How to Attract, Manage & Retain Generation Z Talent in Today’s Workplace

Is it entitlement, or the standard that should’ve been there all along? That’s the internal (and often very public) conversation happening across every industry—and the question we’re unpacking in this piece.

Explore what it takes to manage and retain Gen Z in the workplace—and how their demands might just be the reset we all needed.

What Gen Z Wants at Work—Everything

Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen-Z requires a unique set of expectations for employers. While previous generations prioritized one or two “must-have” items like job security, a comfortable salary, or work-life balance, Gen Z is asking for all of it—and more.

To some, it reads as entitlement. But taking a closer look, it’s not coming from nowhere. It’s a direct response to the world they’ve grown up in.

Beginning with the 2008 recession, the majority of Gen Z grew up watching their families face financial uncertainty. Then, as they entered adulthood, they graduated into a similarly unstable market during the COVID-19 pandemic. Add to that an upbringing saturated with access to real-time news, highlighting topics such as gun violence, racial inequity, and climate change—and you get a generation that’s hyper-aware of systemic instability and injustice.

In short, Gen Z has grown up watching systems fail and people take a stand. Following those footsteps, they’re not afraid to question outdated systems and refuse to accept burnout as a part of a job. Rather than settling, they’re seeking careers that align with their personal values and professional pursuits. At the Albers School of Business and Economics, students are encouraged to see their careers not just as jobs, but as vehicles for meaningful impact in their communities and organizations.

So yes, Gen Z wants everything. But maybe that’s exactly what the workplace needed all along—a reminder that employees don’t have to choose between purpose, pay, and peace of mind.

Winning Over Gen Z: Strategies for Employee Retention

The era of company allegiance outweighing individual needs is over. Unlike their predecessors, Gen Z doesn’t believe they owe a company their loyalty just for giving them a job. In fact, 83% of Gen Z workers consider themselves to be job-hoppers.

The Executive Education programs emphasize that retention starts with connection. Throughout the programs, professionals learn to lead with empathy, authenticity, and accountability—skills that directly translate to retaining a generation that values trust and connection above all.

For Gen-Z, loyalty isn’t given—it’s earned. To keep this generation engaged, companies need to move beyond the trendy perks and rethink the entire workplace model.

Creating an Environment Gen Z Values

Team-building happy hours no longer cut it. Gen Z doesn’t want to simply tolerate the workplace for 40 hours a week—they want to feel connected, inspired, and seen.

This starts with intentionally building a culture of belonging. It means a workplace (remote or in-person) where people are celebrated.

A culture of belonging must be built on authentic actions, not buzzwords or one-off trainings. Gen Z recognizes performative gestures and expects genuine commitment. At Seattle University, our approach is grounded in our mission to “empower leaders for a just and humane world.” Throughout the curriculum and organization, we act with intention, embedding fairness and inclusion into core frameworks such as hiring, promotion, and leadership, ensuring they remain a fundamental component of our organizational design.

This intentionality also extends to mental health. According to the American Psychological Association, 27% of Gen Z report their mental health is fair or poor, compared to 15% of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and 13% of Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1980). This generation isn’t just more aware of mental health–they’re demanding that it takes precedence.

That means:

• Normalizing conversations about stress and boundaries
• Prioritizing mental health days with the same significance as sick days

When organizations prioritize their employees’ well-being, they invest in a stronger future.

Building a Collaborative Workplace Culture

Gen Z grew up surrounded by community—fandoms, group chats, social media trends—the list goes on. Just ask your Gen-Z employee if they're a Directioner or Belieber. Since an early age, the generation has been instilled with the understanding that ideas grow stronger when shared, developed, and created with others.

Though engagement in younger employees is declining, the drop has been tied to a lack of connection between leaders and employees. The root of this issue is approachability. Organizations can combat this by shifting away from the traditional top-down control and embracing lateral collaboration—creating an environment where employees at all levels are encouraged to contribute and problem-solve as a team.

The Seattle University approach to leadership emphasizes collaboration over hierarchy. Students learn to co-create solutions with peers and faculty, mirroring the workplace culture Gen Z seeks. This approach fosters a deeper sense of connection, resulting in loyalty earned and alignment created.

Breaking The Mold: Embracing Flexibility

Gen Z isn’t interested in reviving cubicle culture. They’re not lazy—they’re strategic. They want to contribute great work and grow professionally, but they also crave flexibility.

Take Melanie Neiman, a project manager at Breather, as an example. She told The New York Times that she starts work later in the day because she’s more productive that way. “When I’m on vacation, if my Slack pings on my phone, I’ll probably answer it. I would never answer emails at my old job on vacation,” she said.

The key? Autonomy. Gen Z is more likely to go the extra mile when they feel trusted to do the job.

When you give employees the ability to shape their workday, you tap into a new source of motivation. Employees can decide whether they’re most creative first thing in the morning or late at night, or whether they prefer brainstorming over a quick Zoom instead of a formal meeting. They feel seen as individuals, not cogs in a machine. This can carry over into every aspect of their work: they care more about the outcome, lean in harder on collaboration, and hold themselves accountable in ways a time clock never could.

“Our leadership philosophy centers on recognizing each person as a valued individual rather than a ‘cog in a machine,’” says Viviane Lopuch, EdD, Executive Director of the Center for Leadership Formation at Seattle University. “We help leaders foster psychological safety and structural trust, enabling teams to reach their full, purpose-driven potential.”

Flexibility doesn’t mean tearing down structure—it means reshaping it around the people who do the work.

Cultivating Gen Z Genius

As the first generation raised with answers only a search away, Gen-Zers are learners at heart.

They may question old processes, but that questioning is often the start of innovation. When companies value their input and give them the space to explore new workflows, the result is often increased efficiency.

Beyond innovation, Gen Z is hungry for growth. As early-career professionals, they’re looking for challenges that set them up for long-term success.

To encourage growth, organizations can:

• Provide 1:1 mentorship opportunities
• Offer access to courses, certifications, and workshops
• Facilitate cross-training opportunities to build new skillsets
• Maintain a culture where asking questions is celebrated, not penalized

Growth isn’t optional—it’s expected. Offer a workplace that challenges, supports, and invests in your employees.

Bridging the Generational Divide

The label of “lazy” is not new—it’s been passed down like an heirloom from one generation to the next. Gen Z is currently under the microscope, but if history has taught us anything, it’s that these critiques are rarely tied to actual work ethic. It more often reflects discomfort with change.

Some more senior colleagues may view Gen Z’s requirements as self-important. There’s a tendency to glorify the struggle—“I had to grind it out, so should they”. But this mindset misses the point: Gen Z isn’t afraid of work; they just believe it shouldn’t come at the cost of health, identity, or values.

The best thing organizations can do is shift the lens from criticism to conversation. Seattle University bridges this divide by bringing together emerging and established leaders to share perspectives, dismissing the assumption that seniority equals superiority, and embracing that ideas can come from anyone.

Embracing Gen Z's Vision for the Future Workplace

If you want to recruit Gen Z, you can’t simply offer a job; you also have to offer a purpose. Retaining Gen Z isn’t about catering to short attention spans or adding trendy perks. It’s about aligning with a generation that demands better—and isn’t afraid to walk away if those expectations aren’t met.

Build a workplace that’s human-centered, values-aligned, and flexible to let them be themselves. While it may sound like a tall order, it’s just the starting point.

When Gen-Z feels heard, supported, and challenged, they’ll do more than stay—Gen Z won’t just work for you, they’ll want to grow with you.