Gen Z-ers care about career growth. What they aren't prioritizing is employer loyalty, according to a new SurveyMonkey survey.
Highlights from the SurveyMonkey 2025 Workplace Culture and Trends study:
Career growth is a top priority:
Only 28% of Gen Z workers report satisfaction with their current career path, compared with nearly half of Gen X (47%).
One in three Gen Z workers (33%) say they would rather switch companies than wait for internal advancement opportunities, compared with just 22% of Gen X.
Despite prioritizing balance, 80% of Gen Z workers still aspire to top leadership roles. However, they refuse to sacrifice health, personal boundaries or values for promotions.
The Gen Z work-life balance paradox:
While 77% of Gen Z workers report having a healthy work-life balance, two-thirds (67%) still believe personal sacrifices are required for career success.
At least some Gen Z workers see after-hours communication as a sign of "inclusion".
Nearly one in five Gen Z workers (19%) report feeling happy when contacted outside work hours, compared with just 7% of Gen X. This suggests many Gen Z workers view after-hours communication as “a sign of inclusion and value.”
Many Gen Z-ers see financial stability as a prerequisite for life milestones:
91% of Gen Z-ers are delaying traditional life milestones (like buying a home or starting a family) until they achieve financial security.
72% of Gen Z workers are currently engaged in or considering secondary income streams.
How can organizations recruit and retain Gen Z workers?
Demonstrate clear growth pathways with tangible opportunities for skill development and advancement.
Strike a balance to maintain work-life boundaries.
Clearly communicate how individuals in the organization can advance.
Read more via HR Executive, SurveyMonkey
The Trump administration is working to curtail remote work by employees of federal agencies, according to new reporting by Bloomberg Law.
Bloomberg cited new guidance issued by the administration's Office of Personnel Management that lays out the administration's expectations with respect to remote work by federal agency employees.
In January 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing leadership at federal agencies to "take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis."
According to the latest guidance, the administration views remote work as "an effective tool to ensure the continuity of Federal Government operations in emergencies," but the guidance says "such work arrangements should generally not be used in a manner that would permit Federal employees to avoid working full-time, in-person from an agency worksite" provided there isn't an "approved exemption".
The guidance further directs each federal agency to "designate an employee of the agency as the Telework Managing Officer" to "provide for better coordination of telework and remote work policies" between OPM and the agency.
Read more via Bloomberg Law, Office of Personnel Management
Back in December, a TikTok went viral after the creator posed the question: Would you rather take a fully remote role that paid $120,000 or a role that required you to be fully in-office, but paid $240,000?
Business Insider followed up on the TikTok debate, posing the question to 365 of its readers. The results were "closer than [Business Insider] expected."
According to Business Insider, the results were split virtually 50-50, with "the lower-paying remote job winning by only one vote."
183 respondents said they "would choose the $120,000 remote gig," while 182 respondents opted to "go five days in-person for double the salary."
Business Insider followed up with a subset of the respondents to find out why they had made their decisions.
A 44-year old digital product design agency owner recalled a particularly rewarding trip he was able to take back in 2018 while working remotely. That trip "wouldn't be possible" without a remote option.
The respondents who opted for the fully-remote, lower-paying role "prized flexibility and the absence of a rigid corporate culture."
Respondents who opted for the higher-paying role said that "flexibility comes at the cost of organizational performance."
Read more via Business Insider
