Employers on the test: Gen Z’s Expectations of the Workplace

A growing number of Generation Z individuals entering the labour market is increasing each year. Growing up with the internet and social media that shaped their understanding of work and interpersonal relationships, Gen Z has already brought new values into the workplace. We dedicated our latest Vox Populi to this very topic, to find out how Generation Z functions in a business environment and what they expect from it.

Finances Are the Most Important to Gen Z

Almost all participants in our survey concluded that Gen Z is changing the rules of business culture. The majority agrees that employers should adapt their policies (87 %) and communication (79 %) to accommodate younger colleagues. When it comes to perception of what matters the most to Gen Z at work, finances got placed first, followed by atmosphere in the workplace. Interestingly, percentages differ slightly when comparing responses from Instagram and LinkedIn. As the most important factor for Gen Z, salary was chosen by 71 % Instagram participants and slightly less 50 % on LinkedIn. Atmosphere was chosen by 44 % of participants on LinkedIn and 29 % on Instagram. In both cases, the position proved to be insignificant compared to other options (LinkedIn 6 %, Instagram 0 %).

New Rules of the Game

When it comes to Generation Z’s values and behaviour in the workplace, they seem to bring both a set of challenges and opportunities into organizations. More than 90 % of participants think that members of Generation Z have a different attitude towards authority. There is also a form of pressure on older colleagues because Gen Z prefers more frequent feedback (82 %). Participants also believe that Generation Z prefers informal communication (90 %) and expresses their views more openly at work (84 %).

For Gen Z, it is not only important where they work, but also who they work for. Our Instagram followers think Gen Z equally cares about different values of an employer, including social responsibility, gender equality, and inclusivity. The perception from LinkedIn users is somewhat different, with social responsibility being primarily chosen (50 %), while gender equality and inclusivity were each chosen by 25 % of participants.

Reputation is more important than good employer brand campaigns

When it comes to communication and the attraction of potential job candidates, a good employer brand has great weight (90%). However, it is necessary to think longer term. When asked what is more important to Gen Z, 82% of our followers chose employer reputation, compared to 18% who still prioritized employer brand.

While members of Generation Z are slowly changing established processes and ways of working in organizations and clearly articulating expectations, employers have to respect them and adapt their communication to them, but also develop long-term projects and communication that will strengthen their reputation and thus be more desirable employers.