[These Days' Newcomers] ② Assertive Spirit: 'Enviable' and Confident Attitude, Sometimes 'Frightening' and Prematurely Giving Up 'Regrettable'

'Reactions of "Latte" People Watching "Newbies" These Days'

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] Having habitually said "Back in my day (latte)" so often, the older generation called "Latte" nowadays views new employees with a variety of perspectives. While they envy the confident way the newcomers express themselves, they also feel fear when individualism that refuses to suffer even a little loss spreads as selfishness within the organization.

◆Envying the New Employees These Days

A, a manager with 10 years of experience in a distribution company, recently reconsidered the "new employees these days." It was a session to select in-house photo models for company promotion and provide them with brief training, but the atmosphere was very different from before. Just a few years ago, most responses were burdened and annoyed by having their faces revealed or doing tasks outside their duties, but the new junior employee instead said to Manager A, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to promote myself." Manager A said, "I was somewhat envious of their proactive attitude in expressing and promoting themselves."

Similar new employees are also the trend in public institutions. B, a team leader at a public enterprise in Seoul, recently praised the attitude of the "new employees these days" filming the company’s YouTube videos. B said, "In the past, everyone would have refused, but the new employees these days actively come up with ideas, execute them in front of the camera, and have no hesitation in showing themselves."

◆Fear of Being Called 'Kkondae' Even Within the MZ Generation

There are also voices saying that their confidence is frightening. The boldness of the new employees these days sometimes causes conflicts even within the MZ generation. C, an employee with 5 years at a semiconductor company, confessed that he is at a crossroads whether to adapt to the culture of new employees or become a so-called "young kkondae" (old-fashioned person). C said, "Sometimes I feel embarrassed because the youngest employees suddenly take leave without coordinating schedules within the team, or try to avoid unavoidable weekend work due to various projects," and added, "When I give advice because I can’t stand it anymore, the new employees respond as if it’s nothing, saying 'Why is that?' or 'So what?' which scares me." He continued, "In the group chat with my fellow new hires, there are often stories about minor misunderstandings with the youngest employees and worries about how to resolve them."

D, who works in the broadcasting industry, said, "There are awkward moments when the results at work do not meet expectations compared to their confident attitude."

◆The 'Latte' Generation’s Feelings: 'Regret'

The "Latte" generation, who know well how difficult and challenging the early years of working life are, sometimes look at the new employees these days with regretful eyes. However, even if they want to give sincere advice, they often keep silent for fear it might be seen as nagging.

Jeong Seon-yong, author of "Son, You Need to Learn About Money," said in this case, "I used letters rather than words." A former executive at Lotte Mart, he said that when new employees who wanted to leave said, "I don’t know why I’m holding on," he sent messages via email or notes saying, "If you are leaving for another goal, I won’t stop you, but if you are leaving because you dislike this place, try to endure a little longer." From his own experience of questioning how much trivial tasks assigned as a new employee at a company he joined with high expectations would help him grow, he wrote in the letter that enduring them builds experience, and accumulated experience can be expanded into valuable assets. Although his book advises living as a capitalist or entrepreneur rather than a worker, he recommends focusing on earned income and experience during youth, which lasts until about age 45.