Work Values and Career Expectations of Gen Z

Abstract: The newest generation in the workforce, popularly known as iGen, Net Gen, Digital Natives, or Gen Z is entering the workforce. Gen Z already accounts for 20% of the global workforce, making it essential for the HRD scholars and practitioners to learn about them and make suitable changes to organizations. Researchers have extensively attempted to understand Gen Z characteristics and have noted Gen Z is more realistic in terms of demands and expectations at the workplace than their forerunners (Iorgulescu, 2016). Gen Z, thus, has clearly developed values and career expectations.
Researchers have also mapped and measured general Gen Z values and further mapped these onto work values (Furnham et al., 2021, p. 401). Work Values are shared interpretations of what people want and expect from work. As such, values are central to our understanding of both the meaning of work and the reasons that people work. This shared social reality influences the type of work people design for others to do and how people are socialized for work. It is generally assumed that values are related to an individual’s choice of a career and work behavior outcomes. Values assessments can have benefits for both the individual and organization. Values assessment represents an opportunity to frame a client’s career-related decisions in the context of underlying motivation (Rounds & Armstrong, 2005, p. 305). Hogan and Hogan (1997) argue that the best way to tap into motivation is through values (i.e., what people say is important to them in specific spheres) because people are motivated to achieve and obtain that which they value (Furnham et al., 2021, p. 401).
A recent literature review published in an HRD-focused journal revealed that past studies lack evidence of Gen Z’s work values and career expectations from an employee perspective (Barhate & Dirani, 2021). Most of the past research focuses on Gen Z students, and without having work experience, Gen Z student’s work values and career expectations are highly contingent. This study thus builds on this knowledge gap in HRD and provides insights from Gen Z employees in the current workforce.
Research Methodology
This study opts a survey research design using a questionnaire for data collection. The online questionnaire is administered across the population of Gen Z employees working in varied industry sectors. The questionnaire was distributed via the personal and professional networks of the researchers. The questionnaire includes work values statements from the Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ) and Work Importance Questionnaire-Computerized (WIP-C) along with additional items on technologies, global focus, and preferences of Gen Z. The sampling strategy is purposive, including participants born between 1995-2010 and having a minimum of one year of work experience at the time of their participation. The data analysis utilizes SPSS (Version 26) Software for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).
The preliminary results based on 89 responses so far, demonstrate the dominant work values given the career expectations of Gen Z. The ideal job with an opportunity for professional grooming and career advancement, healthy lifestyle and personal wellbeing, secure jobs and generous pay, and professional networking and personal branding are of utmost importance for the Gen Z workforce. Gen Z work values are similar to other generations; however, they differ with respect to excitement and global focus, and technologies. For them, it is important that work is exciting and that the workplace is technologically enhanced. They are motivated to receive educational bonuses, insurance benefits, and social guarantees. They expect their employers to be socially responsible and are inclined to dynamically develop the company. They believe in a healthy lifestyle and look forward to choosing their own benefits from the list of remuneration offered by their employers.
Implications to HRD
The addition of Gen Z to the workforce has put considerable pressure on organizations to revisit their policies (Fratričová & Kirchmayer, 2018). A systematic effort to understand Gen Z employee’s work values and career expectations is lacking. HRD practitioners and organizational leaders need to attract Gen Z strategically and consistently demonstrate how they can engage and retain their new workforce (Barhate & Dirani, 2021). Based on the findings of this study, we expect to communicate practical recommendations and strategies to organizations to keep Gen Z motivated and engaged in the workforce.