[Reading level: C1 – Advanced]
Close to midnight, Kim Ngan received a message from her boss assigning urgent work. Frustrated, she scratched her head and replied, “This is too hard, big brother, I can’t do it.”
Her half-joking, half-serious response is how the 23-year-old from Hanoi usually reacts when faced with a tough task. Ngân explains that calling her boss “big brother” is not a sign of disrespect but a way to create a more relaxed atmosphere and ease tension between employees and managers. For her, this is part of the optimistic and youthful spirit that Gen Z brings to the workplace.
“Communicating in a casual way doesn’t mean I take my job lightly,” Ngan said.
She gave another example: When a product didn’t meet expectations, instead of submitting it just to meet the deadline, she straightforwardly told her boss, “This isn’t ‘wow’ enough yet, boss, give me a bit more time.”
Working in a company with many older colleagues, Ngan found the office environment too serious. She and her fellow Gen Z coworkers took the initiative to liven things up, discussing ideas in a more relaxed and open manner. “Work is already stressful, so why not find ways to make it more fun?” she said.
The way Ngan and many other Gen Z employees communicate recently has become part of a trend known as “When the Joking Generation Joins the Workforce.”
This trend originates from social media platforms and has been enthusiastically embraced by young people. A survey by VnExpress found that there are more than a dozen Facebook groups actively discussing this topic. The largest group has over 92,000 members, with dozens of daily posts sharing perspectives and experiences of working in a humorous and witty way. The content revolves around young employees making the workplace feel more casual, from using memes to playfully arguing with their bosses “like children.”
In the dictionary, “joking” can mean teasing in an inappropriate way. However, Gen Z has redefined it as a communication style that simplifies issues and adds humor. The phrase is often used by Gen Z in a self-deprecating way.
Minh Thu, 24, a kindergarten teacher in Hanoi, is also fond of this trend. She posts videos on social media with captions like “When the Joking Generation Goes to Work: The teacher wants recess more than the students.” In another clip, instead of going around the classroom to remind each student to take a nap, she calls out, “Anyone who is actually asleep, raise your hand!”—immediately, dozens of tiny hands shoot up.
For some, Thu’s behavior might seem unprofessional for a teacher. But to her, it’s a way to build a closer bond with students and create a relaxed classroom atmosphere.
“I always make sure my students are well-behaved and polite, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be rigid,” she shared.
Beyond office jobs, the spirit of “joking” has also appeared in fields like entertainment, healthcare, education, and law. A social media user claiming to be a lawyer posted a video captioned: “When Gen Z joins the workforce, court evidence comes in the form of screenshots.” Meanwhile, in the medical field, some young doctors joke, “This case isn’t ‘wow’ enough”—meaning the patient’s condition is mild and treatable. Even during graduation ceremonies, instead of formally receiving their diplomas, many students do TikTok dances or take selfies with the university president, captioning it, “The Joking Generation is ready for the job market.”
This trend has even influenced recruitment strategies. Instead of the usual job postings that say “Looking for young, creative, and dynamic employees,” some HR professionals now write “Looking for the Joking Generation—we want to be bothered.”
Although widely embraced and enjoyed, the “joking” trend has also faced criticism. Some people believe it may come across as unprofessional and unsuitable for the workplace.
According to Dr. Vu Thu Huong, a former lecturer at Hanoi National University of Education, the term “joking generation” is actually a way for Gen Z to express their humor and optimism in life. They grew up in a time of peace and economic growth, with less pressure to make ends meet compared to previous generations. This allows them to have a more relaxed mindset when dealing with challenges in work and life.
Compared to earlier generations, who faced social expectations that required them to be serious in speech and conduct, Gen Z is more open-minded. They are not afraid to express their opinions, debate with their superiors, and experiment with new ideas—accepting mistakes as part of the learning process.
“Instead of dwelling in complaints or negativity, they choose to express themselves with humor to spread positive energy,” Dr. Huong explained.
As someone who frequently works with Gen Z, she believes young employees are bringing a fresh breeze to the workplace. Not only are they creative and adaptable, but they also know how to make the work environment more comfortable, fostering connections with colleagues through playful interactions. This has gradually influenced older generations, leading to gradual shifts in workplace communication.
Nguyen Hong, 35, a marketing manager at an event company in Hanoi, was initially overwhelmed by the generational culture clash when managing 15 Gen Z employees.
She recalled that in meetings, instead of just listening, young employees actively debated, constantly proposed ideas, and even asked their boss to justify decisions before agreeing to execute them. When things got too tense, they would suggest taking a break, grabbing snacks, and then resuming discussions.
“At first, I found it strange and even annoying, but over time, I understood that this was how Gen Z connects with their boss and makes the workplace less rigid,” Hong said. She admitted that if managers are flexible and willing to adapt, young employees will be more motivated to be creative and stay engaged with the company.
