Krakenimages.com/Depositphotos.com
November 18, 2025
Is the Gen Z ‘Stare’ or Lack of ‘Handshake’ Skills a Real Problem in Retail?
While inter-generational bickering and criticism is certainly nothing new, particularly online, a raft of recent reports have cast Gen Z in the spotlight, highlighting an apparent dearth of soft skills — or “handshake skills,” as one retail insider termed it — plaguing certain workers and would-be workers in today’s retail workforce.
In an “expert viewpoints” piece penned for Chain Store Age, HireQuest CEO Rick Hermanns made a few concise points around the shifting labor landscape in the retail business. From the prevalence of swapping W-2 roles to 1099 contractor arrangements to discussions around the complexities of worker verification, Hermanns then pivoted to outline a supposed skills gap in evidence when it comes to today’s Gen Z employees.
“For Gen Z workers entering the retail industry, whether they’re working the checkout counter or helping build new stores on the construction side, employers say the biggest gap isn’t technical ability, it’s ‘handshake’ skills,” Hermanns wrote.
“Across industries, hiring managers are passing on Gen Z candidates in favor of more seasoned workers who can show up on time, problem-solve and communicate confidently from day one,” he added.
This trend was also analyzed by Nick Lichtenburg and Fortune Intelligence following the explosion of social media content chronicling the so-called “Gen Z stare” that filled feeds earlier this year.
Described as a vacant and unresponsive gaze replacing the traditional greeting or chit-chat in retail and service roles, Millennials and members of older generations spoke of instances where this behavior was encountered in real-life settings, pointing to a lack of interest or engagement, as well as a lack of social grace or soft skills. Gen Zers were quick to retort, claiming the stare could be a reaction to awkward or foolish customer interactions, or an expression for a desire for authenticity, rather than scripted or forced customer service interactions.
However, as Lichtenburg and Fortune underscored, businesses were taking these trends quite seriously.
“Managers and older colleagues report that the Gen Z stare reflects a broader challenge with face-to-face communication and soft skills, which are critical in customer-facing roles. This has led to misunderstandings, perceived rudeness, and, in some cases, customer dissatisfaction. Companies are investing more in soft skills training for Gen Z employees, increasing onboarding costs and time-to-productivity,” Lichtenburg wrote.
“Some managers report [per HR Dive] higher stress and even consider leaving their roles due to the challenges of managing Gen Z workers, with 18% saying they’ve thought about quitting and 27% preferring not to hire Gen Z if possible. The Gen Z stare has become a symbol of generational friction [per Mashable], with half of managers saying younger workers cause tension among other age groups. This can impact team cohesion, collaboration, and overall workplace morale. Even many Gen Z managers say that their own generation is the most difficult to manage,” he added.
Gen Z Also Offers Positives in the Workforce, Including Transparency, Flexibility, and Inclusion
In a CTV News report also taking on the topic of the day when it comes to a perceived lack of etiquette and soft skills among Gen Z job-seekers or new hires, Ashley Kelly — founder and CEO of the workplace inclusion consultancy CultureAlly — noted that many zoomers had missed out on the “micro-lessons” that previous age cohorts had gained through in-person experiences.
“They came into the workforce during COVID,” said Kelly. “They missed out on a ton of these micro-lessons that you pick up just by being in the office — seeing how people dress, how they handle tough conversations, how they show up in meetings.”
“They bring a ton of positives to the workforce. They really value transparency, flexibility and inclusion. I’ll say too: they push organizations to live up to those values, and I think that that’s really good for everyone and for business in general,” she added.
Discussion Questions
Do you agree with the premise that Gen Z, broadly speaking, faces a soft skills gap in customer service and retail roles? Why or why not?
What should retailers do to help Gen Z applicants, or new hires, transition into their roles — if anything?
What benefits could Gen Z staff members bring to the retail operations table that may not be captured by these analyses?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Nicholas Morine
Recent Discussions
More Discussions
Why Has Trader Joe’s Killed it With Tote Bags?
Trader Joe’s has enjoyed massive success with its tote bags. Why is this the case?SantaGPT and Holiday 2025: Do Americans Care if They Receive an AI-Suggested Gift?
