When Suzy Welch asked the provocative question in her Wall Street Journal article—“Is Gen Z Unemployable?”—the conversation exploded across newsrooms and boardrooms.
Here’s my take from decades of corporate training: the issue isn’t employability; it’s a lack of office etiquette training—the timeless skills that signal readiness, respect, and leadership potential.
Office etiquette is a performance multiplier. It shapes how colleagues, clients, and leaders perceive your team.
Why Office Etiquette Still Matters
Office etiquette is the foundation of professional presence, collaboration, and trust. Small missteps—checking phones in meetings, vague or rushed emails, dressing too casually—send big signals about judgment and executive readiness. In a fast-paced, multi-generational, global workplace, etiquette is not “nice to have.” It’s non-negotiable.
Gen Z in the Workplace: The Real Issue Isn’t Employability
Gen Z is talented, educated, and ambitious. What many lack is structured guidance on professional norms. Without clear expectations for workplace etiquette, even high-potential employees can be underestimated. The result?
- Managers read unpolished behavior as low professionalism.
- Employees feel confused by unspoken rules.
- Organizations see friction, slower onboarding, and preventable turnover.
The solution isn’t to label Gen Z “unemployable.” The solution is to teach office etiquette and make expectations visible.
How Office Etiquette Training Solves the Problem
Our business etiquette training equips teams—Gen Z and beyond—with practical, actionable skills:
- Professional Image & Presence: First impressions, posture, camera/on-stage presence, and dress code clarity.
- Polished Communication: Email structure, tone, response time, meeting chat and DM etiquette.
- Meeting Mastery: Listening, turn-taking, note-taking, phones away, concise updates.
- Cross-Cultural Awareness: Time, space, gestures, and relationship-building across cultures.
- Networking & Client Etiquette: Intros, follow-ups, dining, and event presence.
Companies like Siemens, Pfizer, and KeyBank (our clients) invest in etiquette because it delivers measurable outcomes: better collaboration, stronger client trust, and accelerated career growth.
What Leaders Can Do Now
- Make etiquette explicit: Document expectations for meetings, email, and hybrid norms.
- Train managers first: Culture is caught before it’s taught; leaders model the standard.
- Offer hands-on practice: Role-plays and feedback loops turn knowledge into new habits.
Book a Program
If the Gen Z debate has surfaced gaps on your team, start with the essential: office etiquette. I deliver keynotes and workshops that reset standards and raise performance.
Book Business Etiquette Training →
Office Etiquette & Gen Z: FAQs
Is office etiquette only for Gen Z?
No. Etiquette aligns expectations across all generations—Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers—so collaboration is smoother and faster.
What outcomes can we expect from etiquette training?
Clearer communication, stronger meeting discipline, elevated client presence, and faster onboarding for early-career talent.
How soon can we implement training?
Most teams start with a half day onsite presentation or a 90 minute virtual training depending on their timeframe and needs. The client chooses the modules to be delivered. All workshops and trainings are customizable.
Related Article: Business Etiquette Training for Gen Z: What Leaders Need to Know Now
