What do Gen Z Want From Their Work Experience?

Gen Z workers complain about being labeled as lazy. One explanation that is discussed in an article by Marissa Matozzo in the New York Post is that ‘People like to talk about us but not talk to us.’ When I read this statement, it made me think about a blog I wrote in October 2024 that examines Gen Z views of what the workplace should look like. It’s instructive in the context of criticizing Gen Z workers as lazy or otherwise. Perhaps we need to revisit this issue and look at it from the perspective of those workers.

Work to Live or Live to Work

Gen Z workers are prioritizing their personal lives and well-being over working. An article in Business Insider provides some interesting results including that Gen Z is choosing to "work to live'' rather than "live to work," like previous generations, because they're reaping fewer rewards for their hard work, an expert on the future of work told Business Insider.

Business Insider observes that "Like millennials before them, the Gen Z generation is attracting the ire of older generations, with Gen X and boomers increasingly criticizing their perceived lack of work ethic and the dedication needed to become successful."

Gen Z are now joining the professional world and bringing with them demands for work-life balance and flexibility." It’s been building over many years but seems to have taken hold in a significant way in the post-Covid period. Gen Z workers want to work outside of the office, at least sometimes, but employers are concerned that productivity will decline.

Are Gen Z Lazy, Entitled, Screen-addicted and Allergic to Hard Work?

Matozzo points out that Gen Z workers have been called lazy, entitled, screen-addicted and allergic to hard work — but Gen Z disagree. They claim to be misunderstood—not malfunctioning. Gen Z leaders call for the older generations to stop clinging to outdated stereotypes and start listening. Gen Z isn’t trying to overthrow corporate culture, they say — they just want to tweak it.

“You can’t walk in the door on day one and say, ‘we’re changing everything for [Gen Z],’” said Jonah Stillman, co-founder of consulting firm GenGuru. Instead, he suggested employers give younger staffers a real seat at the table. “Every voice is relevant amongst generations.” Gen Z claim that they’re being misjudged, not defective. “The most productive, multi-generational workforce is one that prioritizes this idea of evolution instead of revolution.”

A recent Korn Ferry report found just 17% of Gen Z workers said they had no issues working with other age groups, compared to 45% of boomers. A big part of the disconnect is communication. Nearly half of Gen Z employees want better teamwork and meaningful dialogue on the job.

Are Gen Z Committed to Their Work?

On May 21, 2025, Fortune held a summit on Gen Z workers and what they want from their work experience. Gen Z leaders begged boomers to drop the tired digs — and start actually listening. Which might explain why so many young workers are ready to walk. 

According to reporting by SWNS, a staggering 73% of Gen Zers say they’re looking to switch jobs — the highest of any generation. Millennials aren’t far behind at 70%. Why the job-jumping itch? Burnout.

Two-thirds of Gen Z workers (68%) report feeling burned out, according to iSolved and Talker Research. That’s more than any other generation. Their top complaints: Doing the same thing every day, more work without more pay and a general feeling of being unappreciated. Moreover, nearly one-third of full-time employees say they’re stuck in a toxic environment. Half work while sick, 31% skip lunch breaks, and many cite stress, rigidity and negativity as serious culture killers.

Making Gen Z Workers More Productive 

Looking to make your Gen Z employees more productive? A yearly performance review isn’t the solution. Gen Z is rejecting the age-old practice of the annual review process. They don’t want a review on something they did at work months ago, leadership consultant Tracy Lawrence said in the Forbes article.

Unlike Baby Boomers, who view yearly reviews as official report cards for the year or quarter, or Gen Xers who’d rather be left alone than go through the review process — Gen Z would rather have frequent check-ins, personalized feedback and growth-focused guidance to be more productive at work. Gen Z employees tend to not be responsive to annual reviews.

One thing that would help is to “meet Gen Z where they are.” AI explains it as: To "meet someone where they are" means to understand and respect their current situation, both physically and emotionally, without judgment or expectations of what they should be like. It involves recognizing their unique experiences and perspectives and trying to connect with them on their level.

If this isn’t the case, then we should expect higher burnout, lower engagement, a poor workplace culture — and possibly even losing their employees. According to content creator Ben Askins, “Revenge quitting is on the rise” for unhappy employees. 

What is Revenge Quitting?

“Revenge Quitting” is a ‘new idea of people choosing to quit their jobs in the most inconvenient way possible in order to disrupt the business,’ which is highly unethical, to say the least. It’s a form of protest against what they perceived as unfair treatment. Ethically, two wrongs do not make a right!

To avoid Gen Z revenge quitting, Lawrence said managers need to find other ways to support and give constructive feedback to their younger employees without solely relying on the outdated review process. He claimed that annual reviews that focus on the work an employee has already done are outdated and aren’t helpful for Gen Z.

“For Gen Z specifically, waiting months for feedback feels alien and disengaging. A generation accustomed to immediate responses on digital platforms finds traditional annual reviews particularly frustrating and inauthentic,” Lawrence wrote in the Forbes article. According to Lawrence, employers “must embrace real-time feedback mechanisms and immediate, relevant guidance” to engage their Gen Z employees.

Views of Millennials

Most job functions today do not require employees to be physically present at work every day. The traditional 9-to-5 work hours are starting to become an outdated concept. The technological shift to mobile communication has wholly redefined the work culture. Work-life harmony has become a reality because of flexible working options like work-from-home, telecommunication, and remote working.

Millennials are constantly choosing perks and culture over paychecks. While accepting a job offer, they look at the complete job profile and company culture. They have incredibly high expectations from their employee experience. They want to feel connected to the work they do and also to the organization they work for. With millennials dominating the workforce, employee engagement must become the top priority.

Organizations should create interesting and challenging careers. Millennials are exceptionally good with technology. Learning new computer languages or developing new skills doesn’t seem like an uphill task to them. 74% of millennials are ready to learn new skills or re-train to remain employable in the future.

Having some level of challenge is preferable by millennials over boring and mundane jobs. As a result, certain job roles that have become common in recent times didn’t even exist a decade ago. In this way, the goals of Gen Z and millennials are not so different.

Recommendations

Frequent feedback, career advancement opportunities, better communication, work-life considerations and depending more on technology are all the desires of Gen Z (and millennials). Beyond these forms of outreach, one recommendation is to have weekly or bi-weekly check-ins, even if they’re online or through email. Moreover, concrete feedback should be given so Gen Z can improve their workplace performance, and this should include peer opinions and feedback on collaborative experiences.  

“Gen Z sees professional development as an extension of personal growth. Structure conversations around skill-building that connect to both career aspirations and personal values,” Lawrence said, adding that young employees will benefit from technology that allows them to track their progress and become more transparent about work incentives and promotions.

Nearly three-quarters of Gen Z are eyeing the exit, with 73% looking to jump ship — topping even millennials, who trail close behind at 70%. But Gen Z says their generation isn’t soft — just self-aware.

“We like to differentiate generations by generation, but human behavior doesn’t change that much,” Tiffany Zhong, co-founder of social media platform Noplace, said, as reported by Fortune.

I agree with much of what Gen Z believe are shortcomings in the workplace and how to correct it. Each generation has its own needs. Millennials, for example, focus on a work-life balance, an idea that has become commonplace as a result of changing needs and expectations from the work experience, and advancement in technology. It could be that a new form of evaluating the performance of Gen Z and their road to higher levels in the organization will become the hallmark of changes to performance evaluation for that generation.

Posted by Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on May 28, 2025. You can sign up for his newsletter and learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/.