For decades, employers have worked on the assumption that an employee's primary, even only, motivation when choosing or staying in a job is money and more of it, if they can climb the corporate ladder. But the reality of today's workforce, especially its younger generations, is often much more nuanced.
Survey after survey may show that the top priority of most school or university leavers when seeking work is a fair salary, but they are looking for a lot more on top of this. As one Gen Z employee puts it, work used to be about what employees could offer companies. Now it is all about what Gen Zers are expecting from work.
Choosy and value-driven
Deloitte's 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey reveals that Gen Zers and Millennials are, above all, choosy and not prepared to jump into any old job just because the pay is halfway decent. They want to work for companies whose values align with their own and will even walk away from a job if they feel the organisation is not a great match.
We, as employees, employers and organisations, are about so much more than money.
Culture is perhaps the key value here. Gen Zers, Millennials and, in fact, everyone wants to be in a workplace that reflects and respects their cohort, their world, themselves as a whole person. They will research a company's culture data and reputation before applying for a job, look closely at the people across the table from them in an interview and continuously assess how comfortable and recognised they feel in the organisation, adjusting their plans accordingly.
More than just money
Yes, money motivates all of us, but we are about so much more than that. Understanding what today's workforce really values and measuring whether your organisation delivers on it, is no longer optional. It is the foundation of retention, engagement and long-term performance.