Are younger employees’ expectations of work really that different to the generations before them? Two experts share advice for attracting Gen Z – and keeping them.

The clichés about young workers’ demands are familiar: better pay, lighter workloads, and a preference for avoiding phone calls. But much of this is just hearsay that has snowballed out of control.

The actual needs and desires of young workers don’t differ that much from other generations; the emphasis is just perhaps a little different in some instances.

Research suggests that Generation Z (born 1997-2012) want meaningful careers and to have their voices heard. 

“The next generation of workers also brings a blend of technological fluency, entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for making a positive impact in the world,” says upcoming AHRI Convention and Exhibition speaker, Brie Mason, Principal Strategist & Director, Employer Brand Mason.

Too often, we make broad brush assumptions about generations of employees. We assume that attracting younger employees requires a blanket approach, but that might be oversimplifying matters.

“A 20-year-old worker in Western Perth who is on a path toward working in aged care is very different from a 20-year-old worker in CBD Sydney who wants to work in PR. Beyond that, our mindsets and upbringings also shape our needs,” says Mark Puncher, CEO of Employer Branding Australia, who will also be speaking at AHRI’s Convention in August.

Instead of trying to think of what all young workers want from work, he suggests considering who you’re trying to attract and what they care about. 

“The value of having benefits goes way beyond the actual benefit that’s offered. It’s about how it’s offered. By designing [benefits] with your team… that creates accountability and ownership,” he says.

Action point: Consider creating an employee persona (use this template to get you started) to better understand what employees and potential recruits are seeking from their employer. 

Promote stability and purpose

“People say things like Gen Z aren’t loyal, they want to progress really quickly, but I’d argue that one of the biggest things that matters to young people is job security, given the cost-of-living [crisis]. Not only are they experiencing it themselves, but they’re seeing their parents, or other older role models, struggling.”

This is why he thinks job security and stability are important factors to highlight when trying to attract talent. This could look like communicating your company’s current and future growth plans, low turnover rates, or career progression pathways. 

For example, your job advertisement might read:

“Join our growing team at [Company Name], where we offer permanent positions and robust career development programs. With a strong financial foundation and a commitment to your professional advancement, you’ll find stability and security in every step of your journey with us.”

Another common assumption made about younger employees is that they want pay raises, promotions, and extra responsibilities straight away.

“[People think that] because that’s because they’ve been raised in a world where they get instant gratification on Instagram and TikTok, but, from my point of view, what they actually crave is to belong and find meaning in their work.“

This narrative is nothing new. We’ve known for a long time now that younger workers are motivated by purposeful work, but the trick is tying that back to impact, says Puncher.

“It’s not enough to say, ‘I work for an organisation that makes a difference.’ It’s got to be, ‘I make a difference in this organisation,'” says Puncher.

Mason agrees, saying: “We need to work harder at connecting everyone, in every role, to the purpose of the organisation. They need to know and see their personal impact, and we need to ensure values are not just posters on a wall, but are lived every day.”

Action point: Individuals’ purpose doesn’t always need to be attached to grand “noble purposes” like saving the planet, says Puncher. Demonstrating impact can be as simple as aligning employees’ personal growth goals to the business’s overall goals.

For example, here’s how you might align employees’ goals with company goals:

When employees complete their goals, make sure to reiterate how they are contributing to the overall success of the organisation.

Meeting young employees’ expectations

Technology

Younger workers will have high expectations when it comes to technology, says Mason, as they are “the first truly digital-native generation.”

“Their expectations of technology are that everything should be simple, efficient and seamless,” she says.

Action point: Talk about how your organisation is utilising technology such as AI in your job description. In fact, recent research from LinkedIn and Microsoft found that LinkedIn job posts that mention AI or generative AI have seen 17 per cent greater application growth over the past two years compared to job posts that don’t mention them.

Beyond flexibility

A lot of what would have previously been considered ‘perks’ can quickly be considered basic hygiene factors by some employees, says Mason.

“To [young workers], flexibility and work-life balance are not benefits; they’re expectations of how we work. We need to design roles and work differently, giving everyone greater opportunities for autonomy, creativity, and innovation,” she says.

Action point: Refer back to Puncher’s point about co-designing benefits with employees, so you know what would be considered ‘above and beyond’ basic expectations for young workers. For example, remote work might not be considered a benefit anymore, but perhaps getting to choose start or finish times might be.