Source: https://vnexpress.net/vi-sao-gen-z-tu-goi-minh-la-the-he-cot-nha-4867170.html
WORD BANK:
assign sth to sb /əˈsaɪn/ (v): giao nhiệm vụ cho ai
scratch one’s head /skrætʃ wʌnz hɛd/ (idiom): vò đầu bứt tóc
half-joking, half-serious /hæf ˈdʒoʊ.kɪŋ, hæf ˈsɪr.i.əs/ (adj/adv): nửa đùa nửa thật
disrespect /ˌdɪs.rɪˈspekt/ (n, v): thiếu tôn trọng
ease tension /iːz ˈten.ʃən/ (v): giảm bớt căng thẳng
optimistic /ˌɑːp.təˈmɪs.tɪk/ [B2] (adj): lạc quan
youthful /ˈjuːθ.fəl/ (adj): trẻ trung
take sth lightly /teɪk ˈlaɪt.li/ (v): xem nhẹ cái gì
submit /səbˈmɪt/ [B2] (v): gửi, nộp
straightforwardly /ˌstreɪtˈfɔːr.wɚd.li/ (adv): thẳng thắn
colleague /ˈkɑː.liːɡ/ [B2] (n): đồng nghiệp
fellow /ˈfel.oʊ/ (adj, n): đồng chí, bạn bè
take the initiative to do sth /ɪˈnɪʃ.ə.t̬ɪv/ (v phrase): chủ động làm gì
liven sth up /ˈlaɪ.vən/ (v): làm cái gì trở nên sôi nổi hơn
the Joking Generation (n): thế hệ cợt nhả
enthusiastically embraced /ɪnˌθuː.ziˈæs.tɪ.kli ɪmˈbreɪst/ (phrase): được hưởng ứng rầm rộ
humorous /ˈhjuː.mə.rəs/ [B2] (adj): hài hước
witty /ˈwɪt̬.i/ [B2] (adj): dí dỏm
revolve around sth /rɪˈvɑːlv əˈraʊnd/ (v): xoay quanh cái gì
casual /ˈkæʒ.u.əl/ [B2] (adj): thoải mái
meme /miːm/ (n): meme (hình ảnh hài hước)
teasing /ˈtiː.zɪŋ/ (n, adj): trêu đùa
redefine sth /ˌriː.dɪˈfaɪn/ (v): định nghĩa lại cái gì
self-deprecating /ˌselfˈdep.rə.keɪ.t̬ɪŋ/ (adj): tự trào
recess /rɪˈses/ (n): giờ ra chơi
bond /bɑːnd/ [B2] (n, v): mối quan hệ, gắn kết
rigid /ˈrɪdʒ.ɪd/ [C1] (adj): cứng nhắc theo khuôn khổ
court /kɔːrt/ [B2] (n): tòa án
evidence /ˈev.ɪ.dəns/ [B2] (n): bằng chứng
mild /maɪld/ (adj): nhẹ
treatable /ˈtriː.t̬ə.bəl/ (adj): có thể chữa được
formal /ˈfɔːr.məl/ [B2] (adj): trang trọng
recruitment /rɪˈkruːt.mənt/ [C1] (n): tuyển dụng
dynamic /daɪˈnæm.ɪk/ [B2] (adj): năng động
bother /ˈbɑː.ðɚ/ [B1] (v): làm phiền
widely embraced /ˈwaɪd.li ɪmˈbreɪst/ (phrase): được hưởng ứng rộng rãi
come across as sth /kʌm əˈkrɑːs əz/ (v phrase): bị hiểu là thế nào
make ends meet /meɪk endz miːt/ [C1] (v – idiom): kiếm đủ sống
mindset /ˈmaɪnd.set/ [C1] (n): tâm thế, cách nghĩ
conduct /ˈkɑːn.dʌkt/ [B2] (n, v): tác phong, hành vi
open-minded /ˌoʊ.pənˈmaɪn.dɪd/ [B2] (adj): cởi mở
superior /suːˈpɪr.i.ɚ/ [C1] (n, adj): cấp trên, vượt trội
experiment /ɪkˈsper.ɪ.mənt/ [B2] (n, v): thử nghiệm
the learning process /ðə ˈlɝː.nɪŋ ˈprɑː.ses/ (n): quá trình học tập
dwell in sth /dwɛl ɪn/ (v): chìm đắm trong cái gì
fresh breeze /freʃ briːz/ (n): luồng gió mới
adaptable /əˈdæp.tə.bəl/ [C1] (adj): linh hoạt
foster sth /ˈfɑː.stɚ/ [C1] (v): thúc đẩy điều gì
shift /ʃɪft/ [B2] (n, v): thay đổi
overwhelmed /ˌoʊ.vɚˈwelmd/ [C1] (adj): choáng ngợp
clash /klæʃ/ [C1] (v, n): xung đột
propose /prəˈpoʊz/ [B2] (v): đưa ra, đề xuất
justify sth /ˈdʒʌs.tɪ.faɪ/ [B2] (v): giải thích rõ cái gì
tense /tens/ [B2] (adj): căng thẳng
grab snacks /ɡræb snæks/ (v): lấy đồ ăn vặt
flexible /ˈflek.sə.bəl/ [B2] (adj): linh hoạt
stay engaged /steɪ ɪnˈɡeɪdʒd/ (v phrase): gắn bó
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