Surprised During Lunch With the Boss... The No.1 Most Uncomfortable Question for Generation Z

The Most Uncomfortable Type of Question: "Politics" Ranks First

Generation Z is found to feel uncomfortable with personal questions at work, such as those about romance or family. In particular, "politics" was cited as the most uncomfortable type of question.

On August 2, recruitment platform Jinhaksa Catch surveyed 1,733 Generation Z job seekers about "the situations they most want to avoid during a meal with their boss." The most common response, chosen by 50% of participants, was "a boss who asks about personal matters." This was followed by "a boss who says nothing at all" (26%) and "a boss who only talks about work" (24%), which had similar proportions.

Office workers are having meals at a company cafeteria in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

When asked how they would feel if their boss asked private questions about topics like romance or family, 69% of respondents said they would feel "burdened." In contrast, only 18% answered that it would be "fine," while 13% said they were "not sure."

For "types of uncomfortable questions" (multiple responses allowed), "politics" questions such as "Who are you going to vote for president?" ranked first at 53%. The second most uncomfortable was "romance/marriage" questions like "Are you dating anyone?" at 41%, and third was "hobbies/leisure" questions like "What do you do on weekends?" at 38%. Other responses included ▲religion (32%) ▲appearance (27%) ▲address (21%) ▲alma mater (17%) ▲age (15%) ▲hometown (8%) ▲personality/tendency (7%), in that order.

The most common reason given for finding these questions uncomfortable was "because they are too personal," at 55%. This was followed by "because it feels disrespectful" at 17%, "concern it might lead to jokes, gossip, or rumors" (11%), "because we are not close yet" (11%), and "because it does not suit the situation or atmosphere" (5%).

However, it is not the case that Generation Z only wants to keep their distance. When asked, "Can you become friends with colleagues at work?" 82% of respondents answered "yes." In other words, while they prefer to maintain an appropriate distance at first, they are open to building close relationships with colleagues once trust has been established.

Jinhaksa Catch advised that it is best to gauge the other person's reaction and start conversations with light, relatable topics such as recently enjoyed content, favorite foods, or the weather.