Corporate transparency, mental health and technology adoption are top of mind for the young workforce this year. Here’s why.
Every year, more Gen Zers take their place in the full-time workplace. Just five short years from now, 30% of the workforce will be part of this up-and-coming generation. If your organization hasn’t yet created a plan to attract, engage and retain this new labor cohort, now is the time.
While Gen Z has some unique characteristics, I often call them the Benchmark Generation because they’re a good litmus test for what every generation has wanted at work. What makes Gen Z different is how they aren’t afraid to stand on their demands.
“Gen Z employees are reshaping the workplace in profound ways, introducing fresh perspectives, and values that significantly influence corporate operations and employee engagement,” says Megan Ackerson, CHRO at Xactly. “As the newest entrants into the workforce, their ideas and expectations require business leaders to reimagine legacy practices, how we enhance workplace culture, and how we define productivity.”
In my exchange with Ackerman, we uncovered three major priorities that Gen Z brings to their working lives: more corporate transparency, mental health support and technology adoption. Let’s look at how these will play out in the coming year.
1. Tell me the truth
Traditional corporate doublespeak is leaving Gen Z unimpressed, and for good reason. “In a short amount of time, Gen Z has seen a pandemic, financial crises, geo and political unrest, job loss, a higher degree of parental divorce and more,” says Ackerman. “Therefore, coupling all of that with an age of democratized access to information that is also accessible and amplified within milliseconds, it shapes Gen Z demands for not only transparency of context and timely communication from leaders, but also why they want their voice to be considered when making decisions.
“Said differently, they want directness and not be left to wonder if there is a hidden agenda.”
Ackerman points out that transparency aligns with Gen Z values of authenticity, accountability, social conscience and social justice. “Gen Z typically wants to be part of the conversation and make an impact,” she stresses. “They are much more likely to draw diverse inputs, opinions, and contributions. This behavior has been shaped by a generation that has access to huge amounts of data, fact, and knowledge. They expect clarity and honesty since they can quickly research inaccuracies.”
For organizations, this can be a call for a new approach to how we communicate, both internally and externally. Your Gen Z audience will appreciate it—and it’s hard to imagine any other generation objecting. “As companies adapt to a transparent approach, they not only enhance their corporate reputation but also create deeper, more meaningful connections with this engaged generation,” says Ackerman.
“Employees want to be part of a brand that represents what they think and feel,” she continues. “They want to have a clear set of values which are lived and appreciated. Along with high integrity and ethics on display from business leaders, these actions will be achieved by training, discussion and focus on what our culture at work actually means, how we accomplish it day-to-day, and how we recognize and reward it.”
2. Make work healthy
Gen Z places a high priority on mental health and work-life balance—which Ackerman argues makes work-life integration a non-negotiable topic in the workplace. “They vocally advocate for their own wellness and expect employers to support their mental and physical well-being,” she says. “This support prompts many organizations to reimagine comprehensive wellness programs and flexible working arrangements.”
The need is certainly there. “Around 76% of prospective employees consider mental health benefits to be important when considering a new job offer,” says Ackerman. “This is particularly true for Gen Z. If we take that data alongside the fact that 61% of employees report feeling burnt out at work, this highlights the need for employer intervention and support programs extending a work-life balance, flexibility on work arrangements, a culture of openness, and the creation of safe spaces to express concerns and needs.”
Ackerman believes business leaders should prioritize addressing mental health needs as not just good ethics, but also to enhance collaboration and productivity within their workforce.
“By promoting healthy work-life integration, we can reduce burnout and engage a more motivated workforce in a supportive atmosphere,” she says.
3. Adopt the tech
As Ackerman looks to the coming year, she believes we’ll see Gen Z taking a lead role in the integration of technology adoption at work. In fact, it’s almost inevitable. “Gen Z will ultimately drive the transformation through digital adoption across workplaces and across industries, finding even more opportunities for companies and industries to collaborate and improve products and services,” she says.
It all goes back to the unique comfort this generation feels with new technology. “Having grown up in the digital age, Gen Z is the first generation to view the internet and digital technology as integral facets of their lives,” says Ackerman. “Their daily use of digital tools and platforms has set a new standard for proficiency and workplace efficiency and communication.”
While digital communication tools, remote work solutions and innovative project management software have become mainstream, Ackerman posits their role within organizations will continue to grow in 2025, as a direct response to Gen Z’s comfort with technology.
As leaders, it’s up to us to embrace the new technologies that make sense in our business. It can’t hurt to garner some insights from Gen Z team members along the way.
A few predictions
While the future is never certain, Ackerman ventured a few predictions about where Gen Z is headed. “They have a set of experiences that are uniquely their own—and it shapes how they want to experience careers, hobbies, and society,” she says.
“Gen Zs are expressing less interest in traditional marriages and less interest in wanting to have kids, so I believe we will see a reshaping of family norms, which in turn bleeds into what they expect to give and get from work.”
Broadly speaking, this could mean they will be less obliged to stay with a job, company, or leadership that does not align to their values and need for work-life balance/integration. “For leaders now, we can either be proactive in reimagining how to shape that future with them, or scramble to catch up when it hits a point of disruption,” says Ackerman.
To wrap up, Gen Z has some maturing to do—no question about that. But as leaders, we’d be foolish to dismiss the things that matter to them in the workplace. They have the potential to make incredible contributions to what we’re trying to accomplish. If we take the time to hear and respond to their priorities, we can take a step closer to unlocking that potential in 2025—and beyond.