When senior managers complain that Gen Z employees are entitled, they’re seeing something real, but they’re missing the point. This misunderstanding can cost your company talent, productivity, and an edge over the competition.
Gen Z is a big group – almost a third of the world’s population – and they’re heading toward making up over a quarter of the workforce by 2025. In about ten years, they’ll be almost a third of all workers. The thing is, Gen Z tends to switch jobs faster than older generations. They usually stick around for just over a year in their first five years, while Millennials stay for almost two years, Gen X for almost three, and Boomers for close to three years.
More than half of HR leaders are focused on leadership development by 2025. But if companies misunderstand Gen Z, their training might not work because it won’t address what Gen Z cares about.
Before you dismiss Gen Z as unreliable, think about this: What if their problem behaviors are just a normal reaction to broken promises they saw in the workplace growing up?
Understanding Gen Z: What Leaders Are Missing
They Saw the Old Work Deal Fall Apart
Gen Z didn’t just hear about companies breaking promises, they saw it at home as they grew up.
Boomers had a more secure job market, but Gen Z came of age during the 2008 crash, watched Millennials struggle with student loans, and entered the workforce during a pandemic.
The numbers tell a story: about a quarter of Gen X workers who were laid off in the last ten years never found work again, and some took pay cuts to stay employed. Gen Z saw this happening to their families and neighbors.
Unlike older generations who were promised job security for loyalty, Gen Z has only known a world of work with less security, fewer benefits, and unclear career paths.
Gen Z Faces Different Economic Realities
By 2025, Gen Z’s pay expectations show they’re focused on security and work-life balance because they know it’s tough out there.
The money stress is real: Almost half of Gen Z doesn’t feel financially secure in 2025, and more than half live paycheck to paycheck. A third struggle to pay for basic stuff. Research shows that a smaller percentage expect to own a home compared to older generations.
When managers complain about Gen Z job-hopping, remember that most of them would consider leaving a job if they didn’t have flexibility. Changing jobs makes sense when loyalty doesn’t lead to better pay.
Gen Z’s Readiness for Work: A Confidence Dip
Research shows that only a small percentage of hiring managers think Gen Z is ready for work. And here’s the thing: Even Gen Z doubts themselves.
This lack of confidence comes from a few things:
- Since the beginning of 2024, there have been a lot fewer job openings for people with little experience, making it hard for new grads to get started.
- Entry-level tech jobs have dropped, along with logistics and finance positions.
- A college degree doesn’t seem as valuable anymore because there are too many grads, and companies aren’t sure what a degree really means.
What Gen Z Wants From Work (And Why It’s Not Crazy)
1. Pay That’s Open and Fair
Gen Z likes to know how pay works and wants benefits that help with student loans. Money matters to them, and they want competitive salaries and help with debt.
When Gen Z shares salary info, they’re not being difficult. They’re protecting themselves from unfair pay. They don’t want to give up the power of information to make employers comfortable.
What HR Should Do: Companies that are open about pay will attract Gen Z, while those that aren’t will see them leave.
2. Clear Career Paths (Not Empty Promises)
Research shows that most of Gen Z wants mentors and on-the-job learning to build skills.
Some research shows that over half of Gen Z wants a promotion every year or two and will look elsewhere if it doesn’t happen. Is this unrealistic? Maybe. But when asked what’s most important in a career, most of them said a high salary.
This behavior often comes from not understanding how promotions work, not from being entitled.
What HR Should Do: Instead of ignoring their expectations, create clear career paths with goals. Offer different ways to grow skills without rushing into leadership roles.
According to one report, most employers are offering career development to attract and keep Gen Z.
3. Work That Matters and Fits Their Values
Most of Gen Z considers diversity and inclusion when choosing a job, and they want their work to match their values, like caring about the environment and rewarding hard work.
They feel better working for a company with an ambition that fits their own values and beliefs. A company that also strives for progress – both social and economic. But not at the cost of its workforce.
This isn’t just for show; it’s a way to protect themselves. When job security isn’t a given and loyalty doesn’t pay off, Gen Z figures they might as well do something meaningful.
What HR Should Do: Working with a purpose isn’t just a way to get people in the door; it’s a way to keep them. A lot of Gen Z doesn’t think their job fits their values. Gen Z will leave companies whose actions don’t match their words.
4. Mental Health Support as a Must-Have (Not a Nice-to-Have)
Research shows that 70% of Gen-Zers say their mental health needs the most attention or improvement. Research shows that most of Gen Z workers say they struggle with their mental health and would think about leaving for a job with better mental health benefits.
What HR Should Do: Mental health support isn’t a perk; it’s essential. Companies that treat it that way will lose out.
The Leadership Issue Gen Z Is Pointing Out
Here’s something executives need to hear: A lot of Gen Z would rather focus on their own careers than manage others.
