The youngest generation now entering the labor market values stability above all. According to the report “Work War Z”, 74% of Gen Z respondents say they prefer full-time employment. When choosing an employer, the most important factors for them are salary and development opportunities — contrary to popular belief, ecology and flexible work hours are much less of a priority. They strongly value work–life balance and are not afraid to fight for it, though this assertiveness is sometimes viewed by older generations as entitlement. However, many young employees admit to struggling with engagement, which poses a challenge for managers.
“Our report on Gen Z in the labor market shows that young people are very demanding, and we don’t fully understand them yet. They expect different communication, need more support, want clearly defined goals — and for them, salary is the most important factor at this stage of life. But right behind it is professional development, so it’s not all bad. I think it’s a very interesting generation,” says Magda Pietkiewicz, CEO of Zmotywowani.pl, founder of the Enpulse platform, and author of the report.
The “Work War Z” report, prepared by Enpulse in collaboration with universities, employer organizations, and business representatives, reveals that 47% of Gen Z choose their employer based on salary, 13% on development opportunities, and 12% on work–life balance. Interestingly, the least important criteria for them include environmental and social responsibility (43%), the company’s products and services (16%), and its mission and values (13%).
“One big surprise in the report was that ecology, social impact, and mission are basically irrelevant when choosing an employer. Depending on the subgroup, we had 0–1% who named it a priority. This is surprising because public discourse suggests companies should emphasize their environmental stance to attract young people — but for Gen Z, it’s just not important,” Pietkiewicz explains. “The second surprise is that the form of work — remote, hybrid, or in-office — isn’t a key factor in choosing an employer. It only becomes relevant when we start talking about what motivates them.”
The nationwide study of over 12,000 Gen Z respondents found that financial conditions are also the main factor determining job satisfaction, followed by a positive work atmosphere. When asked about their ideal manager, 43% said they should always be willing to help, and 30% described the ideal team as one that supports and motivates. Honest, open communication was valued by 23% — though this is often misinterpreted as entitlement.
“When someone says upfront they want a specific type of employment contract, that’s not entitlement — it’s expressing a need. If someone asks for certain tools to do their job, that benefits the employer. But we’ve forgotten that this is what communication looks like. For years, young people in organizations were treated a bit like they had nothing valuable to say — that they needed to learn before being heard. But Gen Z wants to be heard, and we often misread that as entitlement,” Pietkiewicz adds.
One thing Gen Z openly communicates is their desire for work–life balance. While it’s not the top factor affecting job satisfaction, it’s still an important consideration when choosing an employer.
“This is a big shift from what we’ve seen in the past — the ‘work as much and as hard as possible’ mindset. Some people used to pride themselves on not taking vacations. But this generation is saying: hold on, there’s life beyond work. That’s a very healthy trend, because while work takes up a huge part of our lives, we should still have a life outside of it,” Pietkiewicz notes.
The report’s authors stress that this desire for balance is often mistaken for lack of engagement.
“We need to understand this generation to properly assess their engagement — it’s different from that of previous generations. For Gen X or baby boomers, being engaged often meant working long hours or staying late. Gen Z values their personal time. They might be highly engaged — but only between 9 and 5. This can be perceived as a lack of commitment by older managers who are used to different standards,” explains Tomasz Szklarski, Vice President of Zmotywowani.pl and co-founder of Enpulse.
While 39% of Gen Z respondents rated their engagement as high, 42% said they try to stay engaged but don’t always succeed, 15% said they only sometimes feel engaged, and 4% admitted they are not engaged at all.
“The biggest challenge in hiring Gen Z is fostering their engagement and motivation. Companies face a major task: figuring out how to support them,” Pietkiewicz says. “Another issue is that 47% of young employees feel unappreciated at work, which lowers their motivation, mental resilience, and willingness to communicate. That’s difficult, especially since we’re used to a different style of management. We now need to focus on what’s called servant leadership.”
When asked what negatively impacts their desire to work, Gen Z most often mentioned unsatisfactory financial conditions (26%) and excessive stress and pressure at work (24%).
As for employer initiatives that could boost their engagement, the most frequently mentioned were:
- Clear career paths and promotion opportunities (18%)
- Good working conditions (18%)
- Training and workshops (17%)
- Flexible hours and remote work options (16%)
- Regular feedback (15%)
Less frequently mentioned were physical and mental health support programs (9%) and team-building activities (7%).
“We have to learn how to work more effectively with the youngest generation — because, like it or not, they’re here to stay. And I don’t mean that negatively — we’re talking about 3.5 million people in the labor market,” says Szklarski. “Employers need to learn how to manage Gen Z effectively and meet their expectations. Only then will they reciprocate with efficiency, loyalty, and engagement. Moreover, we need to support intergenerational integration — Gen Z needs to connect with colleagues from other generations, because that’s the only way to build truly effective teams.”
