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Gen Z trades job loyalty for personal fulfillment

The Future. Gen Z has no problem jumping from job to job, spending only an average of two years and three months at any given position. That’s because Gen Z is prioritizing personal perks (flexible schedule, strong benefits) and company values (equality, environmental impact) over a steady paycheck. Where they’re getting the money to take those risks is anyone’s guess, but during the current labor shortage, companies may reevaluate their employee offerings if they want to attract young candidates.

Trendquitters
Gen Z is ditching jobs almost faster than a TikTok trend.

• CareerBuilder found that Gen Z workers spend only an average of two years and three months at a job.
• That’s a meaningful dip from the two years and nine months that Millennials spend at their jobs.
• And it’s a major drop compared to Gen X and Baby Boomer workers, who spend an average of eight years and two months at their jobs.

Sara Skirboll, VP of communications at CareerBuilder, notes that Gen Z doesn’t just see jobs as a way to make money but as an aspect of their lives that should align with their personal values. If the job doesn’t fit the bill, they’ll split.

Explaining further, Skirboll states that: “[Gen Z workers] want to see companies adopt substantive DE&I [diversity, equality, and inclusion] efforts, offer great employee benefits, and provide a supportive workplace culture. If they think a business is lagging behind the times, they’re more likely to leave it.”

Job hop
There’s no question that Gen Z is the main driver behind the “Great Resignation” (or what some have rebranded the “Great Reshuffle”), opting out of medically risky, low-paying entry-level jobs in hospitality, leisure, and dining. LinkedIn found that Gen Zers changing jobs increased by 80% last year.

That trend has led many in Gen Z to piece together multiple part-time jobs, join the creator economy, and try out gig work, waiting to return to full-time employment when they find something they like.

Surprisingly, the trend may be to their economic benefit — a 2019 study from the UK Office of National Statistics found that job switchers were able to secure an average of 7.3% more in earnings, compared to the 3% more in pay that those who worked up the ladder receive.