It’s Time for Gen Z Workers to Enter the Workforce

When it comes to finding job opportunities and entering the workforce, each generation has had its fair share of challenges and differences. It’s now the time for Generation Z, those born between 1996 and 2012, meaning the oldest is 24 years old. On their own, they’re facing unprecedented times, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. For this generation, entering the workforce looked remarkably different from previous generations. 

Let’s take a look at how everything – from the way they search for jobs to their first days with a company – is entirely different. 

The Realities They’re Facing

First of all, members of Gen Z are dealing with online learning, with the ones entering the workforce graduating virtually. A recent study looked at how the pandemic already affected their experience. About 50% of respondents said they lost their summer jobs due to the pandemic, and another 58% had their internships canceled. 

Student Loans

Without internships and jobs, this generation has another issue at hand – student loans. Millennials know about this a bit too well. After the 2009 recession, many are still struggling to pay back student loans and start saving for retirement. More than 50% of Generation Z has significant student loans they’ll need to pay. However, this non-recession environment is a bit different. 

Bye-bye Internships

Many full-time jobs for those entering the workforce come from internship experience. With work-from-home remaining the norm for many employers, internships are not at the top of their minds anytime soon. Luckily, some employers (huge ones) embrace virtual internships, allowing members of this generation to start gaining work experience. 

Job-hopping Continues

Job hopping is a practice that Millennials somehow made popularly. With Gen-Z members entering the workforce, it seems this trend will continue to dominate. In a recent study, one in every four workers planned to switch jobs this year, of that 33% identified as Gen Z. While this isn’t a new trend, it’s no surprise that younger job seekers want better pay and benefits. For many, job-hopping is the best way to achieve the pay raise they want. However, now, we’re also adding benefits such as vacation time, remote work, flexibility, and health care benefits. 

How Gen Z-ers Are Changing the Work Environment

On the flip side, online learning and remote work go hand-in-hand. Generation Z is perhaps the best suited to deal with remote work. They’re the first generation to live with the internet their entire lives; their abilities to navigate software and electronics are far superior to many others. In a virtual or remote environment, Gen Z-ers feel exceptionally comfortable. 

This generation is also in touch with their morals and holds companies to high standards for their values and mission statements. This is significantly changing the work environment and pushing companies to focus more on their human values. 

Lastly, Gen-Z workers are all about diversity, inclusion, and equity. According to a recent study, 67% of Gen-Z workers reported having witnessed discrimination or bias based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity in a workplace setting. Their values and missions are really noticeable in their standards and expectations for the job market. With almost 69% suggesting, they’ll not work for a company that doesn’t align with their values. 

As the workforce goes back to normal, it will be interesting and exciting to see how the traditional corporate world meets with the forward-thinking perspective of Gen Z-ers.