Gen Z want more flexible working conditions - study

Gen Z prioritizes flexible, passion-driven work and entrepreneurship, according to a recent study conducted by Fiverr, which collected answers from 7,121 Gen Z individuals (those aged 16-26) around the world, including 2,000 Gen-Zers (Zoomers) in the US. The study revealed that 40% of Zoomers surveyed want to own a business or freelance for their entire careers.

Passion and flexibility were found to be top priorities among Zoomers surveyed. Some 71% of respondents said that flexible working hours or the ability to be self-driven were top priorities when looking for a new job. One third of those surveyed reported that they work harder when working on something they are passionate about.

In the US, the majority of Gen-Zers (73%) surveyed viewed freelancing as a smart option in an uncertain economy. Respondents also saw freelancing as a good way to make additional income and a potential backup option should they be laid off from their job.

“As the latest generation to enter the workforce, Gen Z is at the forefront of the latest trends transforming the world of work. Amid an economic downturn and a rapidly shifting labor market, we’re seeing Gen Z continue to prioritize flexibility and passion-driven work, making freelance careers an increasingly appealing option,” said Gali Arnon, CMO of Fiverr.

“As we’ve observed in the growing community of Gen Z freelancers on Fiverr, the autonomy freelancing affords serves as a major draw for a generation eager to pursue their passions, hone their skills, and have more control over their earnings and career trajectory,” Arnon said.

Educational development

While they may have been seen as critical to prior generations, a large portion of Zoomers don’t consider a university degree or a 9-5 job as mission-critical factors in finding career success. Forty percent of respondents indicated that earning a university degree is not required to start a successful career, and 70% of respondents considered freelancing a viable career option alongside a traditional 9-5.

Gen-Zers also prioritized upskilling, with 36% of US respondents saying that the ability to build their skills was a primary factor when looking for a new job. Nearly two in five (37%) US respondents said that the desire to learn new skills was a motivation to freelance.

Lastly, one in five Gen Z workers reported that they “work to live” and don’t “live to work,” a statistic that reflects a wider trend still affecting the global hi-tech industry today.

According to Ronni Zehavi, HiBob CEO and co-founder, the increased number of Zoomers in the job market coupled with the rise of remote work triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the standards accepted by most workers in the industry. “It’s a new era. Instead of work-life balance, it’s life-work balance. Life goes first, work goes after,” he said, noting the significance of this change versus prior generations.

“I look at my father and my grandfather, we’ve all followed the same work patterns for decades. We work full time, in an office, in main cities. When my father got home, he wasn’t connected to his job. There was full isolation between work and life. All of a sudden, that’s changed because of the new mindset that the new generation brought to the market,” Zehavi explained.