Nearly half (45%) of Gen Z workers say career and money does not define success, prioritising a work-life balance.
This shows a rejection of traditional work pressures to ‘make it’ in favour of a more balanced lifestyle.
The research by Impero also suggests the death of the ‘Girlboss’, the role of side hustles.
It also highlights how Gen Z are reacting to the pressures of social media where 42 percent of the group said that social media is the key driver of anxiety around productivity.
“We are living at such an unprecedented time, coming out of a pandemic and with a cultural shift that has put the power back in the hands of Gen Z. Brands must acknowledge the shifting attitudes of the younger generation to work, and adapt the way they market it,” warns Research and Next Generation Culture Insights at Impero, Zuhur Mohamed.
Side hustles
The research has found that although there is no single reason why young Brits are taking on a side hustle, they are dedicating more time to them.
The report shows 17 percent regard their ‘side hustle’ as a pure passion activity and 57 percent of Gen Z spending more than 16 hours a week on them.
Moreover, 38 percent said that they use extra income to counteract the economic hardships faced as a result of the pandemic, and the rising cost of living.
The future of work
As a result of greater focus on entrepreneurship and side hustles, there is opportunity for brands to support self-starters and equip them with the tools they need to turn their passions into financial reward without sacrificing their work-life balance.
A challenge that is supported by the fact that 38 percent of British workers planned to change jobs between September 2021 and March 2022 to allow for a reprioritisation of their life.
The report demonstrates that for brands, hustle culture has long been an easy way to engage younger aspirational audiences. However, Gen Z’s growing consciousness around toxic work cultures, means that brands need to update their understanding and market towards younger consumer’s new aspirations and definitional of work and success.
“From the rise of Capitalism memes and Goblin mode, to Girlboss satire and the anti-work movement, these are all examples of a loud online conversation interrogating productivity and traditional markers of success. Young people want permission to play, slow down and indulge, think about how your brand can services these new aspirations,” highlights Mr Mohamed.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
