Millennial boss Grace Garrick is young, gorgeous, and trendy, but her Gen Z staff makes her feel old and confused.
Garrick, 29, founded creative communications agency MVMNT when he was 24 years old.
The business currently has major Australian clients including underwear brand Nala, activewear brand Lorna Jane and fresh food company Soul Origin.
The office, located in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, looks like a chic day spa, with quirky touches from Gen Z staff, including a poster of Australian film star Jacob Elordi.
While we still have a fair amount of time set aside to sit at our desks and answer emails and do other professional tasks, so too is an endless amount of antics.
It’s not uncommon for Gen Z employees to get their nails done with clients or shoot a TikTok to show off that they’re all wearing cowboy boots.
“I came in a week and there was a poster of Jacob Elordi behind my desk. I had a Zoom call with Brydie, Soul Origin’s marketing director, and she said, ‘Why on earth do you look like a teenage fan girl?’ “Do you have a poster on the back of your office wall?” Garrick said.
When Garrick started working in PR, it was the height of hustle culture, and work-life balance and boundaries didn’t exist if you wanted to achieve it.
She said that overexerting herself was seen as a “weird” badge of honor, and she loved that Gen Z, who showed up with their baggy jeans and digital cameras, had changed things so much.
Yes, leaked iPhone photos reveal that the 2000s-style camera is back.
“My experience with Gen Z was eye-opening. They taught me valuable lessons about setting boundaries, which millennials like me often struggle with,” she told News. told com.au.
Garrick, who worked to the point of exhaustion in his early 20s, finds their approach to work “refreshing.” Especially because it’s effective.
“They understand the power of saying no and setting boundaries, which is a refreshing change. They advocate working smarter, not harder, and prioritize meaningful work. ” she explained.
Gen Z likes to have fun at work and is less attached to titles and chains of command.
Instead, they demand good vibes and are keen to play yup.
They use TikTok the same way millennials use Google and use their own language.
For example, did you know that “slay” means “good”?
Alternatively, “she is giving” means that she is thriving.
These are all terms Garrick had to learn the hard way.
Sometimes she sends a semi-stern email and the staff member replies with just the word “kill it.”
Garrick said Gen Z is much more “conversational” and eager to start an open dialogue with anyone.
“It’s in stark contrast to the hesitation I often felt at their age. What I might have secretly avoided, they tackled head-on and demonstrated what they believed they deserved.” I’m not afraid to advocate,” she said.
Fun and directness don’t get in the way of work.
Garrick’s staff is largely Gen Z, and the business is growing.
But it can also be a culture shock for her.
She is often surprised by their obsession with zodiac signs.
She once witnessed her staff member, Virginia, talk about her compatibility with clients in working relationships based on their zodiac signs.
I’m also a little taken aback by their ability to incorporate fun into their companies.
Garrick said her staff actually play pranks on their customers, but thankfully it builds relationships, not destroys them.
“For example, I told my client he was going to be on the cover of a huge publication, and then I face-tuned his face to make him super skinny,” she said.
Garrick, who started working when being professional and neat was part of the job, is also surprised that younger staff are less concerned with looking smart.
It’s not uncommon to see people wearing acne patches or patches under their eyes when they’re not working with customers.
They also value giving themselves a little break so much that they even have a name for it.
“Everyone is aiming for the so-called ‘Three Gees,’ the ritual office break at 3 p.m. where you go to your local Ezymart and buy a Diet Coke or a sweet treat,” she said. Ta.
She says people often point out that she acts like a millennial and call her behavior “disgusting.”
“I do a ‘millennial pause’ on videos at work. “Apparently, Millennials pause after hitting a record, and for Gen Z, that’s disgusting,” she said.
Despite the disruption Gen Z brings to working life, this recipe has made Garrick’s business successful and her approach to work much more enjoyable.
“They taught me a lot about setting boundaries, something I would never have done before, and I feel like I can do a better job now because of it,” she says. said.
