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Join on Telegram The younger generation’s goals no longer seem set on finding a single steady 9-to-5 job or slowly climbing the corporate ladder. Instead, Gen Z have turned their focus to crafting side hustles and finding jobs outside of the traditional workday.
While definitions are varied, “Gen Z” generally refers to people born between 1997 and 2010. It is a label that describes the first generation to grow up with access to the internet.
In a recent Adobe survey of 5,500 employees, 56% of respondents between 18 and 24 years old said they were likely to pursue a new job in the following year. Comparatively, 49% of millennials are planning on changing their job while only 31% of Gen X and 18% of Boomers expressed the same.
What could be fueling this “great resignation,” as some have come to call it?
Seeking purpose and meaning
When it comes to choosing a job and entering the workforce, Gen Z seems to have not only different needs and wants than other generations, but also different priorities.
Growing up with the internet and social media where everything seems possible, young people tend to prefer finding and following a “purpose” over a stable salary.
Gen Z is leaving the corporate setting
In a survey from YouthSense, young Australians between the ages of 15 and 24 said they wanted to know if a potential career matched their passions, more than any other factor.
While 84% of respondents said passion is the most determining factor, only 65% cited money. The survey also found that in making career decisions, 41% of respondents mentioned the opportunity for remote work as a factor, while 34% mentioned flexible hours.
Ethics are also an important deciding factor for this new generation.
According to a report by Deloitte University, Gen Z places a lot of emphasis
on working for an organization whose values align with theirs. Amongst the over 1,500 Gen Z respondents to their survey, 77% confirmed the importance of an organization’s values when finding a job.
Companies should not only commit to supporting and standing for a wide range of social and ethical issues but also consider taking concrete action to contribute positively.
“Gen Z no longer forms opinions of a company solely based on the quality of their products/services but also now on their ethics, practices, and social impact,” the report highlighted.
Having grown up with the internet, constantly exposed and connected to people and cultures from all across the globe, Gen Z also prioritizes diversity and its importance.
Ditching the 9-to-5 workday
A proper work-life balance allows employees to thrive in their careers while also enjoying their lives. When entering the corporate setting, Gen Z is firmly drawing that line and setting the right boundaries to avoid quick burnout.
With many people trying out the work-from-home model during the pandemic, employees now seem to be in favor of flexibility in terms of work hours and the possibility of working remotely.
A survey done by Cosmopolitan found that workplace flexibility was a priority for over half of its Gen Z respondents. Of the respondents, 21% preferred an all-remote option while 24% preferred a full-time in-person setting.
According to research from Future Forum, which surveyed about 10,000 desk workers around the world, employees with flexible schedules report 29% higher productivity and 53% greater ability to focus than those with more set and rigid hours.
Remote working can not only save the employee significant time and expenses such as long commutes, but it can also improve their well-being by allowing them the opportunity to exercise more often, pursue personal interests, and grow their side endeavors.
Looking to grow
Despite the general stereotype about the young generation being lazy and impatient, Gen Z is constantly looking for opportunities to grow and evolve — preferring jobs that offer mentorship, training, and development.
Roberta Katz, a senior research scholar at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences conducted a research study on the real identity of Gen Z, what matters to them, and why.
The scholar highlighted that for a long time, people criticized the generation and labeled it lazy and irresponsible.
“For quite a while, people were critical of what they saw as a generation that was too coddled and ‘soft,’” Katz said in a Stanford News article on the study. “But much of that negative judgment came from a misunderstanding of what it is like to grow up in today’s world when compared with how their elders grew up.”
Growing up with multiple learning resources across digital and traditional tools, Gen Z is committed to a lifelong model of learning.
Handshake surveyed students and recent graduates on the key attracting factors that would make them apply for and stay at a job.
Among these, the second most important factor after the monetary compensation was the ability to grow, learn and advance in their careers.
The war for talent is pushing employers to re-evaluate their management techniques and invest in an environment where employees are curious and eager to learn new skills and techniques.
Regular feedback sessions are also vital to ensure engagement and satisfaction while also keeping track of the needs and wants of their employees.