Gen Z’s dislike of management isn’t random. They watched older generations struggle through tough times, work long hours for the same pay, and realize that companies didn’t always care about them.
One Gen Z worker said that other generations have misunderstandings about them, such as being lazy or too sensitive.
But the truth is that they’re hard-working and want to be hard-working – if set into the right positions. And these are the positions that have value, that have a purpose, where they feel that they can have an impact.
When a whole generation says no thanks to middle management, the problem isn’t them; it’s what companies have done to those roles.
What HR Needs to Do: Six Steps to Take Now
1. Change the Conversation with Executives
Don’t let leaders call Gen Z entitled without explaining the situation. Instead, show them how Gen Z’s actions make sense given the economy and the broken promises they’ve seen.
One HR leader said that older generations are curious about Gen Z, not jealous. It’s the authenticity that you bring into companies, which also comes with a lot of shaking the tree and perhaps challenges others to think differently.
Leading different generations means leading with empathy and adaptability across age groups – it’s not about managing generations separately, but about creating a culture where diverse experiences, values, and skills come together.
2. Change How You Hire Entry-Level Talent
A small percentage of Gen Z has traditional full-time jobs, but a good percentage of those employed full-time would prefer combining their role with a second job.
With fewer entry-level jobs and some of Gen Z wanting to start their own companies, you need to rethink your hiring strategy.
Action Steps:
- Create real career paths for people who don’t want to manage others
- Offer ways for technical experts to grow without becoming managers
- On social media, Gen Z requires more authentic communication and collaborative work cultures
3. Address the Broken Promises Gen Z Never Believed In
The old idea of work hard, be loyal, and we’ll take care of you is gone. Gen Z knows it, but some managers don’t.
Research found that Gen Z was more disengaged than other generations.
Action Steps:
- Talk with Gen Z employees about what they expect
- Figure out what a good work relationship looks like when neither side promises loyalty
- Create ways to hold each other accountable that work for today’s world
4. Train Managers to Lead Different Generations
A small percentage of managers say Gen Z has made the workplace more collaborative. Professional development and clear career growth paths are critical to Gen Z even before joining the organization. But quite some Gen Z employees lack soft skills such as communication, time management, and teamwork – likely due to entering the workforce during COVID-19 when remote work was the norm.
Action Steps:
- Teach prioritization and time management
- Make these skills part of company training
- Train managers to understand why Gen Z acts the way they do
5. Bridge the Gap Between Generations
A lot of employees say age differences cause problems. With several generations working together, there’s bound to be some tension.
Gen Z tends to require more authentic communication so Collaborative work cultures surpassing conventional hierarchies of authority will help sustain your workforce.
Action Steps:
- Create programs where Gen Z teaches older colleagues about technology while learning from their wisdom
- Focus on what each group can offer
- Think about how different generations like to communicate (older generations might prefer talking in person, while Gen Z prefers online platforms)
6. Cater to Gen Z’s Digital Habits
A majority of Gen Z employees find workplace flexibility in the remote or hybrid model to be the most important factor when looking for a job. About half Gen Z employees like to use instant messaging platforms at work.
Gen Z expects things to be digital, so companies need to adapt. Brands have already standardized the use of Microsoft Teams or Zoom Meetings to support the future of work.
Action Steps:
- Make sure flexible work policies are real
- Offer different ways to communicate
- Create digital-friendly experiences for hiring, onboarding, and training
The Bottom Line: Change Is Key
Gen Z will be a big part of the workforce soon. There were millions of Gen Z employees.
Your company has a choice:
A. Keep calling Gen Z entitled and watch them leave for companies that get them – companies that offer fair pay, clear career paths, values that match theirs, and mental health support.
B. See Gen Z as smart, adaptable, and reacting to the world they grew up in. Create a workplace that Gen Z – and everyone else – wants.
Older generations could afford to believe in the old employment deal. Gen Z knows it’s broken.
The question isn’t whether Gen Z’s expectations are reasonable. It’s whether your leaders are willing to build a workplace that attracts and keeps the workforce of the future.
The workplace deal was already broken. Gen Z just didn’t pretend to sign it.
What HR Should Do
- Check how open you are about pay: Find any unfairness that Gen Z can easily spot
- Map out career paths for those who aren’t managers: Define what success looks like at every level
- Review mental health benefits: Make sure they’re easy to use, not stigmatized, and helpful
- Talk to Gen Z employees to understand what’s really happening
- Teach managers about Gen Z: Help them understand why they act the way they do
- Set clear rules for promotions: Be open about how to get ahead
- Create mentoring programs: Share knowledge across generations
- Give entry-level roles meaningful work
The companies that succeed won’t be those that force Gen Z to fit old ways. They’ll be the ones that realize Gen Z is showing them what’s broken and fixing it in a strategic way.
Guest writer
