Business

Are Younger Generations Really Job-Hoppers?

A recent study by Zapier suggests that the reputation younger workers have for frequently leaving jobs actually reflects challenges with technology and mental health at the workplace.

You might have heard younger employees tend to switch jobs frequently.

But perhaps those data points aren’t as clear-cut as they look.

A new study of 1,000-plus Gen Z and millennial adults from the tech-automation firm Zapier, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that Gen Z employees desire to work an average of six years for their current employers—and millennials want to make it a full decade. In fact, many workers are so committed to their jobs that they see it as a key component of their identities—65 percent for Gen Z and 73 percent for millennials.

One reason why workers walk away from jobs prematurely, says Zapier’s editorial team? A lack of tech savvy at an organizational level.

Many younger employees are constantly checking their gadgets outside of work—and expect their coworkers to do the same. And when the organization doesn’t keep up with them from a tech standpoint, they feel frustrated.

“The majority of young managers refuse to hire candidates with no basic computer knowledge, and younger employees are willing to walk away from a job with bad tech,” the report states. “Young workers also see automation as a way to get more done.”

One challenge the study points out is that many of these younger workers are stressed out, something more than two-thirds of Gen Z (69 percent) and millennials (73 percent) say has at times affected their work productivity.

One thing on the wish list for many younger workers: a better appreciation of mental health issues. More than 85 percent of both Gen Z and millennial workers say that a mental health work policy should be in place, while more than three-quarters in both categories say the ability to talk about mental health openly is important.

In a world where tech is often seen as a solution to everything, sometimes the ability to take a step back matters, too.

(Drazen_/E+/Getty Images Plus)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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