From Classrooms to Corporates What Teaching Gen Z Taught Me About Soft Skills and Workplace Realities By Purbasa Banerjee

There is a moment in almost every class I take that stays with me.

I ask a simple question, something open ended, and the room goes quiet. A few students glance up, some avoid eye contact, and then one of them finally begins to speak. Carefully. Almost as if they are unsure whether their opinion will be accepted.

Once that first voice breaks the silence, others begin to join in, slowly but surely.

As an Assistant Professor of English and a Soft Skills Trainer, I have witnessed this pattern across different institutions, whether private or government, urban or semi urban. The environment may change, but the human response inside classrooms often feels strikingly familiar.

We often say education empowers people, and I do believe that. But I also feel we rarely talk about what it actually feels like to be a part of this system, both as a student and as a teacher.

In private institutions, there is a constant sense of pressure around performance, results, and numbers. It shows up in decisions, expectations, and everyday interactions. Government colleges function differently. There is intent, but also delays, structural challenges, and at times a rigidity that makes change slow. As educators, we learn to adapt because we have to.

Students, however, do not always adapt in the same way.

Gen Z enters classrooms with a mindset shaped by speed. They are used to quick information, instant answers, and continuous engagement. If something does not hold their attention, they disconnect almost immediately. Over time, I realized this is not disinterest. It is selective attention.

And yet, when given the right environment, they surprise you.

I remember conducting a group activity where students had to collaborate and present a solution. It was not particularly complex, but midway through, one student came up to me and said, “Ma’am, no one is really listening. Everyone just wants their own idea to be chosen.”

It was a simple observation, but it revealed a lot.

They had ideas. They had confidence. But working together was where things began to fall apart.

This does not remain limited to classrooms.

When I interact with working professionals or conduct training sessions, I hear similar concerns. Capable individuals who find it hard to accept feedback. Teams that struggle over minor misunderstandings. People who are skilled at their work but unsure when it comes to managing relationships.

At that point, it becomes clear that this is not just a student problem or a workplace problem. It is part of a larger transition.

We focus heavily on academic learning, but often overlook how students are learning to function in shared spaces. How they communicate, how they respond to disagreement, and how they handle situations that do not go as planned.

Eventually, all of this carries forward into the workplace.

Another moment that stands out to me happened during a mock interview. A student answered every question correctly. Technically, everything was perfect. But when I offered feedback, even something minor, there was visible discomfort. Not resistance, just unfamiliarity with being evaluated in that way.

That reaction does not come from a lack of ability. It comes from a lack of exposure.

And that is something we can change.

I have noticed that when classrooms move beyond being purely instructional and become more interactive and human, things begin to shift. Not instantly, but gradually. Students start listening more. They speak more freely. They even begin to disagree, but with respect.

Soft skills are not built through lectures alone. They develop through experiences like group discussions, small disagreements, feedback exchanges, and simply feeling heard.

Over time, I have also stopped seeing the challenges within educational institutions as entirely negative. The pressures, the limitations, the structure all resemble aspects of the real world more than we might like to admit.

In many ways, both teachers and students are already navigating an early version of the workplace.

The difference is that here, we still have the space to pause and reflect.

Gen Z, despite its contradictions, is deeply adaptable. They are open to feedback once they feel safe. They are expressive when they know their voice matters. And they are capable of growth when expectations are balanced with understanding.

Perhaps the shift we need is not as complex as it seems.

It may begin with small, intentional changes. More conversations. More participation. More acceptance of the fact that learning is not always structured or predictable.

Because the students sitting in classrooms today are not just preparing for careers.

They are learning, in their own imperfect way, how to deal with people, pressure, expectations, and themselves.

And that is exactly what the workplace demands.

Written by

Purbasa Banerjee