More and more young employees are changing jobs – often after a short period of time. But behind this is not a lack of interest in work, but a new self-confidence: salary, leadership and flexibility count more than ever.
Generation Z at work – a frequent change as the new normal?
The young generation is considered to be particularly willing to change – and current surveys confirm this impression. According to a representative long-term study carried out on behalf of Xing since 2012, almost half of Gen Z can imagine changing employers in 2025. More than every second person in this age group has changed jobs at least once. Despite such figures, prejudices about a lack of work ethic should be reconsidered: As the IAB Forum shows, young people are working more today than they have in decades.
Fact check: Is the younger generation really less willing to work?
The often-used image of a work-shy Gen Z does not hold up to fact-checking. According to the IAB Forum, labor force participation among 20 to 24 year olds has increased by over six percentage points since 2015 – to 75.9 percent. Students in particular are now much more likely to be employed: As T3n reports, 56 percent now work alongside their studies – in 2015 it was only 36.7 percent. Head of research Enzo Weber puts it in a nutshell: “Young people are busier than they have been for a long time.”
Reasons for the high willingness to change
According to the Xing study, a salary that is too low is at the top of the list for Gen Z – 45 percent do not feel their pay is appropriate. For Millennials, on the other hand, high levels of stress and a lack of opportunities for advancement come to the fore. Around 39 percent complain that the workload is too high, and another 36 percent see no development prospects. The baby boomers, on the other hand, cite dissatisfaction with their direct manager as the most important reason for a change.
Expectations of the new employer
As NewWork reports on the current Xing study, Gen Z has clear ideas about what a good employer should offer. At the top are a higher salary, which 79 percent would like, a competent manager at 60 percent, and flexible working hours, which are important for 65 percent. There is also a desire for job security across generations – this figure is 66 percent for Gen Z and 69 percent for Millennials. For many younger people, working from home is also crucial: 28 percent would quit if this option were no longer available.
Changing work culture: What employers should learn from it
As NewWork shows, careers are much more dynamic today than they were a few years ago – long-term loyalty is no longer a sure-fire success. If you want to retain young talent, you have to offer more than just a secure job. Thomas Kindler, Managing Director of Xing, puts it in a nutshell: “The overall package has to be right.” Companies face the challenge of understanding the different needs of all generations and responding to them with tailor-made offers.
Editorial team finanzen.net