These are Gen Z’s career non-negotiables – including a 5pm leave and regular pay rises

“[The pandemic] proved that lots of service-based businesses could operate from home. However, if lots of workplaces aren’t continuing to still offer this hybrid working model, the younger generation is more likely to look elsewhere for a career,” she explains. 

“I noticed that in my previous role, before I was self-employed, that the younger generation weren’t picking their job based on salary but on the perks or benefits that go with it. They want flexibility, they want to be able to work at the times that are more suitable for them and they want a better culture.”

Sarah adds that young people are “easily dissatisfied” with “how boring early career work can be, or wish that they could progress more quickly. “I encourage people to think about this big structural problem too, and the way that an economy that cannot offer stability is likely to mean that employees choose autonomy instead,” she says.

What do Gen Zs want from their jobs?

The option to learn as they work

“One thing that I think is undervalued by most employees (Gen Z and otherwise) and employers is the ability to learn on the job,” Sarah explains. 

“Often problems that we have with workplaces could be at least improved if there were more thoughtful moments of teaching and learning at work,” she continues. “This doesn’t have to look like boring stuffy formal training, it might mean informal mentorship or skill shares over lunch. I think opportunities like this make people much more likely to feel that they are getting something out of investing time and brain space at work, something they might not be able to find if they simply switch jobs again.”

Good morals

“Businesses need to provide CSR (corporate social responsibility) opportunities such as giving back via charity work, showing appreciation through time back in lieu if you’ve worked extra hard on a project, or even just being allowed to nip out for a couple of hours to go to a doctors appointment, rather than take a days holiday,” Rhiannon says. “It’s about give and take, and most of all being human.”

More personal autonomy

“There’s an immense body of psychological literature devoted to the positive effects of personal autonomy at work and in life,” Sarah says. “It leads to better long-term learning for employees and employers and also improves their wellbeing and gives them a sense of direction. As the saying goes, we don’t leave jobs but managers – so companies should seek to manage lightly where they can, and thoughtfully and well.”

Boundaries

“Gen z setting firm boundaries [in the workplace] is definitely a positive but it’s also a huge shift in the way things have been previously done,” Rhiannon explains. 

“In a world where we are always on and always connected, having those parameters set are more important than ever. Because people don’t necessarily work the standard 9-5 anymore, emails pinging at all hours with instant access to team members, mental health is suffering and we saw this reach a peak over the past few months as a result of burnout and the economic crisis. 

“That’s why it’s even more necessary to make sure that you are having switch-off time to protect your own energy and mental wellbeing, and it’s great that this seems to be becoming more accepted.”

Salary increases

Last but never least, Gen Z wants more money. As Sarah says: “Yes to higher pay in a cost of living crisis, please!”