As the U.S. workforce becomes younger, new generations will bring new priorities to the traditional office setting.
Gen Z often prioritizes different experiences, and different perks, when it comes to jobs.
Here are eight ways that Gen Z could alter the U.S. workforce, per a Feb. 14 Stanford Report report based on an interview with former Stanford senior research scholar Roberta Katz:
1. Gen Z has grown up in a world of rapid technology expansion, and they expect rapid and ongoing change in the workforce. Gen Z is flexible and resilient and often questions the way things are traditionally done.
2. Gen Z is more pragmatic and has a sense of self-agency. They readily seek out information and question and challenge the way things are.
3. Gen Z expects jobs where they get to make lasting change. Accountability matters in the work environment.
4. Gen Z values collaboration and teamwork and has a strong sense of team spirit.
5. Gen Z is less hierarchical than previous generations and wants governance to be a group effort. They also prioritize workplace transparency.
6. Gen Z puts an emphasis on work-life balance and mental health. They want flexible scheduling options and ways to maintain both physical and mental health while working full-time.
7. Gen Z has different views on workplace loyalty, having grown up witnessing a recession and mass layoffs. Since the gig economy has been so present throughout their lifetimes, there is less commitment to stay with one company for long periods of time.
8. Gen Z values authenticity, trust, honesty, openness and communication.