By Elizabeth Caudill McClain, Senior Vice President, Talent Strategies
There are more generations working alongside each other today than ever before. The youngest of these is Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, and they will make up 30% of the workforce by 2030. At the Dallas Regional Chamber’s (DRC) Q1 Talent Task Force meeting Wednesday, Feb. 26, they took center stage in a panel focused on Gen Z in the workforce.
Addressing the stereotypes
Maryanne Piña, CEO of Career Management Partners and moderator of the panel, began by listing out some stereotypes Gen Z faces.
“Often labeled as job hoppers, anti-corporate, and overly sensitive,” Piña said, “48% of Generation Z professionals feel that their stereotypes are holding them back in the workforce.”
The Gen Z panelists agreed that the stereotypes about them aren’t accurate.
“I think we’re misunderstood specifically because I think our generation has done a really good job at communicating how we feel,” said DRC Coordinator of Member Engagement Nicko Rocha. “That can be misinterpreted as, ‘hey, you’re not taking criticism,’ but I’m just telling you exactly what I think.”
Gen Z wants growth opportunities
Piña shared that 22% of Gen Z rank career growth as a crucial aspect of a job, scoring higher on this than Millennials and Generation X.
“Whenever a job gives you opportunities, it gives you that sense of loyalty to the company,” said Amber Dyer, DRC Coordinator of Communications and Marketing. “There are some companies that won’t give you that opportunity to grow, and that’s why you oftentimes look for other companies or opportunities.”
If there are opportunities to advance within a company, it can motivate Gen Z workers to work even harder.
“I think growth is very important in a company. It gives you something to look forward to, something to work even harder for,” said Rocha. “I have that in the back of my head that I know I want to essentially rise and ascend in the company. It makes me give it my 150%.”
Meaning over pay
In addition to having opportunities for growth, Gen Z wants their work to matter.
“To me, meaningful work means you have the ability to take direct ownership of your work. This independence has allowed me to really feel the impact and difference I’ve been able to make,” said Ryane Read, Director of Specialty Practice Strategy & Operations at Lockton. “Having that opportunity to have ownership of something really makes a difference and creates a sense of pride.”
Gen Z considers jobs wholistically rather than only looking at the salary.
“We will accept a lower compensation if the work environment is conducive to our mental well-being, if it’s conducive to the growth that we’re hoping to achieve throughout our experiences,” said Dyer.
Flexibility is key
Work life balance is vital for almost half, 47%, of Gen Z when assessing potential employers.
“We want to work for companies that give us hybrid opportunities or work completely remote, so we have more opportunity to travel,” said Dyer.
Almost all of Gen Z, 82%, value flexible scheduling in their jobs and more, 83%, believe employers should support psychological health.
“I think that there’s this balance of I’m not going to love every aspect of my job, but I have to work to be able to live a life that I love,” said Read. “I think just being able to find a company that supports you in that and recognizes that your life is so much more than what is in the four walls that you work around is crucial to being able to have the right balance.”
To hear more about how Gen Z is approaching work, join us at the DRC Talent Talk, presented by BGSF and Holmes Murphy, on Thursday, June 12.