Research from Kahoot! 360 Workforce Engagement Platform (www.kahoot.com) has found nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of HR managers say Gen Z employees are their toughest group to motivate.
The study of more than 200 HR managers reveals that while younger employees are hard to reach, their managers are also running on empty. Over half (53 per cent) of managers say they feel burned out from juggling too many priorities, and more than one in three (35 per cent) have considered quitting in the past year due to their own disengagement.
The results echo wider global trends. Studies such as Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace have already warned that manager engagement has dropped to historic lows. The data reveals that the engagement crisis is no longer an abstract HR problem but a systemic business challenge. Burnout at the top and disconnection at the bottom are creating a perfect storm.
Strained by generational divides and a lack of clear solutions, companies are facing a troubling paradox where the managers responsible for engaging and training employees are themselves disengaged.
“Engagement is an issue on all fronts, not just one faced by employees in more junior roles,” said Eilert Hanoa, CEO of Kahoot. “The data is clear, leaders are burning out and becoming unable to motivate their younger colleagues – especially those in the Gen Z demographic – who in turn are switching off. If companies don’t begin to tackle disengagement, they risk losing both their leaders and their future workforce. Recognition, communication and training are the missing links that will decide who wins the engagement race.”
