The sudden buzz around the “Gen Z Stare”—that blank, expressionless look sometimes captured in retail, hospitality or frontline settings—has triggered intense online debate. Some interpret it as disengagement, others see it as discomfort. But to dismiss it as mere meme fodder would be a mistake.
In retail and service sectors, managers are increasingly attributing the Gen Z stare to broader soft‑skills gaps—leading to steeper onboarding costs and internal friction. Members of the Senior Executive HR Think Tank—a curated group of experts in talent acquisition, DEI, employee experience, performance management and AI in HR—also view the phenomenon as more than social media theater. They see it as a signal, or a symptom, of generational norms clashing in real time.
Below, they examine where the viral trend intersects with reality, and offer actionable strategies HR leaders can adopt to help Gen Z and older generations meet one another halfway.
“Engagement doesn’t always look the same, but with coaching and empathy, organizations can foster understanding across generations and ensure both employees and customers feel respected.”
Generational Norms in Motion
Much of the uproar around the viral “Gen Z stare” frames it as a behavioral failing—yet Divya Divakaran, Director of HR for EVS, Inc., cautions that we risk oversimplifying. Her lens situates it in a deeper, more structural gap: nonverbal communication norms that have shifted across generations. “Gen Z often values authenticity and is less inclined to ‘perform’ engagement with smiles or nods, while older colleagues and customers may expect those cues as signals of attentiveness,” she says.
In customer‑facing roles, Divakaran warns, this mismatch can spiral into misperceptions: Employees read as bored or aloof, and customers are left unsure whether their needs were noticed. “HR leaders have a responsibility to bridge this divide by normalizing generational differences, training both sides and offering role-specific coaching that balances authenticity with professionalism,” she argues.
She emphasizes the importance of a feedback-rich culture and manager support to prevent pigeonholing—especially for Gen Zers being labeled “uninterested” simply because they express differently: “Engagement doesn’t always look the same, but with coaching and empathy, organizations can foster understanding across generations and ensure both employees and customers feel respected.”
“In the end, it is not about whether Gen Z stares too much, smiles too little or communicates differently. It is about whether organizations are wise enough to see these differences as a strategic asset.”
From Meme to Mechanism
Britton Bloch, VP of Talent Acquisition Strategy and Head of Recruiting for Navy Federal Credit Union, sees the “Gen Z stare” not as an isolated quirk but as a cultural flashpoint—one that reveals deeper generational friction points. “Its true relevance lies in what it exposes: generational differences in workplace norms and the misunderstandings that can undermine collaboration and customer experience,” Bloch asserts.
Her argument is that, when left unaddressed, generational divergence becomes a drag on alignment and cohesion. But HR leaders can turn it into an asset by crafting structured opportunities for cross-generational exchange. Bloch urges organizations to promote two‑way mentoring, cross-functional teams and project-based learning that intentionally mix generational perspectives. Such practices, she says, help normalize differences—making them less foreign or threatening—and “frame them as resources for growth rather than liabilities.”
“In the end, it is not about whether Gen Z stares too much, smiles too little or communicates differently,” Bloch argues. “It is about whether organizations are wise enough to see these differences as a strategic asset.” To Bloch, success lies not in suppressing differences or stigmatizing behaviors, but in integrating differences into the culture so that organizations don’t just survive but thrive in diverse generational ecosystems.
Reframing Behavior as Insight
Laci Loew, Fellow, HR Analyst and People Scientist at the Global Curiosity Institute, brings a cognitive and narrative lens to this phenomenon. For Loew, labeling the Gen Z stare as a “problem behavior” is reactionary. Instead, she advocates for reframing the stare as feedback from the generational frontier—a reflection of how workplace norms may no longer align. “The ‘fix’ isn’t about changing Gen Z; it’s about understanding a new generation of employees with different work expectations and personal needs,” she says.
Loew proposes three strategic pivots. First: Change the narrative. “Reframe the discussion of Gen Z behavior not as a talent defect but rather as a feedback signal about how the workplace is—or isn’t—working for them,” she says. Next, recalibrate communication norms by facilitating conversations across generations about what normative cues look like and encouraging inclusive expression. And third, she prioritizes “providing learning that works”—deploying training in formats that naturally resonate with Gen Z (video, microlearning, mobile-first design), while also exposing older managers to those same modalities. In essence, Loew’s approach is about mutual translation, not correction—helping all employees learn a shared lexicon without erasing individual styles.
“The true challenge for HR is to build a communication framework that respects these differences and fosters a workplace where every generation can connect and collaborate.”
Authenticity Meets Experience
Michael D. Brown, Senior Managing Partner at Global Recruiters of Buckhead, casts the Gen Z stare in a dual light: as evidence of a shift in communication expectations and as a design challenge for HR and customer experience leaders. “This isn’t just internet noise; it’s a signal of a fundamental shift in workplace communication,” he says, reframing the meme as meaningful. Brown contends that dismissing it as rude misunderstands its intent. “The ‘Gen Z Stare’ isn’t disengagement, but a form of unfiltered authenticity,” he asserts.
Brown argues HR’s responsibility is to better understand the intent of the stare and to recalibrate coaching so employees learn how to translate their authenticity into positive customer experiences.
“For the first time, many companies are managing five distinct generations, each with its own rules for engagement,” Brown notes. “The true challenge for HR is to build a communication framework that respects these differences and fosters a workplace where every generation can connect and collaborate.”
Key Tips for HR Leaders
- Normalize generational difference in nonverbal cues. Build awareness sessions or internal campaigns that affirm that eye contact, nodding or small talk are cultural cues—not universal absolutes.
- Design for cross-generational knowledge exchange. Establish reverse mentoring, rotating project assignments, peer learning pods—and ensure older and younger employees work interdependently.
- Reframe the narrative from deficit to feedback. Shift the internal dialogue by treating behaviors like the stare not as flaws to correct but as feedback on misaligned norms needing further understanding.
- Craft a multi-generational communication framework. Codify norms that articulate how all employees can create authentic, positive customer experiences with communication.
Bridging the Gap, Not Erasing the Difference
The viral Gen Z stare is more than a TikTok trope: It’s a symptom of evolving workplace norms, shifting learning styles and contrasting expectations. But it’s not a barrier too big to cross. With the right narrative, structural design, coaching and interpretive frameworks, HR leaders can help younger and older cohorts see one another more clearly.
For HR professionals navigating this cultural moment, the task is neither to police facial expressions nor to demand uniformity of style. Rather, it is to equip both Gen Z and legacy generations with fluency in one another’s languages—and to build bridges of understanding in between. In doing so, organizations will emerge stronger, more inclusive and more adaptive in the multigenerational reality of modern work.
