad word). But yes it's different when the mass media get involved and organisations fall over themselves to say they treat this sort of thing "very seriously" and immediate knee-jerk reactions are required for PR reasons. 

I take your point but I don’t think Masterchef (or the BBC) are typical of workplace dignity at work HR policies. And it goes both ways, Wallace’s behaviours went unchallenged for many years before any action was taken…

Yup - it's not typical but there have been examples of people in ordinary jobs being disciplined or sacked for a one off misunderstood or disputed remark. 

And there are a lot of older people who simply don't know "the rules", I've heard some use words or phrases that would probably get them into trouble in a lot of workplaces but there was no malice or "hate" just a lack of knowledge about the correct terms people should use these days. 

Maybe. Maybe not. It’s hard to argue with such anecdote. But everywhere I’ve worked (public sector) has clear policies and I’ve never known a policy that would allow someone to be dismissed for a misunderstood or disputed remark. Not have I ever seen it happen. In fact quite the reverse, I’ve seen racism and sexism go unchecked for years in many organisations. Of course that’s also anecdote but, given the hard data (such as women not getting equal pay), there is some evidence to support it. 

And “the rules” really aren’t that hard! Someone able to work and function in the 2025 workplace really should be able to figure them out!

The "rules" aren't rules you "figure out", they are rules you have to know. And some people just don't know them because they've not moved in circles where they find them out, no fault of their own. 

Hard data of inequality doesn't automatically imply discrimination. If it did the criminal justice system is far more discriminatory than workplace pay. Been discussed here in depth.  

Children are taught in school that racism, sexism, homophobia etc are unacceptable. That some words are highly offensive. Adults starting  a job usually have an induction which covers HR policies. And the culture has shifted and that’s known by all. Hence the “can’t say anything these days” whinge. Whatever “circles” one may have moved in really is no excuse. That was Greg Wallace’s highly patronising “I’m just a working class geezer” “explanation”. 

Anyway, this has veered wildly from the OT about young people’s social skills!  

zagfles

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

dumpster_fire2025 said:

Bigbobby said:

Is it just me or do other people think that in the workplace and life in general that in many cases young people seem to lack communication and social skills? I have been working in the NHS in pharmacy for just under 10 years now and started off as a pharmacy assistant and I have now worked my way up to a supervisor.  It is now that I am really starting to notice this issue in many of the younger staff in particular.
Several things I have noticed:
-You try and initiate conversation whether work related or banter during quiet periods...how was your weekend? How are you finding your new role?  Did you watch the footie last night?  All I seem to get is a few word response at best.
-The stare is the big one.  Again you ask a question and they just seem to freeze and do not know how to respond
-Lack of initiative and problem solving themselves.  As soon as something happens that is outside their routine, comfort zone or out of kilter a bit again they just seem to freeze, panic and expect me to solve all their problems.
-Scared of answering the phone.  As soon as the phone goes which of course requires verbal skills they just ignore it or just pass it on to a senior member of staff.
These are just some examples and I am not giving a blanket opinion saying these apply to every young person but from experience in many cases they do. 
I then ask myself way is this? 
-Is it social media/technology where communication is just through your phone which could mean that you are not developing proper face to face communication skills.  I see it all the time are work, down the street, on the bus etc where people are just on their phone all the time
-Lack of socialising in general?  When I was younger I climbed trees, played football on the park, then went to pub when older, fishing, hiking etc.  Looking back it was fun and it developed my social skills.  Is it the case that young people are now more isolated, staying at home more on their phones and computer playing games?  
-Are young people now being mollycoddled by their parents more and as a result are not developing their own independent living skills?
-Has the COVID pandemic/lockdowns has a lasting impact on young people?
-Financial constraints?  I remember the 2008 financial crisis and more recently the cost of living post pandemic.  Could it be a lack of UK economic growth over recent years, wage growth and inflation means young people have less money in their pocket? As a result they are less likely to afford social activities?  The amount of pubs and shops in my town that have shut is just absurd.
I am 39 now and looking back when I was younger I was more of an introvert.  I lacked life experience but by the time I hit my 20s I became more confident and learnt how to socialise and communicate better.  Fast forward to today and it seems that in many cases people who have now hit their 20s have still not developed their communication skills and this adds pressure and stress to other member of staff which I think is incredibly rude.
Again and I will emphasise again that this does not apply to every single young person.  I will totally respect other people other people's views who may disagree with me, I am just more interested in what other people's opinions, views and observations are?

Welcome to the HR culture.

I rarely speak to colleagues because my views are not DEI friendly. I suspect most people, whether they have my political views or not, know that a misunderstood word results in job termination. So we just don't bother anymore.

