Between loyalty and flexibility, young workers have made their choice

The under-30s are adept at job hopping, frequently changing employers. The under-30s are adept at job hopping, frequently changing employers. Image: Shutterstock

Generation Z is shaking up the expectations workers have of the companies that hire them. Organizations are less sacred for this generation, whose workers don't hesitate to move on soon after being recruited. But that doesn't mean their professional lives hold any less importance than for previous generations, as a new report reveals.

The research in question was carried out by the resume and cover letter building firm, ResumeLab, which surveyed 1,000 US workers belonging to Generation Z. The results show just how adept the under-30s are at job hopping, or frequently changing jobs to maintain a degree of professional independence. In fact, some 83% of the young professionals surveyed consider themselves job hoppers. Most of them express a desire to move within two years of joining their current company (44%), while 22% are willing to wait an additional year to move on. Some are even quicker to jump ship, with 19% of Gen Z respondents saying they’ll stay with their current employer for no more than one year and 4% saying they plan to stay for less than one year.

There are several reasons why they might want to see if the grass isn't greener in another company. The first, unsurprisingly, is remuneration. Money being an essential element of work, 70% of young people say they would think twice about leaving their employer if it offered them a competitive salary. But, contrary to popular belief, members of Generation Z are not solely motivated by the financial side of work. Over 40% of them say they would consider changing company if their current position required them to work too much overtime.

Also read: Gen Z: Future of the workforce comes of age

Taking risks to find the right job

Quality of working life also plays a key role in their decision whether or not to look for a new place of work. A poor relationship with a manager and inadequate work-life balance are additional reasons likely to prompt Gen Z workers to take the plunge and look elsewhere, as is a conflict of values with the company they work for.

While their elders often criticize them for being quick to make too many demands, Gen Z workers are determined not to accept what they see as dysfunctional situations. Even if it means taking risks. For example, three quarters of the young people surveyed say they are ready to resign if they are dissatisfied with their professional situation, even before they have found another job -- a bold but calculated choice, given that the job market is currently in favorable shape.

While some might be tempted to see this as a form of arrogance, it is actually indicative of the fact that the under-30s attach less importance to stability than their predecessors on the job market. Three quarters of them say they are prepared to go freelance if they don't find a job that lives up to their expectations. But they don't take their careers lightly: they just want to be able to take pride in what they do, and know that their employer recognizes their investment. Whether they change jobs regularly or not, almost all young people agree that their work is an integral part of their identity (97%). They therefore need to be given tasks that are rewarding and given a sense of responsibility in order to make them less inclined to hop from one employer to another.