Faced with young hires who show up to work in sweats and "treat the office like their bedroom," a growing number of Gen Z employers have reportedly turned to bringing in professional "etiquette" coaches.
With return-to-office policies now widely enforced, managers report a deepening generational divide, according to the San Francisco Standard. Common complaints about Gen Z workers include neglecting dress codes and hygiene, pushing back on instructions, and treating the workplace like a personal hangout.
To bridge the gap, companies are increasingly hiring experts like etiquette coach Rosalinda Randall, who says demand for her sessions has surged—doubling in just the last two months. Her trainings walk employees through workplace basics from how to appropriately ask their bosses for what they need or want, to how to maintain eye contact and good hygiene practices.
Beyond tech and office environments, hospital administrators have voiced similar concerns. New nursing staffers have reportedly balked at unglamorous duties like cleaning bedpans, according to The San Francisco Standard. At the same time, university career services have revived etiquette training events in response to employers flagging interview red flags—like students texting or taking calls mid-conversation. Both San Jose State and Cal State East Bay now offer in-person etiquette dinners and job prep workshops to address the issue.
Some companies have opted to handle the problem internally. Salesforce recently overhauled its onboarding program to emphasize soft skills like presentation and emotional intelligence, and added Slack etiquette to the curriculum, the outlet reported. The company also rolled out an AI onboarding assistant in May to help new hires adjust and connect.
"They don't know what they don't know," said Jenny Simmons, Salesforce's VP of onboarding and employee learning. "We're wrapping it up in a bow for them ... so they don't have to hunt things down."
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