Who Gen Z Is in the Workforce
Generation Z, broadly defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, entered the workforce in significant numbers starting around 2019. By 2025, they represent roughly 27 percent of the global workforce, and that percentage will continue to grow through the decade. The oldest Gen Z workers are now approaching 30, taking on individual contributor roles with a few years of experience and beginning to move into early management.
Salary Transparency Is a Baseline Expectation
Gen Z workers are more likely than any previous generation to share salary information with peers and to research compensation ranges before applying. They expect to find salary ranges in job postings, and they are more likely to skip applications at companies that do not post ranges. For hiring teams, posting salary ranges attracts more qualified applicants from this group and filters out the ones who would disengage at offer stage due to compensation mismatch.
Values Alignment Is a Real Factor
Survey data consistently shows that Gen Z workers weight employer values more heavily in job decisions than Millennial or Gen X workers did at comparable career stages. Gen Z candidates research companies before applying and before accepting offers. They read Glassdoor reviews, search for news coverage, check the LinkedIn profiles of executives, and look for evidence that the company's stated values match its actual behavior. Authenticity matters more than polish.
Growth Speed Expectations
Gen Z workers expect faster career progression than the timelines that were standard even a decade ago. They are used to getting feedback instantly, learning from online courses at their own pace, and seeing peers build companies or large audiences while still in their twenties. Waiting three to five years for a promotion feels like a long time to this group.
Hiring teams that work with Gen Z candidates should be prepared to discuss growth trajectories in specifics during the interview process: here is what the typical path looks like from this role, here is what it takes to move faster, here are examples of people who have done it.
Feedback Culture and Communication
Gen Z workers expect regular, frequent feedback, not just annual performance reviews. Managers who give clear, direct feedback consistently are much more effective with Gen Z employees than managers who save observations for formal review periods. Regular 1:1 meetings with actual feedback content, not just status updates, make a meaningful difference in how engaged and secure Gen Z workers feel.
What Drives Gen Z to Leave
The most commonly cited driver of intent to leave is stagnation, a feeling that they are not learning or growing. Not pay, not management. Stagnation. This is followed by lack of feedback, values misalignment, poor management, and better opportunities visible elsewhere. Gen Z workers are comfortable exploring the market, and if they can see clearly that another company offers more growth, better pay, or better culture, they will move.