In my experience “a misunderstood word” never results in job termination. To dismiss someone for gross misconduct (quite rightly) requires a high bar. I have as a manager seen people dismissed for what they’ve said but it’s always been pretty vile and extreme. Never a “misunderstood word”. 

There've been a few high profile examples of exactly that happening (eg John Torode singing a song with a bad word). But yes it's different when the mass media get involved and organisations fall over themselves to say they treat this sort of thing "very seriously" and immediate knee-jerk reactions are required for PR reasons. 

I take your point but I don’t think Masterchef (or the BBC) are typical of workplace dignity at work HR policies. And it goes both ways, Wallace’s behaviours went unchallenged for many years before any action was taken…

Yup - it's not typical but there have been examples of people in ordinary jobs being disciplined or sacked for a one off misunderstood or disputed remark. 

And there are a lot of older people who simply don't know "the rules", I've heard some use words or phrases that would probably get them into trouble in a lot of workplaces but there was no malice or "hate" just a lack of knowledge about the correct terms people should use these days. 

Maybe. Maybe not. It’s hard to argue with such anecdote. But everywhere I’ve worked (public sector) has clear policies and I’ve never known a policy that would allow someone to be dismissed for a misunderstood or disputed remark. Not have I ever seen it happen. In fact quite the reverse, I’ve seen racism and sexism go unchecked for years in many organisations. Of course that’s also anecdote but, given the hard data (such as women not getting equal pay), there is some evidence to support it. 

And “the rules” really aren’t that hard! Someone able to work and function in the 2025 workplace really should be able to figure them out!

The "rules" aren't rules you "figure out", they are rules you have to know. And some people just don't know them because they've not moved in circles where they find them out, no fault of their own. 

Hard data of inequality doesn't automatically imply discrimination. If it did the criminal justice system is far more discriminatory than workplace pay. Been discussed here in depth.  

Children are taught in school that racism, sexism, homophobia etc are unacceptable. That some words are highly offensive. Adults starting  a job usually have an induction which covers HR policies. And the culture has shifted and that’s known by all. Hence the “can’t say anything these days” whinge. Whatever “circles” one may have moved in really is no excuse. That was Greg Wallace’s highly patronising “I’m just a working class geezer” “explanation”. 

Anyway, this has veered wildly from the OT about young people’s social skills!  

The words change over time. That's the point. What older people were taught is different to younger people. But even young people get it wrong, for instance kids being told off for wearing union jack clothing on "culture day", apparently some people find that offensive. 

But you're right, way OT. Although as I said earlier this sort of "xxx is unacceptable" type thought policing I do think plays into social skills, if you're scared that your thoughts or opinions may be different to the establishment norm do you really have the confidence to express them or is it safer just to act like you've been conditioned to act by schools and society? It's a shame because I've worked in a hugely diverse workplace with lots of people who think differently to the norm and it's those people who achieve stuff a lot of others can't because they think differently to everyone else and challenge the prevailing views and methods. 

zagfles

twopenny said:

A question I have asked on a chat forum and in real life - When did you last learn something off by heart?
People think they don't need to remember anything because you can just look it up on the net.
It's quick but it doesn't teach you anything and it's not always accurate.

Yes and stuff like using online calculators for everything rather than understanding how stuff works. Online calculators can give you answers to specific questions but even if they're accurate they don't help much with the best way to manage finances etc.

For instance tax, so many people are completely clueless about how their tax and NI are calculated, if they get a payrise/new job/do overtime they won't have a clue how to work out the effect on their take home pay/benefits/tax credits without plugging it into an online calculator. So when their boss asks "do you want to work overtime tonight" they don't really have a clue of even an approximate figure of how much they'd earn from it, so can't give an informed answer straight away. Plus stuff like pension contributions, what's the optimum contribution etc, we get constant questions like this on the pensions board. 

MattMattMattUK

I do not think a lot of young people do. Now by young people standards I am old being forty, by my own standards I am in the middle, by the standards of someone in their sixties or older then I am still somewhat young. At work I deal with a lot of people in their early twenties as well as older people and I do not think that younger people lack interpersonal skills on average any more than older people do. There is a difference in the subjects that they are happy to talk about though. 

I notice a lot of older people are happy to engage in what is essentially meaningless conversation, they will talk for the sake of talking, they are uncomfortable with silence or even pauses in conversations and they will talk about absolutely dull and irrelevant rubbish to try and sustain a conversation. I notice that young people are much more comfortable with silence and pauses and will be happy to just sit and get on with their work rather than making conversation for conversation's sake. When there is something relevant work wise to talk about they are happy to talk, when they are not trying to work and have a bit of spare time they are more than happy to talk about something which is of interest, or where they might learn something. I regularly talk about music with a lot of younger people I meet through work, I go to quite a lot of live music and so do they, there is a shared interest to converse about, I also talk about work relevant things with them and they are keen to lean and ask questions that keep a conversation going. 

