What Equality and Inclusivity Mean for Generation Z

When it comes to work, Gen Z is all about the human element. Supportive leaders and positive relationships with coworkers support Gen Zers in their own careers, but what about everyone else? Isn’t Gen Z supposed to care about equality and inclusivity?

Our data shows that the answer is yes – Gen Zers do care about equality and inclusivity. And they reflect that in more ways than you might think.

Open-ended responses from our survey reinforced the importance of the human element with 41% reiterating its value. But 22% wrote in to tell us about the importance of equality, inclusivity, and acceptance in the workplace:

Drilling down into those responses revealed some surprising trends. 74% of open-ended responses related to equality and inclusivity were related to pay equity, and another 10% were specifically related to gender equality in the workplace:

Combine that data with the low-ranking importance of “extra pay for going the extra mile” in a job and an insightful picture emerges: When comparing jobs, Gen Zers care less about pay and rewards for themselves than they do about fair pay and rewards for those they work alongside.

Gen Zers are looking for jobs where not only are they themselves valued and appreciated, but everyone on the team is valued and appreciated. Gen Zers understand the ripple effect created by a winning culture. When employees feel supported and cared about, that leads to happiness and engagement. Happy and engaged employees work better together to provide customers with great products and services. That means a better bottom-line for everyone.

Don’t make the mistake of believing that the digital natives entering your organization, who grew up with the power to express themselves globally via the world wide web, are selfish or narcissistic. Their global awareness has given them a lot of perspective at a young age. And if you won’t take them seriously, there’s bound to be another employer who will.

Download the full report to learn more — The Voice of Generation Z: What Post-Millennials Are Saying about Work.