UAE jobs: How to keep Gen Z employees happy, fulfilled at work

Question: How can organisations attract and retain Gen Z talent?

Answer: Move over, Millennials! Gen Z is marching into the workforce with their memes, social activism, and a fierce sense of purpose. This year, they’re expected to make up about 27 per cent of the global workforce — and they’re not just here to clock in.

They are values-driven, tech-savvy, and ready to shake up the status quo. If you want to win them over, you’ll need to rethink your playbook. Let’s dive into how to attract this rising generation.

1. Purpose over paychecks

McKinsey research found that Gen Z is all about purpose — they want work that aligns with their personal values and makes a real impact.

For Gen Z, a paycheck is nice, but a purpose is essential. Whether it’s saving the planet, fighting for equality, or creating ground-breaking innovations, they want to know their work matters. Take the logistics company that turned its onboarding into a storytelling session, sharing how its services supported global disaster relief efforts. It wasn’t just a box-ticking exercise — it showed new hires how their work helped real people, and it hit home for Gen Z employees.

The takeaway? If your company has a mission, shout it from the rooftops. Showcase sustainability initiatives, community outreach, or ethical practices to help Gen Z see how they fit into the bigger picture.

2. Autonomy, freedom to experiment

MIT Sloan emphasises that Gen Z thrives when given room to experiment, paired with access to mentorship.

Gen Z is fiercely independent — they grew up with Google at their fingertips and DIY tutorials for everything, so it’s no surprise they value autonomy. They want the freedom to tackle challenges their way, experimenting, learning, and taking ownership of their work.

To keep them motivated, ditch the micromanaging and focus on the results instead. Let them flex their creativity, tech skills, and ability to think outside the box — they might just reinvent your processes while they’re at it! Give them the space to shine, and you’ll unlock their passion for innovation and their drive to make an impact.

3. Hybrid work options

Gen Z employees don't want five days in the office, but they don’t want to be fully remote either. They enjoy the focus and flexibility of working remotely but value in-person moments for brainstorming, mentorship, and building connections. Gartner highlights that flexibility fuels their productivity, but they also know the magic of a face-to-face conversation can’t be replaced by a Zoom call.

And it’s not just about where they work—career mobility is a big deal, too. Gen Z doesn’t want to follow a straight line to the top; they’re here to explore, learn, and grow in all directions. Offering rotational roles and cross-functional projects keeps them engaged and excited, while also showing them there’s no limit to where their career with you can go.

4. Learn from them

Harvard Business Review highlighted Gucci’s genius move of creating a “shadow board” with younger employees. The result? A 136-per-cent sales boost in four years.

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