Now of course there are young people who spend the majority of their day staring at their phones, barely able to converse if it is not some form of messaging app, but I suspect that they are in the minority. The biggest social media addict I know is in his seventies and many of my older relatives spend hours a day on social media (particularly Facebook which has become the platform of choice for those over sixty) and then many of their conversations in the real world are about something that they have seen on Facebook. 

Different generations need to find common ground to be able to communicate effectively, they have different styles, different interests, different things that they want to gain from their communications and conversations. It is not about lacking communication skills, just different styles of doing so. 

EnPointe

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

zagfles said:

Tabieth said:

dumpster_fire2025 said:

Bigbobby said:

Is it just me or do other people think that in the workplace and life in general that in many cases young people seem to lack communication and social skills? I have been working in the NHS in pharmacy for just under 10 years now and started off as a pharmacy assistant and I have now worked my way up to a supervisor.  It is now that I am really starting to notice this issue in many of the younger staff in particular.
Several things I have noticed:
-You try and initiate conversation whether work related or banter during quiet periods...how was your weekend? How are you finding your new role?  Did you watch the footie last night?  All I seem to get is a few word response at best.
-The stare is the big one.  Again you ask a question and they just seem to freeze and do not know how to respond
-Lack of initiative and problem solving themselves.  As soon as something happens that is outside their routine, comfort zone or out of kilter a bit again they just seem to freeze, panic and expect me to solve all their problems.
-Scared of answering the phone.  As soon as the phone goes which of course requires verbal skills they just ignore it or just pass it on to a senior member of staff.
These are just some examples and I am not giving a blanket opinion saying these apply to every young person but from experience in many cases they do. 
I then ask myself way is this? 
-Is it social media/technology where communication is just through your phone which could mean that you are not developing proper face to face communication skills.  I see it all the time are work, down the street, on the bus etc where people are just on their phone all the time
-Lack of socialising in general?  When I was younger I climbed trees, played football on the park, then went to pub when older, fishing, hiking etc.  Looking back it was fun and it developed my social skills.  Is it the case that young people are now more isolated, staying at home more on their phones and computer playing games?  
-Are young people now being mollycoddled by their parents more and as a result are not developing their own independent living skills?
-Has the COVID pandemic/lockdowns has a lasting impact on young people?
-Financial constraints?  I remember the 2008 financial crisis and more recently the cost of living post pandemic.  Could it be a lack of UK economic growth over recent years, wage growth and inflation means young people have less money in their pocket? As a result they are less likely to afford social activities?  The amount of pubs and shops in my town that have shut is just absurd.
I am 39 now and looking back when I was younger I was more of an introvert.  I lacked life experience but by the time I hit my 20s I became more confident and learnt how to socialise and communicate better.  Fast forward to today and it seems that in many cases people who have now hit their 20s have still not developed their communication skills and this adds pressure and stress to other member of staff which I think is incredibly rude.
Again and I will emphasise again that this does not apply to every single young person.  I will totally respect other people other people's views who may disagree with me, I am just more interested in what other people's opinions, views and observations are?

Welcome to the HR culture.

I rarely speak to colleagues because my views are not DEI friendly. I suspect most people, whether they have my political views or not, know that a misunderstood word results in job termination. So we just don't bother anymore.

In my experience “a misunderstood word” never results in job termination. To dismiss someone for gross misconduct (quite rightly) requires a high bar. I have as a manager seen people dismissed for what they’ve said but it’s always been pretty vile and extreme. Never a “misunderstood word”. 

There've been a few high profile examples of exactly that happening (eg John Torode singing a song with a bad word). But yes it's different when the mass media get involved and organisations fall over themselves to say they treat this sort of thing "very seriously" and immediate knee-jerk reactions are required for PR reasons. 

I take your point but I don’t think Masterchef (or the BBC) are typical of workplace dignity at work HR policies. And it goes both ways, Wallace’s behaviours went unchallenged for many years before any action was taken…

Yup - it's not typical but there have been examples of people in ordinary jobs being disciplined or sacked for a one off misunderstood or disputed remark. 

And there are a lot of older people who simply don't know "the rules", I've heard some use words or phrases that would probably get them into trouble in a lot of workplaces but there was no malice or "hate" just a lack of knowledge about the correct terms people should use these days. 

