What Is the Gen Z Stare? The Silent Look That Shows People Don't Know How to Talk Anymore

The latest debate circulating on TikTok has workplaces worried about Gen Z's communication skills–introducing the Gen Z stare.

What may have started as a way for millennials to flip the script on Gen Z, who ridiculed them for the 'millennial pause,' has garnered real concern from employers who see the Gen Z stare as a sign that they lack face-to-face communication skills.

The Gen Z stare is a blank, vacant expression given typically in response to everyday questions, particularly in the service industry. It's a look you may have received while ordering a coffee or when asking questions about the menu at a restaurant.

The new term has millennials and Gen Z wildly debating the existence, reason, and validity of the Gen Z stare on TikTok, but the discussion has now reached workplaces, which worry about its economic impacts and the future of the labour market.

Here's everything you need to know about the Gen Z stare, where it comes from, why businesses are concerned, and – as a member of Gen Z myself – a defence of the Gen Z stare.

The Gen Z Stare In Action

Millennials have flooded TikTok with videos sharing their experience of receiving the Gen Z stare.

Tara Rule recalled being in a supermarket self-checkout and realising she'd grabbed two of the same item. She received the look after asking a nearby Gen Z worker if they should return the product themself or give it to the worker to put back.

'It felt like a good 30 seconds, so realistically it was probably like 12 seconds,' she said, where the employee stared with a vacant expression before offering to take the item from her.

Ashleigh Carter said she and her friends are never greeted by the workers at her local coffee shop. 'We come in, we're always like "good morning, hi," and they're like this,' she said, making a deadpan expression.

Others said they've noticed the Gen Z stare when walking into a restaurant and having to greet the hostess themself, asking if a pair of sunglasses were left in a cafe, and trying to order in the McDonald's drive-thru.

Why It Has Businesses Concerned

The Gen Z stare has employers worried about the new generation of workers' soft skills.

In customer-facing roles like those in hospitality and retail, communication and interpersonal interactions are essential for businesses to succeed.

Customers are less likely to enter a business if they perceive the workers to be unapproachable or disengaged, reducing sales.

A report by education magazine Intelligent.com found that 18 percent of managers have considered quitting because of the stress of hiring Gen Z. Fifty-two percent of managers reported Gen Zers causing tensions in the workplace among older employees and 27% of managers said they avoid hiring Gen Z staff altogether.

Lack of initiative and lack of professionalism were listed among the challenges employers face with Gen Z.

In Defence Of The Gen Z Stare

As a Gen Zer myself, I believe it's important to consider why the Gen Z stare exists.

Covid may seem like a feeble excuse, but it's one that rings true. We were isolated in our homes on and off for two years during vital socialisation stages in our development.

Instead of learning in a classroom or working an after-school job at a cafe, we were locked in our rooms watching our teachers talk through a screen. Is it really any wonder why we struggle more with small talk?

Fifty-one percent of Gen Zers said they felt their social skills had declined because of limited in-person interactions in a 2024 Preply survey, compared with 47 percent of millennials, 37 percent of Gen Xers and 26 percent of Baby Boomers.

Intelligent.com's chief education and career development advisor, Huy Nguyen, defended Gen Z and their lack of practical experience in the workforce.

'While soft skills like communication, time management, and teamwork are essential, it's worth considering the new grads, especially those in recent years, have had fewer opportunities to develop these skills through traditional methods such as internships or in-person work, partially due to the pandemic,' he said.