There’s a growing frustration among leaders today: younger generations expect answers to be handed to them. They want instant solutions, immediate clarity, and if they don’t get it? They assume the system is broken.
It’s not that they lack intelligence or ambition. Many of them are driven, highly educated, and tech-savvy—but they’re missing something critical: the ability to dig.
The “Just Tell Me” Mentality
We see it play out in real-time. A new hire asks, “What do I do next?” before attempting to problem-solve. A junior employee sends a Slack message with a question they could have answered in 60 seconds with a Google search. When faced with ambiguity, instead of investigating, troubleshooting, or testing solutions, they default to waiting.
This isn’t just a productivity issue. It’s a mindset issue. Work isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about knowing how to find them.
Why This Hurts Growth
Companies don’t grow by spoon-feeding information. They grow when employees:
Take initiative instead of waiting for instructions.
Think critically instead of asking for a step-by-step guide.
Solve problems instead of assuming leadership will do it for them.
In a world where knowledge is more accessible than ever, the ability to hunt for answers is a competitive advantage. Those who master it rise faster, learn more, and earn greater trust—because they don’t drain leadership’s time with questions they could have solved themselves.
How Leaders Should Respond
The easy route is to keep answering. To give in to the “just tell me” culture. But that’s a shortcut that weakens the business. Instead, leaders should:
1) Redirect questions with, “Where have you looked for the answer so far?”
2) Encourage resourcefulness by creating a culture where digging is expected.
3) Reward problem-solving, not just task execution.
Final Thought
If you’re waiting for someone to hand you the answer, you’re already behind. The real winners in today’s workforce aren’t the ones with the most knowledge—they’re the ones who know how to find it, apply it, and execute.
At Hire Train Inspire, we believe in building teams who take ownership, dig deeper, and solve problems before they reach the leadership table. Does yours?