What Gen Z marketers want from their employers

Ad Age recently sat down with four Gen Z marketers to discuss the future of the workplace, as debates ensue over topics such as return-to-office mandates and how companies should be prioritizing mental health and wellbeing for their employees. The oldest members of Gen Z entered the workplace during the pandemic, when mental health for many was at its worst, and when disruption was at its peak. As such, this cohort has many opinions and ideas for how the future of work should look and how employers should think about taking care of their employees. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs We heard from Gen Zers Celine Chai, co-founder and CEO of NinetyEight; Sierra Mar Elia, a student at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of BCG’s The Z Suite; Rose Baseil Massa, editor-in-chief at Gen Z panel company Vytal and Branda Statman, media agency advertising and Imagen Insights consultant. Below are five key takeaways from the conversation about how these Gen Z marketers think about the future of work. The era of the cubicle worker is not entirely dead No, Gen Z does not want in-person work to entirely end. In fact, some of the Gen Z marketers who spoke at Ad Age’s recent event prefer going into the office. Mar Elia said her last internship was in-person and she prefers that experience. “Having conversations during breaks and talking about some random assignment you had to complete today, you can really learn a lot from each other,” she said. Employees engaging in both planned and spontaneous in-person interactions with colleagues spark ideas and feedback that in turn helps the work, Mar Elia said. “Team camaraderie is the biggest thing,” Baseil Massa said on the benefits of being in the office. “My first job out of college I worked with a lot of Gen Zers so we were super verbal over Slack, sending memes and gifs. When you have a multigenerational workforce, that culture can’t become completely virtual.” Also read: Why agencies should go fully remote Being in the office can be crucial to fostering a good culture, Baseil Massa said. Still, what Gen Z wants most is the ability to choose where they work. Baseil Massa advised employers to “trust” in their employees to make decisions based on how they feel they will be most productive. “I’ve never worked in an office job and I’m three-plus years into my career,” Baseil Massa said. “Things will ever go fully back to the way they were. Especially as we know that we are as productive, as effective at home. We can collaborate via Zoom.” Statman is a proponent of hybrid work and even started to go into the office once a week when it wasn’t required at her first job at an ad agency. “I did notice my mental health detonating when I was constantly in my room,” she said. Mental health and wage are of equal importance In response to a question on whether wage or mental health is more important in considering a job, Chai said, “It’s a cruel question to ask because it’s impossible to choose one or the other. “This generation is a big advocate for workplace environment, [taking] care of their holistic wellbeing,” Chai said. “Do what makes you happy. Change is acceptable; career paths are not linear today.” She said sometimes, depending on the stage you’re in, you may have to prioritize wage over mental health but the two are intertwined. “They can’t be looked at separately,” Baseil Massa added. “Wage and mental health are linked. We obviously know that after people hit a certain salary band, happiness doesn’t go up from there. But having your basic needs met and being able to pay your rent and your student loans, et cetera, is vital to our mental health.” Statman said that since she’s graduated from college, she’s witnessed many friends who once prioritized wage “slowly rethink that structure and [now] think that mental health is more important than money.” Ad Age Salary Guide The hottest ad industry jobs and what they’re paying Read more here Diversity is critical to recruiting and retaining Gen Z employees Being a company that prioritizes diversity is critical to retaining and recruiting Gen Z talent, these marketers said. Gen Z is “specifically looking for companies that truly value diversity,” Baseil Massa said, noting that companies and brands that do more to implement clear policies around equity and inclusion will stay ahead in winning over this generation. The world is only getting more diverse, Baseil Massa said, and “companies that don’t put that at the forefront are going to lag behind.” Chai said her company is Asian-founded and majority female and continues to have conversations on improving diversity all the time, and that’s something that is helping it progress. Gen Z will be key in pushing more companies to progress in this way, she said. “We are the generation to bring about the change needed for diversity and cultural immersion,” Chai said. “We’re the most diverse generation yet.” Gen Z crave mentorship and critical feedback Gen Z employees want to learn from older generations, need mentors and are open to getting critical feedback on their work, these marketers said. Chai said she wants to see more companies providing a mentor to their new hires. That can amount to 30-minute check-ins or coffee meetings weekly, she said. “I think it’s important to have someone to turn to, learn from and understand the ropes and culture of a workplace,” Chai said. Baseil Massa said she wants to learn how to multitask from older generations. Statman said she could use some insight into how older generations communicated with each other in the office without the noise of virtual chats and video calls. Mar Elia said she’s eager to get feedback on her work. “Gen Z really loves being told when what we’re doing works and is great but also being told when the work that we’re doing has room for improvement,” Mar Elia said. “And then being given actionable steps and things we can do to make those changes. We’ve all had experiences where we’ve been left in the dark.” Identify growth opportunities for Gen Z talent Gen Z wants to grow and climb the ladder, faster than maybe past generations, and they need their employers to provide actionable steps to get there. “Gone are the years where, especially Gen Zers, want to stay in a position for three to five years before making it to that next step,” Baseil Massa said. “Incremental career growth steps are really important.” Statman said she wants clear goals from her managers to be able to get a promotion and raise in the future. “Have those goals and speak freely,” Statman said. “Have a game plan for what your growth is.”

What Gen Z marketers want from their employers

Featured Stories