Gen Z in the workplace

Image Credit: Adobe Stock/StratfordProductions.

This is the second in a series of Adobe Stock’s Cultural Insights reports-presented with a curated collection of related visuals — focusing on topics that are visually in flux, driven by changes in the world and their effects on consumer priorities.

Gen Z employees are expected to outnumber boomers in the workplace this year and comprise 30 percent of the workforce by 2030. This cohort is not only the first generation of digital natives, but they have been growing up in an era of dramatic technological, economic, ecological, and political change which deeply influence their priorities and values. In turn, their expectations of workplace structure, benefits, and culture are unique to the corporate and professional world.

A wide range of companies are working to make changes to their policies and culture to retain young employees as 57 percent of Gen Z expects to change jobs within the year. These adjustments are literally changing the professional landscape, shifting the kinds of visuals that authentically represent work life, corporate and office culture.

Flexibility = Where and when we work

Microsoft has found in a global survey that Gen Z is 77 percent more likely to interact with a job posting on LinkedIn if it includes the word “flexibility". That was the highest compared to any other generation, including Millennials, with only 30 percent more likely to interact.

ADP Research Institute recently conducted a survey revealing that many employees would quit if an employer demanded a full-time return to the office.

The goal is not only to get younger employees through the door but also to keep them in their jobs, not an easy feat. Surveys show that younger workers are comfortable switching jobs more frequently than other generations. But, with these efforts, many companies are having more success retaining their Gen Z employees.

Self-Presentation

Spurred by the remote work habits that followed us to the post-pandemic office, Gen Z has often been credited for creating a work culture that’s more informal, where people dress, speak, and message their co-workers more casually.

In addition, Gen Z is rejecting one-dimensional conceptions of the self. They are trying on multiple aesthetics, experimenting with a range of identities based on the day or their mood, playing into aesthetic plurality. This large cohort is therefore changing what is appropriate to wear to work: not only for clothes but haircuts and color, body piercings, and tattoos.

Diversity, inclusion, and social Issues:

As the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in US history, Gen Z is keen to see their diversity represented in the workplace, but they also want to work for leaders who show honesty, empathy and fairness.

77 percent of Gen Z in the US find it important to work for a company that cares about diversity, equity and inclusion but young people also want their employers to prioritize social and environmental responsibility says a survey by Talent LMS and Bamboo HR. 58 percent want their company to be more environmentally responsible, and 68 percent find commitment to social causes important. The same survey also found that 76 percent of Gen Z define a great place to work as one with "caring, friendly and socially conscious people." In addition, Microsoft's 2022 Work Trend Index, a survey across 31 countries, found that 46 percent of young workers want a "positive culture" from employers.

Young workers are holding employers accountable regarding how they operate, and a Glassdoor survey also reveals that younger generations are more likely to want to talk about politics and issues of diversity and inclusion than their older cohorts.

Company benefits

When it comes to staying in a job, Gen Z’ers rank workplace flexibility, meaningful work, and career development as more important factors than compensation. Compare that with boomers who rank compensation first. While there is overlap between what Gen Z, Boomers and Gen X want from work, the motivations behind the groups’ rankings may differ or be influenced simply by their stage in life. Gen Z’ers may be considered ‘idealists’ yet they are also mostly not dealing with the financial pressures of paying a mortgage and supporting offspring.

What does Gen Z desire more than anything else from their employer? According to a US survey by YPulse, it’s free lunches and free food, which can be a huge money-saver for this financially savvy but often cash-strapped cohort. 36 percent of YPulse respondents rated the free lunches benefit as the most important, tied only with sick leave.

Collaboration and communication:

Gen Z employees strongly prefer working in teams and collaborative settings, regarding teamwork as a means to drive organizational innovation. In addition, as Quynh Mai, CEO and founder of digital marketing agency Moving Image & Content, told Forbes, many Gen Z employees “live and shop their values. They don’t hesitate on calling you out when you are wrong or culturally tone-deaf. They think they know more than you do — and in this new digital-first world, they do.”

Career Development and mentoring:

Gen Z workers are looking for mentors, says Michelle Volberg, CEO of search firm Giledan Search, “As they enter the workplace, they know they need guidance, and any company that can provide it in the form of a mentor program is going to drastically increase retaining talent,” Volberg advised.

According to an Adobe survey in 2023, 83 percent say mentorship is crucial for their development but only 52 percent reported having a mentor, and 48 percent said they wanted more training on the hard skills related to their job.

Life balance and mental health

A major priority for Gen Z is to create a harmonious work-life balance, where work enhances their lives instead of consuming challenges. Gen Z envisions a workplace that accommodates personal needs and supports overall well-being, promoting a healthier and more fulfilling work experience. YPulse’s What’s Next For Work trend research has found that 78 percent of young Americans have felt burnt out because of work. In fact, burnout and lack of work-life balance is a main reason that Gen Z end up leaving their jobs, second only to inadequate salaries.

Gen Z is much more open about their mental health struggles and more likely to seek professional health, compared to other generations. 82 percent of Gen Z employees in the US find it important to have mental health days, and half want mental health training. Insurance company Allstate recently launched a program, which provides employees with six free therapy sessions for themselves or family members, along with access to an app with meditation exercises and other wellbeing practices and tools.

Explore the Gen Z at Work Collection on Adobe Stock:

Adobe Stock’s “Gen Z at Work” collection presents cross-sectional visuals of Gen Z employees, ages 18-27 years old, involved in a range of hybrid work environments that include in-office, working from home, as well as in public spaces. The collection also includes examples of Gen Z’ers taking breaks solo or with friends and colleagues and socializing in work environments and public settings to present work life balance.

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