There is always Malice when you  use  slur words... 

there is a fantasy, held solely by  bigots ,  that  there are 'correct ' terms   thisi  generalyl becasue they have  hada warning  shot  across their bows  aobut  their use of Slur terms  and/or their inappropraitely  sexualised behaviours , although in some cases  especially since  Brexit  it;s the emboldening of the Far right  and the myth  that multiply  convicted  Criminal Stephen Yaxley -Lennon is a 'journalist'   

EnPointe

zagfles said:

EnPointe said:

Tabieth said:

dumpster_fire2025 said:

Bigbobby said:

Is it just me or do other people think that in the workplace and life in general that in many cases young people seem to lack communication and social skills? I have been working in the NHS in pharmacy for just under 10 years now and started off as a pharmacy assistant and I have now worked my way up to a supervisor.  It is now that I am really starting to notice this issue in many of the younger staff in particular.
Several things I have noticed:
-You try and initiate conversation whether work related or banter during quiet periods...how was your weekend? How are you finding your new role?  Did you watch the footie last night?  All I seem to get is a few word response at best.
-The stare is the big one.  Again you ask a question and they just seem to freeze and do not know how to respond
-Lack of initiative and problem solving themselves.  As soon as something happens that is outside their routine, comfort zone or out of kilter a bit again they just seem to freeze, panic and expect me to solve all their problems.
-Scared of answering the phone.  As soon as the phone goes which of course requires verbal skills they just ignore it or just pass it on to a senior member of staff.
These are just some examples and I am not giving a blanket opinion saying these apply to every young person but from experience in many cases they do. 
I then ask myself way is this? 
-Is it social media/technology where communication is just through your phone which could mean that you are not developing proper face to face communication skills.  I see it all the time are work, down the street, on the bus etc where people are just on their phone all the time
-Lack of socialising in general?  When I was younger I climbed trees, played football on the park, then went to pub when older, fishing, hiking etc.  Looking back it was fun and it developed my social skills.  Is it the case that young people are now more isolated, staying at home more on their phones and computer playing games?  
-Are young people now being mollycoddled by their parents more and as a result are not developing their own independent living skills?
-Has the COVID pandemic/lockdowns has a lasting impact on young people?
-Financial constraints?  I remember the 2008 financial crisis and more recently the cost of living post pandemic.  Could it be a lack of UK economic growth over recent years, wage growth and inflation means young people have less money in their pocket? As a result they are less likely to afford social activities?  The amount of pubs and shops in my town that have shut is just absurd.
I am 39 now and looking back when I was younger I was more of an introvert.  I lacked life experience but by the time I hit my 20s I became more confident and learnt how to socialise and communicate better.  Fast forward to today and it seems that in many cases people who have now hit their 20s have still not developed their communication skills and this adds pressure and stress to other member of staff which I think is incredibly rude.
Again and I will emphasise again that this does not apply to every single young person.  I will totally respect other people other people's views who may disagree with me, I am just more interested in what other people's opinions, views and observations are?

Welcome to the HR culture.

I rarely speak to colleagues because my views are not DEI friendly. I suspect most people, whether they have my political views or not, know that a misunderstood word results in job termination. So we just don't bother anymore.

In my experience “a misunderstood word” never results in job termination. To dismiss someone for gross misconduct (quite rightly) requires a high bar. I have as a manager seen people dismissed for what they’ve said but it’s always been pretty vile and extreme. Never a “misunderstood word”. 

thge problem is that those who  promote this view  have views which are  , frankly, not worthy of consideration ina  civilised society,  it;s just they have been Groomed ( actual meaning of the word ) into beleiveing that their extreme  , often  fascist , virews  and that their  sexualised bheaviours are normal, by the likes of  D Trump , N Farage and S Yaxley-Lennon 

Their views, whether you like them or not, have to be taken into consideration in a democratic society especially when they win or do well in elections. If you believe in democracy then you can't go round shutting down views shared by a large proportion of the country regardless of any arrogant "civilised" elite thinking they know better. 

That may be one of the problems the OP is referring to, maybe young people are brought up too scared to express "incorrect" views or challenge the orthodoxy they are taught and that feeds into a "follow the process" type attitude to jobs rather than think outside the box. 

No they do not, there  are multiple legal precedents  where  views  are held to be ' not worthy of conisderation a civilised society'  including judgements which to any  objective   view are a losse for the bigots in question even if they  parrot them as  victories for their bigoted cause. 

what we see are people when caught out  whether that is  Greg Wallace  or fElon Musk attempting  to  play  a 'card' in the delusion that  it will absolve them from responsibility for their  offensive and Offending  ) in both senses)  actions ...