The Changing Work Requirements Of Gen Z Employees

A great team is the future of any business. However, the challenges of attracting the best employees have changed in recent years. Part of this is understanding the work requirements that are important to a Gen Z audience. Here are some of the key elements to consider. 

Remote Working 

First, it is important to ensure that your business provides the option of remote working. Gen Z workers look for this option, or at least a hybrid working model, after having to work remotely through the Covid pandemic. While managers may be keen to return to the office, not all employees are. Experts also agree that a hybrid work model with at least some days of the week at home (a hybrid model) is the best option for productivity and a healthy work/life balance. 

Work/Life Balance

Gen Z has been described as the generation of workers who want it all. In reality however, they are simply seeking a healthy work life balance. Gone are the days when workers can be expected to commit to overtime to boost their career. Particularly, if this is unpaid. Instead, workers expect to be able to switch off completely at the end of the office day. Business managers should encourage this and make it part of their work policy. It is a key way to attract new team members, retain current employees and optimise productivity. 

Flexible Working Hours 

Gen Z team members are also keen to ensure that they have the right level of flexibility in terms of working hours. While they want to switch off at the end of the work day, they also want to decide on the time when the work day begins and ends. This could include starting earlier and finishing earlier than the typical 9 to 5, or later. The focus here is often on ensuring that they work when they feel most productive.

Remuneration 

Research suggests that Gen Z employees are not always as easily swayed by a high rate of pay as business owners believe. Gen Z workers are highly ambitious but may take a lower paid job if there is a solid structure in place for career development, learning, company culture and job satisfaction. Research also suggests that Gen Z employees are looking for businesses with a modern approach to benefits. As mentioned, this includes a commitment to flexibility, location and support for their mental wellbeing. 

Location 

Previously, younger generations were happy to live and work in large cities, often with an acceptance that that is where they needed to be when they started their career or wanted to get the best jobs. This was also ideal for businesses who could easily source employees close to major office locations and an expectation that employees worked from the office five days a week. 

However, remote working is now an established professional working model. Covid was a big contributor toward this as both businesses and employees were forced to work from home, but for some sectors, remote working, either fully or partially, was already a part of their working style. For the Gen Z age group, just starting out in their careers, this is the only way of working that they have ever known. A desire to work remotely, or a hybrid of both remote and in-office working, has become one of Gen Z’s primary considerations for new employment.

Cost Of Living 

Finally, it is worth considering the cost of living. While inflation rates might seem to be starting to stabilize, the cost of living crisis continues to put people under more financial pressure. Gen Z are even more exposed to this due to their lower salaries, especially in large cities where it is more expensive to live. Basic living costs such as rent, utilities, food, travel, clothing and social life have all increased significantly in recent years, to a point that for many, living and working in a large expensive city is no longer financially possible. This therefore becomes an important consideration for most young graduates in selecting the right job for them.

Unlike previous generations, young graduates today are having to consider more than just salary when deciding on the right job and company for them.  This may also be influencing their chosen career path.