Hey boss! Here’s what Gen Z wants at work
What Gen-z want from their employers
As a Gen-Z employee, I feel it’s crucial to address what we truly seek from our employers. Our expectations are evolving rapidly, and both employees and employers need to understand and adapt to these changes. This blog article is essential for creating a work environment that aligns with our values and ambitions.
We want to feel valued.
We want to be included and empowered at work.
We’re digital natives, more than anything. This is a striking characteristic for us, we have a great relationship with technology. And we are most likely to follow the latest technologies according to our bosses. I think many Gen-Z experienced something like seeing a new technology shared by their bosses but they already knew it. Probably they shared it earlier but their opinion didn’t matter since we’re young and have less experience. I believe in the workplace, people often forget that we don’t need that many years of experience now because all the information is one click away. And that causes our opinions to be ignored based on our age. We have lots of things to share, we want to be listened to.
Hear our thoughts.
Let us explore and develop new skill sets.
Most workplaces let us grow in a linear, one-way way. But most of the Gen-Z are sophisticated and multidirectional, and also we are still trying to figure it out. You should understand that we are born with tons of choices and we don’t want to regret choosing only one thing and let our other abilities get lost in the wild. For example, it is usual for us to see someone passionate about both graphic design and environmental science. This person might create stunning visual campaigns for eco-friendly NPOs while also contributing to sustainable practices and research. Balancing these interests not only keeps our careers dynamic but also allows us to merge diverse skills in innovative ways. The world needs multidirectional people with high adaptability skills since it’s hard to be professional in a topic but if you’re a person with high adaptability skills you can learn anything fast. This is the new age.
Let us grow multidirectional.
Managers care about our personal development.
Being a good manager comes through being a good mentor.
We don’t want our managers to give us some work to do, they should be mentors who guide us in our career and personal development. We seek managers who do more than work — they inspire, support, and train our growth, helping us reach our full potential.
They celebrate our successes and support us through setbacks, helping us to learn and improve to become the best version of ourselves. By investing in our personal and professional growth, good managers not only enhance our capabilities but also contribute to the overall success and cohesion of the team.
Provide autonomy and ownership
We don’t want to do the same thing forever 9 to 5. As I mentioned, we are diverse, sophisticated, and multidirectional. We want new challenges with responsibilities and ownership. Other generations always talk about how lazy we are, but that’s not true, we love a good challenge.
They also complain about how independent we are like it’s a bad thing, but managers should take advantage of it and benefit from this instead of complaining about it. We’re the independent and self-motivated generation who enjoy challenges, we want managers to give us the tools for independent research, and nurture our interests to encourage both personal and professional development.
Diversity & Inclusivity
As a Gen-Z I can say that these are not some buzzwords for us. This is a value every employer must embrace. We prioritize companies that work in environments where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but actively celebrated and embraced. We expect our employers to represent a commitment to creating an inclusive culture that values individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.
For us, Gen-Z, diversity goes beyond representation or some ‘company ad’; it involves participation and equal growth opportunities. This commitment to diversity and inclusivity not only aligns with our values but also enhances our engagement and satisfaction in the workplace.
In line with our values, we want to take part in companies where these values are supported, embraced, and adopted. And we want to make a difference. This is the most exciting indicator for a Gen-Z to be motivated and stay motivated. Difference.
We have an urge to leave the world behind better than we found it.
Thank you for reading so far! Feel free to contact me on LinkedIn
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Best Regards, Yağmur.