“It’s not enough to say, ‘I work for an organisation that makes a difference.’ It’s got to be, ‘I make a difference in this organisation.'” – Mark Puncher, CEO, Employer Branding Australia

Turn employees into storytellers

If you want to attract more young employees, get their peers (your current workforce) to share authentic stories about their experience of working for the company, says Mason.

“I’m a firm believer that employee advocacy is the number one way of building a strong employer brand,” she says. “Authentic storytelling adds credibility and believability to your messages too.

“When your employees share their genuine excitement about what it’s like to be part of the team, it speaks volumes to potential candidates. It’s like getting a recommendation from a friend – it’s way more convincing than any marketing campaign or ad.”

Action point: Tell stories in an authentic way, says Puncher.

“Often when marketing and brand folk get involved, they’ll say, ‘Let’s get employees to do a video about why it’s great to work here, but we’ll give them a script because that way we can control what they say,’ but that misses the point entirely.”

Overly scripted or contrived videos often do more harm than good, he says.

“People often say, ‘But what if they’re nervous or they say the wrong thing?’ But if you ask the right questions, make sure they feel comfortable, and give them a look at it before it goes out, that’s when you find gold.”

Use social media channels wisely

Using social media for talent attraction hinges on truly understanding your target audience and tailoring your strategies to align with their habits, says Mason.

“Certain organisations, such as NSW Police, have excelled in crafting witty, trendy content that resonates with younger generations on TikTok. This approach to content generation differs significantly from platforms like LinkedIn,” she says.

“The key to success lies in simplicity; authenticity prevails. People want genuine insights into what it’s truly like to work at your company. Who are the individuals? What are the company values? What experiences are being lived? What is the office like?”

“The next generation of workers also brings a blend of technological fluency, entrepreneurial spirit, and a passion for making a positive impact in the world.” – Brie Mason, Principal Strategist & Director, Employer Brand Mason.

Puncher agrees, saying if you only focus on the “glossy” stuff, you might inadvertently set yourself up to fail.

“You’re creating a false expectation. People might say, ‘Oh, that’s not what I saw on Instagram’ then they’ll rarely perform to the same degree – or they’ll [quit].”

Action point: Look for the rituals and rhythms in your workforce, not just the special moments, and promote those on social channels.

“Also, don’t just put the same content on each channel in the same way,” adds Puncher.

For example, say you’ve created a video of your young employees talking about what they love about working at your company, here’s how you might use that video in different ways, on different channels:

• On your company website, include the full 2-minute video that gives deep insight into the experiences of 2-3 of your employees based on testimonials they share with you.
• On YouTube, have those same employees giving viewers a tour of your office space.
• On TikTok, find a 15 or 30-second cut from the original video that highlights a fun or engaging aspect of your culture (e.g., employees talking about social aspects of work).
• On LinkedIn, cut your original video into three separate 30-second cuts, focusing on a different employee in each video, then post each video over a few weeks. It could be part of a video series, ‘Why I love working at [company name].’

Consider intrinsic motivators

Extrinsic benefits can be useful, says Puncher (who doesn’t like a free lunch?), but they only go so far.

“So much of the reason people stay with you and choose to perform instead of tapping out is about intrinsic benefits: good leadership, relationships, benefits, trust, and loyalty. If you focus solely on extrinsic benefits, you run the risk of creating a transactional employment relationship.”

Intrinsic motivating factors include problem-solving, recognition, belonging, and feeling stretched (in a healthy way).

Read HRM’s article ‘How to push employees out of their comfort zone (without pushing them too far)’.

An example of an intrinsic motivator is learning something new at work. People might gain a strong sense of satisfaction from mastering a new skill or adding another accreditation to their LinkedIn profile, so consider how you build opportunities like this into the employee experience.

“A classic example might be a [young] employee coming to you and saying, ‘I want a promotion because I’ve been here for six months, so what’s the next thing for me?'” says Puncher. “A lot of people assume that’s about them wanting a pay rise, but that’s not necessarily true. It’s about them needing to know where they’re going [and what they’re going to learn].”

Action point: Benefits shouldn’t be treated as a lure or bait to reel people in, they should be things that are co-designed with employees with the aim of helping them to perform, says Puncher.

Consider how you can enhance these factors, such as via management training, creating effective recognition programs or giving an employee visibility over how they could progress in your organisation.

Puncher and Mason will be speaking on a panel about crafting a compelling EVP for talent today and tomorrow at AHRI’s National Convention and Exhibition in August. Sign up today to hear from them and other experts, including Seth Godin, Dr Pippa Grange and more!