Gen Z want an “employer for life”
Updated 16th January 2025 | 8 min read Published 16th January 2025

While Millennials have historically been branded as job hoppers, it seems that Gen Z is approaching the world of work a bit differently.
Recent research has found that Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, want an “employer for life”, valuing supportive employers who align with their personal and professional values.
What does this shift mean for businesses? How can you foster a work environment that holds onto its people?
A desire for secure, long-term work
The study found that 75% of those aged 18-27 are searching for secure, longer-term work compared to the previous generation.
It also uncovered that the average Gen Z employee wants to remain in a role for seven years, which is double the average reported previously.
Cited in the research was that Gen Z wants to work somewhere that supports them in and outside of work.
Career expert Shoshanna Davis said: “Employees want to be valued and have access to opportunities within the same company.”
Growing concerns regarding employee retention
While this news regarding Gen Z's desire to stay in their roles long-term seems promising for employers, according to other research, nearly half of UK professionals remain concerned about their ability to retain staff in 2025.
Rising inflation, cost-of-living pressure and tax hikes all add to an already tense employment market.
However, there is a silver lining.
While yes, there are challenges in retaining staff, the data from Gen Z shows that there is an exciting opportunity to empower the younger generation and secure talent that will grow with your business.
Additionally, the steps you take to improve the workplace and secure Gen Z talent will also have a positive knock-on impact on all generations, building a fully thriving workforce.
Creating an environment where people want to actually work
What can be done to capitalise on this Gen Z trend whilst also counteracting the risk of people resigning? Simple! Create a workplace where people want to work and grow.
Of course, this is easier said than done.
Fear not!
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to employee recruitment and retention, there are a few tried and tested strategies you can focus on as a starting point.
Prioritise learning and development (L&D)
Alongside salary, learning and development are often ranked as the most desirable traits in a workplace.
We ran a poll on our LinkedIn asking what people are aiming for in the New Year.
Almost half of respondents are seeking a promotion and another quarter are looking to improve their professional skills.
The onus is on you to help employees progress and grow as professionals.
Perhaps that involves guiding and mentoring staff for a more senior role, providing training to help them in their day-to-day or conducting productive performance reviews which outline tangible goals.
A few actions we suggest regarding your L&D are:
1) Use your employee data
Your people data can offer rich insights into skill gaps, performance and aspirations, enabling you to offer more meaningful training.
Perhaps an employee wants to be a manager or in a recent performance review you uncovered someone is struggling with workload prioritisation.
Modern cloud HR software offers simple yet comprehensive real-time data, enabling you to easily access this information in just a few clicks via bespoke dashboards and comprehensive reports.
2) Offer mentorships
Partner less experienced staff with seasoned professionals, giving them an opportunity to learn from the best.
Via mentorships, your junior staff can receive personalised guidance and knowledge transfer.
3) Review your training
The skills needed in today's workplace are constantly changing.
Is your training reflective of that? The best way to find out is to ask your people.
Regularly collect feedback from employees on the relevance and quality of training on offer and use this feedback to enhance what you have on offer.
Prioritise flexibility
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial to long-term job satisfaction.
Offering flexibility, both in terms of location and the time people work, has been shown to directly correlate with improved work-life balance.
Okay, giving employees the option to work flexible hours/days won’t get rid of high-pressure deadlines, but it can massively help people manage their personal responsibilities, directly impacting their stress levels.
Perhaps a dependent has fallen ill and requires care, or they simply want to do the school run.
Having the option to work around these commitments makes a massive difference.
So, while some employers tried pioneering a return to the office (RTO) last year, the backlash they faced and the blatant alienation of their workforce highlights hybrid working and flexibility are here to stay.
Note: the Government's Employment Rights Bill will also impact employers as it aims to make flexible working the norm where feasible and introduce actions to make the workplace fairer, in addition to also pushing “right to switch off” measures.
Offer a range of benefits
Each person has their own unique needs; as such, a blanket approach to employee benefits will likely alienate some groups and offer little use to others.
We advise you to take a varied approach to your benefits.
For example, core benefits such as pensions and healthcare are a must, but look to also offer additional benefits which employees can opt in to, such as private dental care or critical illness coverage, helping deal with personal challenges.
Speak with your people
It’s easy for challenges to spiral out of control with no obvious warning sign.
Many employees put on a brave face, despite struggling massively as they fear judgment and what other people will think.
As a starting point, to help tackle stress, keep an eye out for warning signs, such as:
- Difficulty concentrating or staying focused
- Increased irritability or frustration
- Frequent feelings of being overwhelmed or anxious
- Physical symptoms like headaches, muscle tension or fatigue
- Withdrawal from coworkers or reduced participation in team activities
- Missing deadlines or a decline in overall productivity
Also, work on creating a safe space and take the first step, opening up the conversation.
Encourage managers to have regular catch-ups with their direct reports, offering a casual place to discuss workloads and stress.
However, not everyone is comfortable talking to their managers about issues.
As such, consider carrying out anonymous surveys to obtain a view of how your workforce is feeling.
While you can't pinpoint specific employees, you can obtain a wider view which can help prompt meaningful change.
Optimising the employee lifecycle
Hopefully, the above will help you create a positive and nurturing work environment that all staff love, not just Gen Z.
For those looking to take their workplace optimisation to the next level, we advise you to examine the entire employee lifecycle and determine whether there are areas you can improve.
Not sure where to start?
We have created a handy guide covering the employee lifecycle, common challenges and ways to improve each area.
You can download the FREE guide below.