What Do Gen Zers Want at Work?

By Helen Harris 

In Brief: (1) Gen Z is largely defined by their second-nature social media skills and general tech-savviness, in addition to being entrepreneurially driven and easy to adapt. (2) Members of this generation are standing up to long-running policies and standards in corporate America and defining their ideal workplace. (3) This generation prioritizes mental and physical health and favors work environments with great work-life balance, social awareness, accommodations for physical, emotional or learning disabilities, nontraditional benefits, social interaction and fun and flexibility over structure. 

“Why is your face always in your phone? Do you have to post everything on social media? Do you even know what it means to work hard? You know, we didn’t grow up with all the luxuries you have today.”

These are just a few of the sentiments some of the older generations tend to have about Gen Z. 

And they are right; they didn’t grow up in a world with communication at their fingertips like Gen Zers have. 

But is this a bad thing? And is it adversely impacting Gen Z’s work performance? 

No, not necessarily. This generation presents a myriad of talent within the professional world including an innate adeptness to social media, a general nature to be tech-savvy, ease of communication, an entrepreneurial drive and the ability to adapt quicker than most. 

“62% of Gen Z indicated they have started, or plan to start, their own business before the age of 25. It's the most entrepreneurial generation yet. It's easier to start a business now than ever before. [For example,] you can set up a store on Etsy or set up a Shopify store and sell your t-shirts with your cool designs. You can start a podcast and get it sponsored. The creator economy has created different ways to earn income and because of that the competition for an employer isn't just the other companies hiring. But they now need to ask themselves, ‘Hey, are we creating an intrapreneurship, innovation appeal and are we creating infrastructure internally that allows young people to give us more ideas for how we can improve our business?’”

— Jake Bjorseth is a leading source for all topics Gen Z and is the founder and CEO of Trndsttrs. He earned his bachelor’s in marketing from the University of Kansas School of Business. 

Get to know Gen Z 

For employers to understand how to build conducive working environments, it’s first important to understand the background of Gen Z. 

As the generation following millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996), Gen Z constitutes anyone born from 1997 to 2012. 

Understanding what characteristics define Gen Z: Pew Research Center identifies several key points about Gen Z, including some of the following: 

• Gen Z is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation yet. 
• Initial signs suggest that Gen Zers are on track to become the most well-educated generation yet.
• Gen Zers are slower to enter the labor force than prior generations. In 2018, 19% of 15- to 17-year-olds reported having worked at all during the prior calendar year, compared with 30% of 15- to 17-year-old millennials in 2002.
• Gen Z is more likely to be committed to school and work than earlier generations. This is in part because they have fewer parenting responsibilities.

Just from reading the few bullets above, you can deduce that the average, driven Gen-Zer is is committed to their school and/or career and likely has the time and resources to pursue their professional path. 

Debunking common misconceptions about Gen Z: So if this Gen Z shows the signs — and the data — of being a smart, capable generation to add to today’s professional workplaces, why are there so many negative stereotypes out there?  

“Misconceptions people have are that we don't want to work or that we’re lazy or disloyal. And I think that misconception stems from a misinterpretation on boundaries set. This means that for so long, in corporate America, it's been okay for policies to permit you to stay over a time that was never agreed upon, for [employers] to demand you to push yourself beyond like your limits in terms of mental health [and/or] physical health and to stay at a company for years on end — even when you're not enjoying the work. Gen Z is standing up to those really toxic norms and making sure that they are prioritizing themselves over their workplaces.”

— Khalil Greene is a LinkedIn Top Voice and a "Gen Z Historian" featured in New York Times and Forbes. He has also been published in Harvard Business Review and the Washington Post. He was Yale's first black student body president and currently has over 550,000 followers on TikTok. 

Gen Zers are building their ideal workplaces

As you may have gathered by now, this generation is particular. They want to work for certain types of companies, they want certain benefits, and hold certain values as paramount. Many workplaces are indeed changing to accommodate the preferences of this budding generation. 

