16 Insights to Navigate Gen Z Workplace Expectations in 2024: Internshala Report
This report offers HR professionals essential help in navigating this new terrain by providing an in-depth exploration of Gen Z individuals' expectations, aspirations, and preferences as they enter the workforce.
The career-tech platform’s jobs division, Internshala Jobs, has curated 16 insights for HR professionals in groundbreaking research titled “Navigating Gen Z Workplace Expectations in 2024: Insights for HR Professionals.”
This report offers HR professionals essential help in navigating this new terrain by providing an in-depth exploration of Gen Z individuals’ expectations, aspirations, and preferences as they enter the workforce.
Organizations hoping to draw and keep top talent must comprehend the unique traits of Generation Z in today’s quickly changing employment environment. Born around the middle of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2010s, Gen Z is distinguished by its aptitude for technology, progressive outlook, and individualistic approach to work and career.
“With the rapid influx of Gen Z jobseekers into the market, it has become increasingly crucial for HR professionals to delve deeper into understanding the nuanced expectations and aspirations of this demographic,” stated Sarvesh Agrawal, Founder and CEO of Internshala Jobs, in a statement announcing the report on Gen Z’s job expectations. We have carried out this survey, which includes responses from over 4700 Gen Zers who are actively looking for work, in order to have a thorough grasp of the tastes, motivations, and priorities of this growing talent pool. This study provides priceless insights into the perspectives of Gen Z workers as they traverse the job market.
“One thing remains abundantly clear, that is, the importance of technology and its impact on the future of work,” he continued, “as we navigate the ever-evolving terrain of GenZ expectations.” It is clear that Gen Zers welcome innovation, with 57% of them considering AI to be a useful tool and 11% seeing it as a transformational force.
It is critical that, as HR leaders, we capitalize on this passion for technology by using AI solutions to optimize workflows, increase productivity, and create new growth prospects. Adopting a tech-forward strategy will help us not only remain ahead of the curve but also establish our companies as leaders in the digital era, drawing in top Gen Z talent ready to help us create the future.
Key insights from the survey:
1. Learning and Growth Key motivating factors to land on job:
For six out of ten Gen Z job seekers, the opportunities for learning and development provided by employers are what motivate them most. This intense focus on professional and personal growth highlights the need for creating a supportive learning environment in the workplace and indicates a strong desire for ongoing skill improvement and career success. After that, 4% of Gen Z job seekers are driven by the company’s culture, 3% by the reputation of the brand, and just 1% by extra benefits like health insurance, ESOPs, etc., while 25% of applicants are driven by wage packages offered by a potential employer.
2. Highly optimistic in finding a job in the current market:
The optimism of Gen Z indicates a remarkably optimistic attitude for a sizable section of this generation. Remarkably, 52% of Gen Z respondents expressed great optimism about their chances of landing a job in the current market, while another 23% expressed moderate optimism. This optimism indicates a readiness to engage in meaningful employment prospects and emphasizes their confidence in navigating the current labor environment.
3. Priority on work-life balance:
84% of Gen Z job candidates rank work-life balance as their top priority, demonstrating a strong desire for balance between their personal and professional goals. Their choice of work mode also reflects this preference; only 21% choose traditional in-office setups, 31% choose remote work, and 45% favor hybrid models. Employers who want to successfully attract and retain Gen Z talent must acknowledge and address this demand.
4. Employer Preference :
Thirty percent of Gen Z job searchers are interested in startups, while forty percent of them choose well-known brands. This employer choice diversity indicates that members of the Gen Z cohort have distinct career goals, which calls for a customized recruitment strategy to appeal to various groups of this group. Furthermore, 21% of jobseekers say they would like to work for small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), indicating that they are open to investigating other organizational cultures and structures.
5. Relies on potential employers’ reputations:
39% of Gen Z job searchers rely heavily on review sites like Glassdoor to evaluate possible employers, highlighting the need for managing one’s online reputation and building a strong employer brand. A company’s online presence and website are crucial in determining its reputation, as perceived by thirty percent of job searchers. Therefore, a strong digital footprint is necessary to draw in top talent.
