Generation Z – those born between the mid-1990s and 2010 – is emerging as a disruptive force in the workplace. They don’t just ask for change: they demand it and actively put it into practice. On one hand, they detach from traditional models; on the other, they create new ways of thinking about careers, leadership, and corporate culture. A shift that, if embraced, can become a competitive advantage for organizations.
Breaking with the Past
Previous generations – Baby Boomers, Gen X, and to some extent Millennials – experienced work as duty, sacrifice, and constant dedication. Being present in the office and overworking were synonymous with commitment and professional worth.
Generation Z, however, is challenging these pillars. According to the Deloitte Global Gen Z & Millennial Survey 2025, young workers prioritize work-life balance, mental health, and purpose, while only 6% see leadership as a primary goal. These findings are echoed by Shinde & Surve’s systematic review (2025), which summarized 59 studies on the topic: Gen Z favors work-life balance, salary transparency, fast career progression, and informal communication over rigid, hierarchical models.
Fluid Careers: From the “Ladder” to the “Lily Pad”
A recent Glassdoor (2025) study introduced the concept of the career lily pad: young professionals are moving away from the idea of a linear career (“career ladder”) to build careers with horizontal, diversified “jumps.” Each experience becomes a springboard – an opportunity for learning and personal growth.
This is not a lack of ambition: Deloitte data shows that Gen Z is indeed interested in roles of responsibility, but they conceive leadership as inclusive and horizontal, not as a vertical power.
Flexibility, But Not Isolation
Contrary to stereotypes, Generation Z does not want to work exclusively from remote. Research points to a pragmatic approach:
- only 23% prefer fully remote work (Gallup, 2024);
- 40% report feeling isolated when working solely from home (The Times, 2025);
- 86% would give up remote working in exchange for a higher salary (SEEK Survey, 2025).
Academic literature confirms this trend. A study published in Business Horizons (Osorio, 2025) shows that young professionals seek hybrid models that combine autonomy, quality infrastructure, and social spaces.
Wellbeing and Workplace Quality
For Gen Z, wellbeing is non-negotiable. Many young employees see features like relaxing areas, pet-friendly offices, and recreational spaces as essential. These are not frivolous perks: a study by Gupta, Chauhan & Singh (2025) demonstrated that flexibility, purpose-driven roles, and digital engagement tools have a significant impact on satisfaction and retention.
Intergenerational Integration as a Strategic Lever
Debates on the future of work often pit generations against each other: on one side Gen Z, perceived as restless and unwilling to sacrifice; on the other Baby Boomers and Gen X, associated with duty and total dedication. But this framing risks becoming a trap.
Research shows the real challenge is not to amplify differences, but to build intergenerational integration models. The coexistence of four generations in today’s workplace is a unique opportunity for cross-fertilization. Practices such as reverse mentoring – where younger employees share digital expertise while senior colleagues transfer experience and strategic vision – are showing tangible benefits. Cross-generational teams also foster inclusion, innovation, and belonging.
Generation Z should not be seen as “against” older generations, but as a catalyst accelerating an evolution that involves everyone.
Within this mosaic, Millennials play a crucial role. They grew up with traditional values similar to Gen X – dedication, career-based recognition – but also pioneered themes such as work-life balance, flexibility, and purpose: the connection between professional activity and a greater goal, beyond profit, touching on social impact, environmental sustainability, equity, and inclusion.
Deloitte’s research (2023, 2025) shows how Millennials paved the way for many requests that Gen Z has made more explicit and radical. Now, as many Millennials sit on managerial roles, they can act as a cultural bridge, mediating between Gen Z’s radical vision and the experience of older generations.
A Break That Opens New Paths
Gen Z is breaking away from the myth of the linear career, the culture of overworking, and the idea that sacrifice is the measure of professional worth. And they do so in order to build:
- more balanced work models,
- inclusive and stimulating environments,
- empathic and collaborative leadership,
- dynamic and personalized careers.
Far from being a threat, Gen Z represents a lever for renewal. If organizations can embrace their expectations and integrate them with the old generations’ experience, having Millennials as the bridge, the future of work can become not only more sustainable, but also more innovative and humane.
Accompanying companies through this transformation is not only a matter of HR processes, but of organizational culture. Consea has been working for years with companies across industries to foster dialogue among generations, develop inclusive leadership, and build intergenerational collaboration models.
Through training programs, mentoring, and people development projects, we help organizations integrate the best of each generation: the experience of senior professionals, the vision of Millennials, and the innovative drive of Gen Z. Because the future of work is not built on rivalry, but on the integration of differences.
Reach us out for a consult at conseahcc@consea-group.com
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Author: Sara Ruffinatti, Senior Consultant
