One Thing that will Actually Attract Gen Z (That Everyone is Ignoring)

Ah, Generation Z. The middle-part-wearing, slay-queening, TikTok-loving rascals. 

They'll make up more than a quarter of your workforce by 2025, but how do you get their attention? What do they crave from a working experience? Of course, no group this broad ever wants exactly the same things, so while I don't have all the answers, I do have some observations.

Let’s get into them.

As I see it, there’s something powerful and obvious companies aren't addressing through their employer brands — or if they are, it’s an afterthought, when it should be up in neon lights. It sounds like a given, but...

No one is making an explicit promise their company does not make employees stressed and miserable.

Put yourself in a Gen Zer’s New Balance shoes for a sec.

You're post Covid-lockdowns, stressed about the cost of living crisis, the rise of social media, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the information bombarding you from every angle. Plus you’re pretty sure climate change will wipe us all out with some epic natural cataclysm. Fun times!

With all of that noise rattling around your head, wouldn’t you also want a bit of reassurance that your day job isn’t going to add to your woes? Wouldn't messaging like "must handle stress" or "works well under pressure" strike you as a bit, well, brazen?

If you ask a Zoomer what they care about in a job interview, they’ll probably tell you they live for metrics. Achieving company KPIs just butters their crumpets.

I can almost guarantee their convos outside of work sound more like:

"I should just make candles and sell them on Etsy."

"I just wanna get a cafe job and work on my art."

"Shall we just quit tomorrow and buy a camper van?"

When you think about it, all these commonly overheard fantasies amount to one simple thing: lower stress. In a world that moves so fast, young folks gush over the freedom to live slowly - to not be bled dry by a hectic job.

Which is probably why #slowliving has been used on more than 6 million posts on Instagram, and in more than 250,000 posts on TikTok.

I see plenty of employer brands talking about fast-paced environments, speedy growth opportunities, innovative technology, bold, world-altering purposes. I see far fewer emphasising low stress.

Sure, some people thrive in the fast lane. 

Far more of us simply want to make it through the week feeling chilled, valued and not, in fact, like we’ve just been pulsed in a nutribullet.

Of course, everyone experiences stress from time to time. It’s inevitable, and good for us in doses. But that isn’t an excuse to continually push people beyond their limits, or glorify a cocktail of burnout-inducing “values” that are hard-wired into your culture. 

One friend, a 26 year old copywriter (and one of the hardest workers I know) tells me, “Honestly, I see any phrases like ‘fast-paced environment’ or ‘should be able to juggle multiple priorities’ as a huge red flag. I feel like most companies have this attitude of: can you do way more than any human being should be capable of doing? We want that.”

She’s not the only one fed up with the I-need-it-yesterday rhetoric.

Another friend, a graphic designer, tells me of her experience working remotely for an agency: “There’s this expectation for you to have every hat on, but they’re not paying you to have every hat on. They want you to be constantly active and reachable. Boundaries between work and life are totally blurred. You hear stuff about 3 day weekends and companies prioritising mental health and you think, when will that trickle down to me?”

Little wonder there’s a boom in entrepreneurship right now. Little wonder this friend packed up and went freelance recently, at the grand old age of 27.

“If I’m gonna sweat,” she resolves, “might as well do it for me.”

All this to say, if you suspect your “work hard, work fast, never stop grinding” messaging may be losing you some brilliant talent — it is.

As a Gen Z myself, *hoicks up baggy jeans,* I can’t tell you how arresting, how refreshing it is to come across employer brand messaging that feels empathetic and caring. Like this snippet from an Oatly job post:

“We know that amazing candidates can sometimes be put off applying for a job unless they can tick every box, and that makes us really sad. So please trust your gut and pop in your application if it’s feeling right. If you have the curiosity, passion, and collaborative spirit, let’s do this together! It will be fun!”

Note the empathy.

Note the reassuring tone.

Note the word - fun.

Sadly, “fun” is something many of the Gen Zs I know have given up hope of at work. It’s a fairytale to them. They daren’t dream that the job that takes up a huge chunk of their lives might actually be enjoyable.

You can give them that hope back.

Now, I don't imagine for one second wanting to feel calm at work only applies to Zoomers. But we’ve all heard the stats — Gen Z levels of depression, self-harm and prescription anti-depressant useage are sky-high. We’ve been helpfully dubbed, “Generation Anxiety,” — so maybe this stuff matters to us a little extra?

Breaking the status quo 

What’s the fix? Well, when targeting a generation going through so much uncertainty, a bit of compassion helps. Some gentleness with your messaging. Some reassurance that working for you isn’t going to make them feel like they’re being cranked through a mangle.

Something like, “Hey, we know work gets stressful at times. And while working at [insert company] is no exception, we care very deeply about your happiness. If you choose to dedicate your time to us, the very least we can do is make every effort to ensure you’re as happy as possible, and are not continually subjected to high levels of stress. We know that isn't conducive to you doing your best work.”

See how you don’t have to fudge the truth? Or make out like your company is all rainbows and golden retriever pups?

Whilst I’m happily employed now, I can tell you back when I was job hunting, messaging like that wouldn’t have just “attracted” me, it may have damn well moved me to tears.

So if you know your organisation values happy, chilled workers, and you can prove that’s the case - trust me, you’ve found your point of difference.

Use liberally. 

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