A significant majority of Generation Z (66%) view job hopping as crucial for their career advancement, prioritising skill development and gaining new experiences over traditional job loyalty, according to a recent study by FDM Group.
The FDM Group’s whitepaper, “Gen Z: Breaking Generational Stereotypes,” revealed that factors such as the cost-of-living crisis have been major motivators for Gen Z graduates to frequently switch jobs.
Job hopping is seen as a strategy to quickly climb the career ladder and increase salaries. Gen Z individuals are 13 percent more likely than their older counterparts to consider their current roles as mere stepping stones.
The whitepaper, which surveyed 236 consultants split between Gen Z and non-Gen Z, defined Gen Z as those born from 1997 onwards.
Currently, Gen Z represents 30 percent of the global population and is projected to make up 27 percent of the global workforce by 2025.
What makes the office more attractive?
A notable 80 percent of Gen Z respondents expressed willingness to go to the office more frequently if it meant access to coaching, collaboration, mentoring, and learning opportunities. However, two-thirds of them were dissatisfied with the available learning resources, a sentiment shared by 56 percent of non-Gen Z respondents.
For Gen Z, learning from and shadowing others, particularly senior leadership, is a top motivator for wanting to be present in the office. Despite this, three-quarters of Gen Z and Millennials currently employed in remote or hybrid roles indicated they would leave their jobs if their employers mandated full-time in-person work.
“Gen Z’s outlook is pivotal in understanding how technology integrates into our lives and they have an incredibly important role to play in any business,” said Sheila Flavell CBE, COO of FDM Group. “Many workplaces are held back by out-of-date thinking and legacy technologies, but Gen Z holds the key to challenging the status quo and redefining the way we work. Businesses should embrace this pool of talent to build multigenerational workforces that combine the strengths of each group to drive success.”
Challenging traditional thinking
The study also highlighted that 95 percent of respondents believe that ‘challenging traditional thinking’ is the primary characteristic Gen Z brings to the workplace. This generation is seen as bringing fresh ideas and shaking up traditional practices, with skills such as adaptability, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving being frequently mentioned.
To effectively integrate Gen Z into the workforce, FDM Group recommends fostering an adaptive work culture that meets evolving employee expectations, enhancing learning and development opportunities, and prioritizing employee advocacy over mere retention.
Kate Hawthorn, Director of Consultant Talent at FDM Group, emphasised the importance of understanding Gen Z’s approach to work. “Since 2023, a multigenerational workforce has become a reality with representation from all five generations. Gen Z are the fastest growing age group whose contributions can help bridge the skills gap, so it’s crucial to understand their approach to work. As a talent pool, they value flexibility, meaningful work, and authentic communication above all else and the onus is on businesses to be adaptive and take a new approach to training and upskilling to boost retention and build a thriving workforce.”
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
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