6. Pro-job-hopes:
The majority of Gen Z workers (49%) have a positive outlook on job switching, indicating that they are open to changing jobs frequently and pursuing a variety of experiences and professional trajectories. Employers should concentrate on engagement and retention measures to encourage loyalty and longevity among Gen Z employees, as indicated by the fluidity of career transfers. Of the Gen Z respondents, 11% were opposed to job hopping, and 40% had a neutral opinion of it.
7. Career Success Matters:
Achieving work-life balance emerges as the primary measure of career success for 48% of Gen Z jobseekers, followed by financial stability at 29% and career advancement at 12%.
8. Assess potential opportunities for career growth :
A range of factors are taken into consideration by Gen Z jobseekers when evaluating the career development opportunities provided by potential employers. Of these, 42% of Gen Z jobseekers choose learning and development programs, 38% choose employee promotion opportunities, and 14% choose the organization’s growth trajectory. This emphasizes how important it is to have a comprehensive strategy for professional development in order to draw in and keep Gen Z talent.
9. Professional development is key to staying:
When evaluating potential employers, a startling 41% of Gen Z job searchers give top priority to prospects for professional growth and promotion. This calls into question the value of job advancement and ongoing education in luring and keeping Gen Z talent. Subsequently, 34% of Gen Z candidates value job security, and 25% seek employment with flexible work schedules.
10. AI assets for productivity and efficiency:
Gen Z’s gave differing answers when asked how they thought artificial intelligence (AI) would affect their future employment. The majority (57%) thought AI was a useful tool that might increase efficiency and production. In the meantime, 13% saw AI as a transformative force and predicted big changes in the nature of work as well as the creation of new opportunities. Eleven percent more thought of AI as a cooperative instrument that improved abilities and judgment. On the other hand, 11% saw AI as a possible rival and predicted that some jobs would eventually be automated. Finally, 8% said they were unsure or only slightly expected AI to have a big impact on their jobs. Because Gen Z has a positive mindset, organizations may use AI technologies to stimulate innovation and streamline procedures.
11. Preference for Diversity and Inclusion:
An essential majority of Gen Z jobseekers—67%—think that diversity and inclusion in the workplace are crucial, which highlights the necessity of inclusive organizational cultures. Additionally, 27% of the respondents stated that while seeking a job, diversity and inclusion are somewhat important to them. Hence, it is imperative that companies create work cultures that support diversity and provide equal opportunity for all.
12. The sustainability efforts and environmental policies of companies matter to Gen Z :
An interesting finding in the survey was that 70% of jobseekers prioritize companies with sustainability efforts and environmental policies, highlighting a growing expectation for corporate responsibility. Another 24% consider these factors somewhat important.
In addition, the survey revealed some key learnings from the job applicants’ behaviour on Internshala Jobs.
13. Peak job application period:
The last year’s high months for Gen Z employment applications were May, June, July, and August. With a startling 208% rise over the lowest application numbers seen in January 2023, June saw the biggest spike.
14. Popular fields among Gen Z:
45% of job searchers on Internshala Jobs were interested in management positions, which included positions in sales, marketing, operations, business development, and digital marketing. Across all industries, 32% of candidates were drawn to engineering careers. Ten percent of job applicants were interested in positions in the media, which include social media marketing, journalism, public relations, and content authoring. Finance professions attracted 3% of interest, while data science and design roles accounted for 4% of applications apiece.
15. Popular Job Profiles:
With 9% of all applications, Business Development (Sales) was the most sought-after job profile among Gen Z jobseekers last year. This was followed by Human Resources (HR) with 6%, Software Development, Data Entry, and Operations with 5% each, and Full Stack Development, Web Development, Content Writing, and Front End Development with 4% of applications each.
16. Geographical preference:
With 17% of applications in the previous year, Delhi-NCR was the most popular place for jobseekers geographically. Bangalore came in second with 8%, Mumbai with 7%, Pune with 6%, Hyderabad with 5%, Kolkata with 3%, and Chennai with 2%.
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