By DiversityInc Staff | August 11, 2020
Gen Z, which includes people ages 18–24, will make up more than 1 billion of the global workforce in the next decade, according to a new Intel report. They are entering the workforce during a time when collective knowledge about inequalities and injustices based on class, race, gender, ability and sexuality are at their peak. According to Intel’s research, they’re also most likely to consider lack of diversity and inclusion practices by their employer a deal-breaker.
The survey was conducted in June 2020 in the UK and included people from all age groups. Of the subjects, 59% were employed full time, 21% parttime, 8% self-employed or freelance, and 8% unemployed but looking for work, and 4% in education or training. The survey found diversity and inclusion was generally supported among age groups, but Gen Z’s responses reflected an even stronger emphasis. More than half (56%) of Gen Z respondents said they’d be hesitant to take a job from an organization that claimed it was diverse but did not have any diversity in leadership roles. The same percentage of millennials (aged 25–35) agreed.
Researchers also found that in choosing between job offers, a company’s stance on diversity and inclusivity is almost as important as pay. Thirty-four percent of Gen Z respondents said they’d choose the job that was more diverse and inclusive, and 36% considered pay the deciding factor. Thirty-three percent of Gen Z respondents said they were concerned with finding a job that aligned with their ethics, compared with 36% who prioritized financial security. Notable 41% of Gen Z respondents also cited career enjoyment and fulfillment as an important factor that concerned them.
The report further indicated that Gen Z is “highly educated, digitally native and change minded.” “Gen Z takes decisive action. Digitally native and connected, we’ve seen it rally against climate change and take to the streets to protest inequality. Now it is bringing that sense of activism into the workplace.”