Some key improvements in the workplace Gen Zers are pushing for include the following: 

• Better work-life balance
• Social awareness
• Mental health awareness
• Better accommodations for physical, emotional or learning disabilities
• Nontraditional benefits such as work-from-home days, pet insurance and mental health days
• The ability to find jobs on a variety of social media platforms 
• Companies that value social interaction 
• Companies that prioritize fun and flexibility over structure

“[Gen Zers] are more likely to master separating corporate work from their personal life. This is a generation of self-aware individuals. They see the millennial workaholic lifestyle as a red flag because they’ve seen its adverse health effects. Overall, they’re a generation of observers and refiners. Those are the people employers will be seeking soon to manage our technology-driven work culture.”

— Chelsea Cohen is the co-founder of SoStocked, an inventory management software endorsed by top masterminds, influencers, agencies and aggregators. She has been featured on AM/PM Podcast, the Amazing Seller Summit and 7-Figure Sellers Summit. 

💡In real life: Consider this data provided by Knit, a Gen Z insights platform with the largest U.S. panel of Gen Z consumers:

In regard to environmental, social and governance (ESG):  

• 91% of Gen Z are more likely to take a job at a company that is socially conscious.
• Only 25% of Gen Zers think brands are genuine in their efforts to make the world a better place.

In regard to employee benefits:

• 63% of Gen Z employees expect their employer to offer mental health benefits, second only to a 401k.
• Gen Z male and female employees equally expect maternal health and childcare services to be provided by employers (53% and 48% respectively).

In regard to mental health:

• 53% of Gen Z report having a "behavioral health" condition.
• 75% of Gen Z report having anxiety and depression.
• Only 25% of Gen Z feel their mental health is always supported by their employer.

Notes on the survey methodology: The total sample size was N=435 mirroring the U.S. Census on gender identity, race and ethnicity. The sample size resulted in a 95% confidence level. The study was fielded between April 14-June 3, 2022.

“From mental health benefits to a commitment to ESG, Gen Zers are changing the definition of a thriving workplace and demanding change at all levels of an organization. Having access to real-time Gen Z data and consumer insights empowers employers to better understand this group and build more intentional workplaces for generations to come. This generation is already a very diverse group and looks to employers to be a progressive tool for social change. The businesses that leverage the power of real-time consumer insights and implement changes in their workplace now are setting themselves up for success in the future.”

 — Aneesh Dhawan is the founder and CEO of Knit, a Gen Z insights platform. At the age of 16, Aneesh launched his first company, a cause-marketing agency called Feed A Friend. He earned his bachelor’s from the University of Virginia. 

Explore more

Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins by by Michael Dimock for Pew Research Center 

Here’s How Gen Z Is Changing the Workplace — and What Experts Think It Means for the Future by Jordan Rosenfeld for GoBankingRates. 

Microsoft finds Gen Z is redefining the idea of work hustle in and outside the office by Aashna Shah for CNBC Work. 

Multigenerational Workforce Strengths and Weaknesses by Natassja Wynhorst for Wurkspace 7. 

Meet the experts

Aneesh Dhawan is the founder and CEO of Knit, a Gen Z insights platform. At the age of 16, Aneesh launched his first company, a cause-marketing agency called Feed A Friend. He earned his bachelor’s from the University of Virginia. 

Chelsea Cohen is the co-founder of SoStocked, an inventory management software endorsed by top masterminds, influencers, agencies and aggregators. She has been featured on AM/PM Podcast, the Amazing Seller Summit and 7-Figure Sellers Summit.

Jake Bjorseth is a leading source for all topics Gen Z and is the founder and CEO of Trndsttrs. He earned his bachelor’s in marketing from the University of Kansas School of Business. 

Khalil Greene is a LinkedIn Top Voice and a "Gen Z Historian" featured in New York Times and Forbes. He has also been published in Harvard Business Review and the Washington Post. He was Yale's first black student body president and currently has over 550,000 followers on TikTok.

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