Gen Z and the New Rules of Work

Photo byBrooke CagleonUnsplash

Climbing a corporate ladder is no longer the incentive recruiters can use to find top talent. And it’s not as simple as saying “great work and life balance” either. Millennials are burnt out from hustle culture and Gen Z is redefining the value of work and it’s putting pressure on our current workplace models. More than eight out of 10 employees are at risk of burnout this year, according to the 2024 Global Talent Trends report published by Mercer, an HR consulting firm. The three major contributing issues cited were financial struggles, exhaustion and workload.

Today’s work culture is becoming less about burning out for a corporate employer and more about finding greater freedom, autonomy, and a sense of control over how a career takes shape. This approach is finding solid ground in current workplace needs. The rise of AI and its bevy of endless data is creating new workplace needs that require specialized skills, giving workers who possess those skills the autonomy to earn and contribute on their own terms.

Tech jobs rightfully take the top spot for earning potential and as Forbes notes, those top roles include developers, engineers and architects in the computing space. Concurrently, titles like “data engineer” and “data analyst” also drive the tech industry and earn similarly higher salaries.

Photo byLinkedIn Sales SolutionsonUnsplash

And, where software engineers require years of schooling and likely university degrees and deep experience, data roles are ideal spaces to transfer into. Learning data analytics as a bridge into a tech role has become popular with Google and Coursera certificate options. Yet, one education space, Break Into Tech, led by entrepreneur and TikTok influencer Charlotte Chaze, drives more practice and more practical career-shift tools. Unlike high-paying tech jobs that require a high-priced degree and years of experience, data work can be equally challenging, but far more accessible in less time, for less cost.

Importantly, many of the high-valued tech industry roles can also be volatile when housed in startups or new companies as funding shifts, go-to-market strategies and product development pressures surround the outcomes. Data analytics is still a technological role, leveraging light programming and software solutions, but it doesn’t have to be a role in a volatile environment. Household brands from Tide to Nike all require intense data processing and analytics to understand their customers and manage the data they capture in their sales process. This makes the high-paying tech role accessible in a hustle-free environment where workers can enjoy their autonomy and earn salaries that enable life in a challenged economy.

Photo byGRINonUnsplash

As more Gen Z enter the workforce this year, their work goals are ambitious, but their focus is personal. Burnout is on the horizon across many traditional roles and the post-graduate shift into certificate and online training has empowered a new thinking on career status and opportunity. Employers should consider the value of team members willing to work hard, but not eager to climb or face rewards deep in their career. The potential for a data analytics workforce for this generation means that the value of AI can enhance brands and services and the ability to understand those data points could deliver a workplace balance solution that talent is looking for.