Gen Z's Gig Economy Mindset: Prioritizing Flexibility, Skill Development, And Work-Life Balance In Corporate America

Gen Z is approaching corporate life with a vastly different attitude than previous generations, Business Insider reports. 

With Gen Z set to comprise 30% of the workforce by 2030, this shift in attitude and work culture will have long-reaching impacts on corporate America. Businesses will have to adapt to these preferences, or risk not being able to attract and retain top talent.

So what exactly is Gen Z looking for in a workplace? Work-life balance, flexibility, roles that stretch them, unique benefits packages, and opportunities to regularly try new things, Business Insider says.

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Workplace culture experts told the outlet that younger workers prefer roles that are dynamic and flexible. "Early career professionals want variety,” executive coach Kathryn Landis told Business Insider. “They want to see different parts of the business. It’s kind of that trend of the gig economy coming to corporate America.”

This is reflected in the amount of time Gen Z wants to spend in a position before they move on. Landis told Business Insider that one student recently said they were looking for roles they could be in for six months. 

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“When I was growing up, five years at a job was the minimum before you’d consider jumping ship — I feel like you don’t even know where the bathroom is after six months,” she said. “But that was a reasonable threshold for her to put it on a résumé, get some experience there, and then move on to the next role. Two years might be more average these days, but the mentality is just very different.”

Ryan Leak, an executive coach, agreed with Landis' assessment, telling Business Insider nearly 40% of his Gen Z clients are looking for roles that help them grow quickly. 

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“I think that speaks to a mindset that really values experience over stability,” Leak said. “They view themselves more as free agents building a portfolio of skills. They look at it as if they’re designing a career. So what older generations may have seen as job-hopping, I think Gen Z sees as career design. They aren’t chasing titles. They’re chasing impact. They want their job to really matter.”

Companies with the best retention rates of Gen Z employees offer unique perks. Leak told Business Insider that benefits packages that include things like gym memberships and child care assistance go a long way with younger workers. Landis said a focus on flexible work options, whether that looks like hybrid schedules or Tiger Team rotations, which allow workers to rotate through projects more quickly than they would in a traditional position, is highly impactful in keeping employees. 

"I think the more companies and leaders who think in [an agile] way are going to find themselves creating the kind of cultures people want to stay in,” Leak told Business Insider.

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