What Gen Z values in the workplace, backed by research

“Gen Z are lazy. Young people don’t know what hard work is. I just can’t keep young staff.”

All comments I’ve heard, and still hear, from employers trying to figure out Gen Z. My response every single time is simple.

What worked to engage your team in 2010 will not work now.

It is not your employees’ responsibility to feel motivated. It is your responsibility to build an environment they want to be part of.

I’ve spent the better part of a decade leading youth programs and working with tens of thousands of young people across Australia. I’ve also hired, led and lost young staff myself. Gen Z isn’t lazy. We are just not willing to work inside systems that were built for someone else. Here is what actually matters to Gen Z at work, backed by research.

1. Purpose over paycheque

We’re not just working for money. We’re working for meaning. A 2023 study in Frontiers in Psychology (Salgado et al.) found that Gen Z actively seeks roles that align with personal values and allow them to create positive social impact. If your business has no clear purpose, or the purpose lives on a poster and nowhere else, expect Gen Z to disengage.

2. Flexibility and autonomy

The 9-to-5 as a default? Nah. Gen Z wants flexible schedules and the ability to manage our own time. A 2021 paper in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (Al Gharbawi et al.) found work-life balance and autonomy among the top priorities for Gen Z. Give us trust and space and we’ll give you results.

3. Opportunities to lead and grow

We don’t want to wait five years to be noticed. We want to learn, grow and step up. A 2022 literature review in Human Resource Development Review (Barhate and Dirani) highlights that Gen Z values organisations offering mentorship, skill development and clear pathways for progression. The 22-year-old who leaves after 14 months usually isn’t leaving for money. They’re leaving because the next step was invisible.

4. Authenticity and inclusivity

If your culture talks diversity but doesn’t live it, we’re out. Mental health, inclusion and belonging actually matter to us. In the 2022 TalentLMS and BambooHR Gen Z Workplace Report, most Gen Z respondents said they would not work for a company that did not actively support inclusion or mental health.

5. Technology that works

Outdated tech is a hard pass. We expect the tools we use at work to be as good as the ones we use in life. A 2021 study presented at the IEEE EDUCON conference (Georgieva and Lukanova) found Gen Z thrives with modern digital systems and disengages fast without them. If your onboarding involves a fax machine, that is a retention problem.

6. A voice that matters

We don’t want to be a checkbox in your diversity stats. We want to contribute, and we want to be heard. A 2022 study by Ranasinghe and Athukorala found Gen Z expects their ideas to be considered and respected even early in their careers. This is the one most leaders get wrong. Asking for input and then ignoring it is worse than not asking.

Final thought

Gen Z isn’t entitled. We’re just not willing to play by broken rules. The future of work is collaborative, flexible, purpose-driven and inclusive. If you want to keep Gen Z talent, stop trying to fix them and start fixing the environment.

By 2030, we will be around 30% of the workforce. How is your organisation getting ready?

This is the thinking behind my keynote Gen Z at Work. If you want it in front of your leadership team, check my availability.