'Assume everything is being recorded': Korea's Gen Z rewrites the rules of office life
"Whenever you talk to an employee in their 20s, it's probably best to assume the entire conversation is being recorded." It is a warning increasingly shared among Korean managers in their 40s and 50s as they try to make sense of a generation of young employees whose workplace habits can seem baffling — and sometimes unsettling — to their bosses. Some older managers see low loyalty to the company…
Whenever you converse with a 20-something employee, it's wise to presume the entire discussion is being recorded. This warning is being frequently conveyed by Korean managers in their 40s and 50s, as they grapple with the peculiar work habits of this younger generation that often leave their bosses perplexed and occasionally unsettled.
Certain older managers perceive a lack of loyalty and disrespect for senior colleagues among Gen Z workers. However, the younger employees interpret these actions differently, focusing on the importance of clear communication, delineation between work and personal life, and relationships that transcend traditional hierarchies.
Why record a conversation with your boss? For some middle managers, finding out a young employee has been recording a conversation without any notice can be uncomfortable. Some even question the motives behind such actions. Despite these concerns, younger Koreans are subtly altering the unspoken norms that have historically governed the Korean workplace.
From recording conversations with superiors and refraining from unnecessary apologies to skipping team lunches and maintaining honorific speech even with close colleagues, young Koreans are quietly reshaping some of the unwritten rules that have long governed the country's offices.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
