Aska Aly knows exactly what kind of employer she wants.
A recent graduate from Algonquin College, Ms. Aly is a marketing manager and graphic designer based in Ottawa. At 24 years old, she’s a member of Generation Z (generally accepted as individuals born between 1997 and 2012). And although she’s currently running her own business supporting under-represented business owners, Ms. Aly is actively looking for full-time employment.
At the top of Ms. Aly’s employer wish list? Management that is interactive and involved. She notes that in roles like marketing, where one person can end up wearing many different hats from event planning to administration, “people think that you’ll figure it out [without guidance]. But it’s wonderful to have regular check-ins, to make sure there is alignment on goals.”
In addition, Ms. Aly would like her future employer to have a strong diversity, equity and inclusion policy, with data points that back up the work they’re doing.
Work-life balance is another important component – Ms. Aly says that she’s had “eye-opening” conversations with millennials about their experiences of career burnout. Indeed, in a 2023 survey by Robert Half of over 1,000 Canadian professionals, four in 10 people reported experiencing burnout, with Gen Z and millennials ranking among the highest.
Less about money, more about balance
ZJ Hadley is an executive coach, angel investor and CEO of women-led virtual coworking space July Society. As a millennial (someone born between 1981 and 1996), Ms. Hadley says that she feels like she’s “running around trying to tidy up before all the Gen Zs get here.”
Despite the many strides being made toward better workplaces, including a new law in Ontario requiring companies to be transparent about pay in their job postings, Ms. Hadley says there’s still a long way to go, especially when it comes to gender equity in Canadian workplaces.
“I think new folks coming into the workplace are sometimes a bit more optimistic about how things are going to play out for them than what we actually have to offer,” she says.
Ms. Hadley says that while she really bought into the “you can be successful if you just work hard” mentality, the incentive to work 40-hour weeks is no longer there for many young people in today’s economy.
Instead, Gen Z is looking for perks like flexible work hours and employee well-being policies. According to a recent Deloitte survey of more than 14,000 millennials and Gen Z from 44 countries, only 54 per cent of Gen Z believes their employer takes their mental health seriously. Also, Gen Z named work-life balance as their top consideration when choosing an employer.
Kamila Osorio-Luna, 23, marketing and partnerships co-ordinator at Startup Canada, says that Gen Z women like herself “may have high standards, but it’s for a reason.” That reason is they don’t want to settle into a nine-to-five that they’re not happy with.
When it comes to her personal wish list, “[I would] love to see more support for women in the workplace,” including better parental leave benefits, Ms. Osorio-Luna says.
Bringing Gen Z values to the forefront
Though Gen Z employees are relatively new to the working world, their values are already shifting workplace culture. Nika Del Mar, 24, is an actress, filmmaker and company manager at Toronto-based production company Nut Allergy Media.
“This is my first time actually being a part of an organization,” says Ms. Del Mar of her position at Nut Allergy Media. “[The executives] saw my leadership potential, and they said that they wanted to train me to be the best in my position.”
Her influence is already being felt. Recognizing the long hours required on set, Ms. Del Mar started an internal company newsletter, sharing resources like meditation apps and breathwork tips. “I’m just trying to make sure that everybody on our team is doing well,” she says.
Every week, Ms. Del Mar gets together with her colleagues to go over their goals for the company and their personal goals as well. “One thing that I always look for in an employer is, how can we support each other? How can we learn from each other?’”
According to a Robert Walters study out of the U.K., only 14 per cent of Gen Z professionals think the traditional hierarchical workplace structure is optimal, while double that amount (30 per cent) would opt for a flat, team-based structure if given the choice.
Sonia Kang, professor of organizational behaviour and HR management at the University of Toronto, says that Gen Z are looking for employers who are open to their input, “whereas previously, your boss tells you to do something, and you do it,” she says.
‘My age doesn’t determine my value’
Ms. Aly says she hopes to find career progression opportunities with her future employer, just like Ms. Del Mar has.
“My age doesn’t determine my value,” she says. “It doesn’t mean that I should be disqualified from a raise or progressing in title.”
As a coach, Ms. Hadley tells her Gen Z clients they shouldn’t depend on their managers for their “next great role.” Instead, she recommends they have “accountability sessions” with their peers, sharing resources for career development.
For Ms. Del Mar, there are pros and cons to being Gen Z. On one hand, it’s a generation that’s taken “less seriously.” According to a 2023 U.S. survey by ResumeBuilder, three in four managers say they find Gen Z to be more difficult than other generations to work with.
On the other hand, Gen Z now has spending power, making them the target demographic for a lot of companies. “I just try to be myself, and that’s been working so far,” Ms. Del Mar says.
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