The workplace is changing—no news there. It’s been changing for as long as it has existed, but even more so in the last few years. Between record inflation, climate change, skyrocketing costs of living, and a pandemic, a new generation of workers emerged together with what looks like a never-before-seen thunderstorm of ideas, habits, requirements, and lifestyles. To no one’s surprise, we’re talking about Gen Z. But what is Generation Z, and how exactly are they changing the workplace? Are they really as difficult as popular media paints them? Let’s find out.
Zooming in on Zoomers
First off, when does Gen Z start? While you may see exact, albeit different numbers on various websites, researchers agree that people born from mid-to-late 1990s and all the way to the early 2010s could be considered Generation Z. They are sandwiched between Millennials and Gen Alpha, and according to Zurich Insurance, this segment currently accounts for 30% of the world’s population—meaning that by 2025, they may represent 27% of the workforce. If that expectation comes true, they will overtake near-retirement baby boomers, becoming the third most active generation in the workforce.
Now, what are the Gen Z characteristics we hear so much about? You may think about technology prowess above all else. After all, they are the first generation to grow up immersed in it, having held phones and interacted with screens for as long as they can remember. Also, they basically own social media, shaping popular culture in ways we’ve never seen before. They’re seemingly more open, diverse, and vocal than any generation before them, navigating an equally different world—one that’s often riddled with anxiety.
If Gen Xers could buy a home early in their careers and Millennials currently pay up the mortgage on their house, Zoomers can hardly hope to get their own place one far-away day. Doubling down on that stress are higher costs of living, climate change, and a plethora of social factors that their parents and grandparents may or may not understand (since, generally speaking, their experiences are very different).
While this is but an overview of typical traits and concerns Zoomers have, it should be enough to bridge gaps in understanding Generation Z in the workplace. So, without further ado, let’s explore the myths and realities of their professional lives—and how they impact work as we know it.
1. Quality of life as a metric
To say that Generation Z values a good work-life balance is an understatement. If you spend any amount of time on the internet, you probably know trends such as “lazy girl job” and “bare minimum Monday.” But if you somehow missed them, you might be tempted to take them literally and assume that Zoomers are, in fact, lazy and unwilling to work, that “work-life balance” is their corporation-appropriate way of saying no to effort. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Broadly speaking, Zoomers grew up watching their parents and grandparents participate in hustle culture: the idea that hard work is not just the only way, but a guarantee of success. They also grew up seeing how all that isn’t necessarily true, at least not in a world where we have public health crises, measurable climate change effects, and unprecedented inflation. For the typical 24-year-old, the future looks uncertain and this, in turn, leads to a focus on the present. For Gen Z, well-being comes first, and part of that is being able to lead a fulfilling lifestyle outside of work—especially if the labor itself is unfulfilling. It’s not that they don’t want to put in the effort, but that the effort must be valuable, recognized, and well-paced, to not impact their health or spare time.
For some employers, meeting Generation Z expectations is difficult. Prioritizing well-being isn’t new to every company, but to many, its meaning is abstract, unclear, and complicated when it comes to actual implementation. However, this perspective on work has its advantages, among which are lower turnover rates and reduced healthcare costs. Basically, Zoomers teach us to think of quality of life as a metric and, in the long-term, that can only be a good thing.
2. Professional growth as a routine
We named well-being as an expectation of Generation Z in the workplace, but we are yet to develop on what it means exactly. What makes a Zoomer satisfied with their place in the workforce? Apart from the basics, meaning respecting the working time and other contractual terms, Zoomers expect growth. While previous generations focused on money and hard results, Gen Z seeks experiences, learning, and emotional welfare.
You’ve probably heard of the rather recent practice of changing jobs every few years—or months, for that matter. For someone under 30 years old, having spent 12 years in the workforce means having changed at least 3 or 4 jobs—for most of them, much more than that. Gen Z learned from previous generations that loyalty to a company does not necessarily provide financial security and job satisfaction, so they don’t care for that the same way their parents did. Empowered by information, technology, and the ever-growing means of learning new things, Zoomers aren’t afraid of change: they would rather leave a job that’s unfulfilling than risk wasting their time trying to climb an unpromising corporate ladder. But what does this mean for employee retention?
This time, the answer is much clearer: internal mobility, training programs, and performance-based promotion opportunities. As a note, flexibility is important, too, and it’s one of the biggest changes we’ve already seen in our office lives. While Generation Z is the segment of employees to appreciate flexibility in the workplace the most, as many as 84% of remote workers expressed their wish to have a hybrid work schedule as far back as 2022. Today, many do, and according to LinkedIn, 73% of employees would sacrifice other benefits to keep this schedule.
3. Change as a company value
Remember how Zoomers are tech-savvy like no other generation before them? Well, a side effect of that is that they are always up-to-date with not only new technologies like AI, but also current events, contemporary issues, and cultural shifts. They know their values and want to see them reflected everywhere around them, including at work.
More than anyone before them, Zoomers care for company culture. They are invested in how the company works, what it stands for, how diverse and inclusive it is, as well as who or what it endorses. Also, they want to see their workplace adapt and embrace change, whether that means implementing eco-friendly practices, adopting flexible work models, or using AI to simplify menial tasks. These were the kind of changes we saw happening and even trending as recently as 2024.
4. Collaboration as the norm
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.” If this quote sounds familiar to you, that’s because it reflects so universal a perspective on youth that it repeats itself in some form for every new generation—including the one Socrates was talking about here, more than 2000 years ago. But why does it matter now?
Many people see Gen Z as not only rejecting authority, but confronting it, disrespecting it on purpose. That is true to some extent, but not in the way you’d think.
If Millennials were still okay with being told what to do, Gen Z only accept that when they know why. In the workplace, your typical Zoomer will want to know why something is done the way it’s done and will potentially come up with alternatives, should those be more efficient. To them, neither age nor position seniority has intrinsic value. Instead, they must be able to trust their team leader, manager, or boss in any capacity to accept their authority (or better said, their guidance). And while annoying to some, this attitude has a unique advantage: it fosters collaboration, making it the norm.
By considering everybody a colleague, Generation Z are great at teamwork—and value it, too. They are as excited to share knowledge as they are to acquire it, and because they value work that feels important, they seek to create community around it. And if they cannot turn colleagues into friends, they should at least be able to rely on them in the office, during day-to-day tasks and coffee breaks alike.
Final thoughts
You may love or hate the Generation Z work ethic, but one thing is clear: it’s here, it’s happening, and work as we know it is changing in ways we must not fear but look forward to. Hybrid schedules are improving our work-life balance, technology is simplifying our more tedious tasks, and the new generation is bringing a fresh, if not refreshing perspective on the dynamics of office life. And in the background, coworking spaces help more and more businesses to operate efficiently and meet the requirements of the modern, flexible workspace.
