6 Things That Gen Z Will Expect From The Workplace – YouthSense

Millennials have already made their mark on the workplace and forced the hand of employers everywhere to change the nature of jobs and employment in general; much has been said about these newfangled open-plan offices and collaborative teams made up of flexible employees who have grown up alongside the gig economy and would sooner jump ship to a new company than commit full-time to their current job. However, it’s a new generation that makes up the majority entering the workforce now, and they have a unique set of needs and expectations that should be accounted for.

It’s easy to predict the current trends of Millennial job expectations to continue with Gen Z, and in some cases, you’d be right in doing so. However, there are unique factors to their environment and upbringing that contribute to vastly different values – ones that may even be more closely aligned with older generations. Here’s what they expect from the workforce.

1. Financial security

In contrast to the Millennial attitude that seems to prioritise friendships and social justice in the workplace, Gen Z are more concerned with becoming financially secure through their work. In fact, research by the Levo Institute and the Adecco Millennial Economy Report shows that 69% of Gen Z prefer a stable job lacking passion over a passionate job lacking stability, and 62% say financial stability is one of their top three priorities. We’ve found this in our own research as well, with the vast majority (89%) of youth saying making money is ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ important to them. This younger generation has seen Millennials struggle to find full-time work, even with degrees and qualifications, and are therefore more pragmatic in their approach to work.

2. Mentorship

Mentors aren’t a totally new concept in the workplace, though Millennials have been a strong advocate for them in the recent past. This seems to be the case for Gen Z as well, with one survey reporting that 33% believe a mentorship program would be the most important job benefit, second only to health care benefits. This professional relationship is an effective way to introduce young workers to a new environment and to ensure they pick