Generation Z gets a rough ride. Slammed as entitled, work-shy and too fragile for the daily grind, they are the punch bag of many critics who are fed up listening to them moan about soaring rents, crippling student loans and their jobs.
But criticise them at your peril. For a start, they are going to make up an increasing portion of the workforce, and they may have valid arguments about the set of cards they have been dealt in life so far.
More importantly, they have the skills many companies will need in the future. By the end of this year, Gen Z will make up a quarter of the overall workforce. In a decade’s time that figure will rise to about a third.
We’re going to need those employees to pay for the pensions, health and social care of an increasingly ageing population.
Dismissing their gripes is a business risk. Here’s why their demands deserve attention and how forward-thinking firms are rewriting the playbook.
They are digital natives, agile and bursting with ideas
The double whammy of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis hit this generation like a sledgehammer. Rents in cities like Dublin and London devour a greater portion of their income, while student debt looms large and many of these workers struggled to cope with joining the workplace from a laptop in their bedroom during lockdowns.
It’s why they feel overwhelmed by being asked to come to an office five days a week. It’s an alien concept to them. It’s staggering that a PwC survey in the UK this year found almost 40% of Gen Z had considered leaving their job.
Mental health
The stresses of insecure housing, long commutes and often precarious employment contracts are dragging down their focus and their mental health. Thankfully, smart employers aren’t shrugging this off and rolling their eyes – they are actively considering ways to retain these people and motivate them.
It may be that return-to-office mandates demanded by big banks, tech and consulting firms are necessary, but a level of flexibility needs to be adopted during the summer months or quieter periods to continue hybrid working arrangements. And while employees are in the office, it shouldn’t just be for presenteeism – it needs to be about actual engagement in mentorship and team building.
Investing in this generation isn’t just good HR policy – it’s a smart business strategy
Job insecurity is another raw nerve. Short-term contracts and gig-economy roles leave Gen Z feeling like they’re on quicksand. They’re not asking for handouts, just for clarity and stability. What they want is a clear path forward for career progression that’s visible and attainable; not a vague promise that evaporates under pressure from cost-saving.
Recent surveys show that they also want workplaces that value inclusion and a sense of purpose and not just profit. They’re not wrong to ask for it. This generation has grown up in a world defined by inequality, political instability and climate anxiety. For them, work isn’t solely the means for a pay cheque, it’s a statement about values.
Diversity, ESG commitments, mental health supports are also key perks. Companies that fail to provide these are not only alienating talent, they’re placing themselves at reputational risk. Culture matters more than ever, and younger workers are holding employers to a higher standard.
Talent dividend
Gen Z should be seen as an opportunity. They are digital natives, agile and bursting with ideas, and have the intuitive digital skills for the era we are now entering, where AI and automation will redefine roles across nearly every sector. Their fluency in digital tools, social media platforms and trends gives them an edge in understanding how consumers behave and where markets are heading.
Some companies get it, placing Gen Z at the heart of innovation teams that traditional structures would miss. Investing in this generation isn’t just good HR policy – it’s a smart business strategy.
Employers who listen, roll out practical solutions and have genuine empathy, won’t just keep Gen Z, they’ll unleash a generation ready to redefine how we work. Those who don’t? They’ll be left scrambling for talent as the future walks out the door.
More information
ACCA’s Global Talent Trends 2025 analyses current workforce trends, with an EU regional version, plus a focus for employers on supporting hybrid working
