Nintex Study Reveals Career Motivators of Gen Z in the U.S.

Business Process Management (BPM) and automation solution provider, Nintex, has released a new study, “The Gen Z Effect on the U.S. Workplace,” which explores the career drivers and values of Generation Z, who faces record levels of student-loan debt upon graduation. Nintex’s study shows notable differences between Gen Z in the workplace and their Millennial predecessors.

Though polling company, Gallup, named Millennials the job-hopping generation, research from Nintex found that Generation Z is not following in their footsteps. Sixty percent of Generation Z expect to stay at their first job past the one-year mark, with seventy-one percent of those respondents planning to stay over two years. Additionally, company leaders share that expectation, with fifty-nine percent expecting that Gen Z employees will stay past the two-year mark at their organizations.

Employers attempting to earn Generation Z’s loyalty will need to make sure HR programs are in place to recognize new employees for their early workplace contributions, including offering promotions. The majority of Generation Z (fifty-three percent) expect a promotion within one year of beginning their first job, due to economic concerns. Sixty percent of Gen Zers graduate with debt, face increasing costs of living in major cities, and worry about a major economic downturn.

CEO of Nintex, Eric Johnson, stated, “Gen Z is a driven generation with clear career goals. To retain and grow Generation Z employees, company leaders will need to instill modern HR practices and nurture strong workplace cultures that support in-person collaboration and meaningful work.”

Additional highlights from the report include:

• In-Person Interaction: Ninety percent of the time, Gen Zers prefer in-person check-ins with their managers, while only four percent want virtual check-ins. Nintex found that weekly, in-person check-ins were optimal for both employee happiness and productivity.

• Generation Z Offers Tech Expertise: Organizations are positively responding to Gen Z’s tech aptitude by proactively adopting tools and technology suggested by Generation Z. Approximately eighty percent of decision-makers stated that their company has adopted certain tools and technologies because it was requested or suggested by a Generation Z employee.

• Gen Z is Apprehensive of AI and Automation: Fifty-seven percent of Gen Z is concerned that AI and automation will affect their job security, and twenty-three percent are very concerned. Businesses should position AI and automation as a partner, rather than a competitor, as well as a tool to augment, not replace, employee.

• Decision Makers Aren’t in Touch with Generation Z’s Priorities: Company leaders believe that after salary, work flexibility, work-life balance, and company’s tech stack are Gen Z’s top priorities when deciding on their first post-college job. However, Gen Z places company culture, company values, and potential for career growth as their top motivators outside of salary.

Nintex’s Gen Z Effect on the U.S. Workplace study offers statistical evidence that the newest workplace generation will improve current and future workplaces if provided the opportunity for recognition, growth, and advancement. It will be essential for decision-makers and managers of Gen Z employees to cultivate a culture of improvement, invest in their incremental career growth, and build an empowerment narrative around AI and automation.

Johnson added, “through a combination of tech aptitude, pragmatism, and collaborative spirit, Gen Z has the DNA to drive next-generation enterprise efficiency. But companies must provide them with an environment to grow — and an opportunity to work with AI and automation, rather than have them loom as threats.

To read Nintex’s full press release, click here.

To read Nintex’s full study, “The Gen Z Effect on the U.S. Workplace,” click here.

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