New survey data suggests most Americans don’t care if ChatGPT curates gifts that they receive. Is…Did Philadelphia’s Netflix House Deliver?
Netflix House Philadelphia drew mostly positive reviews in the early goings. Will this concept prove itself…
I do not see this as a Gen Z problem. Across all generations we find people who are superb at customer interactions and those who aren’t. We are facing comes, in part, from a shift forcing people to take jobs facing customers whether they are skilled at it or not. There has, after all, been a massive growth in such jobs and a drop in jobs where they might be more comfortable. This economic shift affects Gen Z more dramatically because they are far earlier in their careers. That said, retail companies are at fault for their inability to comprehend their retail world in action. The vast numbers of corporate demands placed on front line staff — demands disconnected from what matters on the front line — make difficult challenges far worse.
Soft skills are not inherent in many of those workers who were born in a digital age and “matured” during the unprecedented pandemic times. However, I believe soft skills can be developed and that other skills such as technical savviness, social media awareness, and tight knit sense of community.
I do have one big pet peeve: When I ask for assistance and say thank you, I don’t understand the response “that’s okay.” What happened to “you’re welcome?”
This is a cultural issue that GEN Z seems to have more of because of their entry into the workforce wtith the greatest numbers. GEN Z has issues with countless social skills from proper personal interaction, courtesy positioning including verbal skills, face to face interaction, and lack of proper retail etiquette.
It may or may not be, but I find it hard to get past the first few words (“While inter-generational bickering and criticism is certainly nothing new”) in thinking it isn’t a real problem
Store Operations Council members addressed this at their meeting this summer. They agree that outreach skills may be lacking for this generation, but with adequate training they can rise above it.
Last week I spoke at a trade show. The speaker who was in the room before me talked about how Generation Z has no communication skills, have never sat around a dinner table with family, and have poor communication skills; you know, the whole Gen Z stereotype. It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut.
There are so many negative comments about Gen Z and their inability to communicate, and yet that has not in my experience. They populate my presentations, sit alongside older gens, and are able to interact just fine.
Stereotypes are annoying.
Being a Baby Boomer, I am still asked if I ran around in the mud at Woodstock. And I continue to say no, because I was a kid. Most of Gen Z are still kids, too. How about we give them a break?
Amen sister (I didn’t go to Woodstock. Turned around when I was 7 miles away because I didn’t want to ditch my car and the idea of sleeping in mud was no more entertaining to me at 19 than it would be today). Especially inebriated. Give them a break
Benefits of Gen Z staff include critical thinking, especially insights on how to make operational processes more efficient. Like Millennials, they question the status quo because new, streamlined approaches seem so obvious to them. They reject “This is how we’ve always done things” as an acceptable rationale when existing systems create unnecessary organizational stress.
Every time we have a shift in generations, far reaching conclusions are made from basically nothing. We went through it with Millennials and Tiny houses until they grew up. I mean, if your customer is Gen Z or Millennial, do you really think they need the handshake? Expect it? Want it, even?
what the phrase? Oh yeah, read the room
It is tempting for us Boomers to rag on GenZ (aka “Zoomers”) while they are engaged in creating their own social and business culture. Much of that effort has taken place in relative isolation. Before we critique them too harshly, we should make an effort to understand where they are coming from.
But it is also our responsibility to educate and pass down our perspectives on behavioral norms. Most people can be trained, indoctrinated even, to understand and embrace a service culture. It would be a mistake to assume they arrive with those attributes on the first day of work.
I have a hunch that the “GenZ stare,” if there really is such a thing, may be less about disrespect or disdain and more of a “tell” that reveals social anxiety. Communication, confidence and leadership are teachable skills.
What young generation getting their first job in the workplace doesn’t need a little training on etiquette – especially in retail where employees interact face-to-face with customers. Sure, in some cases it’s the way they were brought up, so we can put some blame on the parents. At the end of the day, it’s up to the person hiring to know they are making a good choice based on attitude, aptitude, and a willingness to learn.
And if you want to get the top candidates, be more selective with who you hire. I believe it was Peter Nordstrom who was asked how they train their employees to be so friendly and customer-focused. His response was simple, and the short version is, Nordstrom doesn’t train them. Their parents trained them. Nordstrom just takes what they already know and make it work for the brand.