Gen Z in the workplace

How is Gen Z doing in the workplace, what are their priorities, and what strategies are they pursuing? These questions are addressed in a new white paper by the Manpower Group (MPG), which aims to examine the potential of the younger generation. MPG refers to various other studies, whose findings have been compiled and contextualized. The white paper highlights that young employees are quite contradictory: On the one hand, Gen Z prioritizes job security and seeks stability. On the other hand, 47% of respondents in a 2024 MPG study said they wanted to change jobs in the next six months. In addition, employee retention has been declining in recent years: in 2020, the figure was 40%, and in 2024, it was only 35%. Conversely, companies view recent graduates who are “zoomers” looking for jobs with skepticism in some cases: 40% of American adults described Gen Z as the most difficult generation to work with. 40% of managers considered them to be insufficiently prepared, with 96% of them occasionally choosing not to hire people from this generation at all. The primary criticism is a lack of work ethic (70%). At the same time, employers are developing new initiatives and strategies to become more attractive to Gen Z employees, including promoting work-life balance (56%), establishing remote and hybrid work (37%), and expanding DEI initiatives (34%). According to MPG, mentoring programs and specially tailored additional benefits can also help to strengthen Gen Z's loyalty to an employer. The white paper sees the future of Gen Z as equivalent: on the one hand, the generation is already marked by (economic) crises, difficult transformation processes, and high unemployment. On the other hand, Gen Z employees are above-average ambitious and could take on leadership positions earlier than previous generations. The white paper also cites Gen Z's digital skills, especially in dealing with AI, as a major advantage in working life. We were also interested in these topics:

• Sick leave: There is currently a lot of discussion about the problem of high sick leave in Germany. However, another fact tends to be overlooked: the majority of employees in Germany continue to work even when they are sick, reports MDR.

• Legal situation: Does the coffee break count as working time? t3n took a closer look at this question and interviewed a lawyer.

• Small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany: For almost 80% of small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany, giving up their German location is out of the question; only 8% can imagine relocating abroad. This is shown by a special survey conducted by DZ BANK.

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