What does the Gen Z expect from the workplace?
By Anais le Liard and Géraldine Fillet
We all have clichés in mind when it comes to the Gen Z. Here is what the data say :
- They tend to prefer shorter work cycles than millennials with 80% seeing themselves staying with a company for less than 5 years ;
- They are looking for a value match in their employer— 83% consider an employer’s social commitment as a criteria when choosing a job ;
- Many higher-skilled talents are opened to lose on professional stability for a more meaningful job.
Also, Gen Z workers have started their career during or post pandemic. This unique timing gave them an opportunity to challenge the status quo and bring more of their consumption, cultural habits, and values to the workplace.
Today, this generation already makes up 30% of the global population, and by 2025, they will represent 27% of the workforce. What they expect and what they wish is no longer a sole object of curiosity but a vital factor for founders, HR leaders and managers.
Beyond the basic expectations from the COVID era — such as attention to mental health, work-life balance, remote work, and the preference for messaging over emailing — what interests us here is how to move beyond this first level of observation.
Ensuring a fair and inclusive workplace
Gen Z places a high priority on joining diverse and inclusive companies, with 80% of survey respondents expressing a desire to work for organizations that value DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) issues. Inclusion means ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their differences (such as race, gender, disability, or socioeconomic background), feel valued, respected, and have equal access to opportunities and resources.
Initiatives like reducing bias in recruitment (Applied), developing coaching and mentoring programs to ensure no one is left behind, and being as transparent as possible about compensation (Figures, Ravio) are strong DEI-led practices. Personalized health insurance (Kenko) and adapted support for caregivers (Yurtle, Bampa) are also essential levers.
Unlocking personal growth
Many studies highlight the ambiguity of the manager role as defined by this generation. Most of them want a manager, but what they call management is supervision by “manager coaches” within “learning and sharing” organizations. They crave autonomy while valuing guidance from experienced mentors. An overwhelming 94% of young professionals say they would stay at an organization longer if it invested in their personal growth.
Coaching partners are at the forefront here. After an initial wave of innovation with hybrid marketplaces combining remote 1:1 coaching sessions with content (like our portfolio company Simundia), conversational AI is now boosting the sector by offering a new mode of live coaching — the most affordable option — to complement existing services (Bloom).
Talent management platforms also play a role by ensuring continuous feedback, goal tracking, and guidance (Hyphen, Textio). Indeed, the focus is increasingly on intellectual stimulation and staying employable (as 85% of 2030 jobs do not exist yet), rather than accessing to management positions.
Placing responsability in their employer for having a positive impact
First, there are solutions that connect companies with charities enable skills-based sponsorship, donations, mentoring, and field missions. These platforms facilitate pre-financed donations for both clients and employees (Wenabi, CaptainCause).
But we also see apps and platforms focusing on environmental engagement offer value-alignment challenges between coworkers (Ma Petite Planète) or facilitate initiatives and ideas from a bottom-up perspective (JoinNext).
Between salaried and freelance working : opting for an hybrid mode of work
As mentioned earlier, Gen Z professionals tend to have short work cycles. Previous generations sought career development and mission variety, but Gen Z is notably less loyal to their employers. The appeal of freelancing is strong among Millennials and Gen Z, with an average freelancer age of 37 in France and 10–15% of Gen Z already freelancing.
Some innovations are emerging that blur the line between freelancing and traditional employment, offering characteristics of both worlds. Here are two examples:
- Employee as a Service (EaaS) solutions like Jump provide freelancers with the security and benefits of traditional employment while maintaining their independence. Jump leverages two French schemes: “portage salarial” and “cooperative,” offering a subscription service that includes a payslip, permanent employment contract, contributions to unemployment and retirement, accounting and expenses management, and life/health insurance.
- Collaborative freelancing platforms like Collective enable teams of freelancers to work together on projects, combining their diverse skills and expertise to deliver high-quality outcomes.
- Multi-layered marketing models, where freelancers are trained and then coached by other independents in the network, such as Mercato de l’Emploi, Goodrecruiter, or CrossPath, are also gaining traction.
Gen Z workers are reshaping the future of work with their unique preferences and values. They demand shorter work cycles, value alignment with employers, and focus on personal and professional growth. Prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, they are willing to sacrifice traditional job stability for meaningful work. As the workforce evolves, organizations must adapt to these expectations and leverage innovative solutions to attract and retain Gen Z talents.
Special thanks to our readers. You are a founder in the Future of Work space and you would like to reach out ? Contact me at gf@educapitalvc.com or on Linkedin. 📥
