“[The pandemic] proved that many service businesses could operate from home,” she says. “However, if many workplaces don’t continue to offer this hybrid work model, the younger generation is more likely to seek careers elsewhere.”
Bates continued, “I noticed in my previous role, before I went freelance, that the younger generation didn’t choose their jobs based on the salary, but the perks or perks that came with it. They want flexibility, they want to be able to work the hours that work best for them, and they want a better culture.
Stein Lubrano adds that young people are “easily dissatisfied” with “how boring early career work can be” or wish they could progress more quickly. “I encourage people to think about this big structural issue as well, and the fact that an economy that can’t provide stability probably means employees are choosing self-reliance instead,” she says.
So what does Gen Z expect from their jobs? Here’s what the experts say:
The opportunity to learn while working
“One thing that I think is undervalued by most employees (Gen Z and otherwise) and employers is the ability to learn on the job,” says Stein Lubrano.
“Often the issues we have with workplaces could at least be ameliorated if there were more reflective teaching and learning moments at work,” she continues. “It doesn’t have to feel like boring, stuffy formal training, it can mean informal mentoring or skill-sharing over lunch. I think opportunities like this make people much more likely to feel like they’re getting something by investing time and brain space at work, something they might not be able to find if they didn’t. they would simply change jobs again.
good morals
“Companies must provide CSR services [corporate social responsibility] opportunities such as giving back via charity work, showing your appreciation through time back if you’ve worked really hard on a project, or even just being allowed out for a few hours to go to a doctor’s appointment instead than taking a personal day,” says Rhiannon. “It’s about giving and receiving, and above all about being human.”
More personal autonomy
“There is a huge body of psychological literature devoted to the positive effects of personal autonomy at work and in life,” says Stein Lubrano. “This leads to better long-term learning for employees and employers and also improves their well-being and gives them a sense of direction. As the saying goes, we don’t quit jobs but managers. Companies should therefore seek to manage lightly where they can, and thoughtfully and well.
Borders
“Gen Z sets firm boundaries [in the workplace] is definitely a positive, but it’s also a huge change in the way things were done before,” says Bates.
“In a world where we are always connected and always connected, it is more important than ever to set these parameters. Because people are no longer necessarily working the standard 9 to 5, with emails ringing at all hours with a instant access to team members, mental health suffers. We’ve seen that peak over the past few months due to burnout and the economic crisis,” she says.
