Gen Z and the Anti 9-5

By Modesty Sanchez

With members of Gen Z graduating college and entering the workforce, while others are taking on demanding creative endeavors while still in high school, it’s important to know what exactly these young creatives are looking for in a work environment. 

While most of Gen Z isn’t yet old enough to have had a job for more than a few years, they are aware of the work tribulations their parents have gone through (like the 2008 crisis or how COVID affected the job market) and are making a conscientious effort to avoid similar job experiences. As such, many Gen-Z creators are anxious to build their own brand and stay self-employed; they are doing this by building social media empires or building an impressive clientele list (#shamelesselfpromo but look at our website to see exactly how we connect talented Gen-Z artists with some of the biggest brands, like Tinder). 

Many members of Gen Z are succeeding at this goal: just look at how the D’Amelio sisters have leveraged their social media presence to expand into music and reality TV. Or how, on a smaller stage, 46% of Gen-Z workers opt for freelance work (this wonderful writer being one of them)—and that number will continue to grow. Clearly, members of Gen Z are anxious to retain their professional independence and be in total control of their brand. It’d be really difficult to persuade such independent creatives to choose to work in an office—but don’t be intimidated, because it can be done!

Just because Gen-Z might be more opposed to the traditional confines of office culture (namely the 9-5 workday) doesn’t mean they can’t be persuaded to use their talents for your company or brand. One way you can do this is by hiring them on a freelance basis to create social media posts for you or to rewrite your business manual. So long as they don’t feel stifled by restrictions and are able to do the project on their time (while keeping in mind any deadline you set for them, of course), your brand will be a happy beneficiary of exemplary creative talent.  

However, if you feel strongly that your business will benefit more greatly from having a Gen-Z creative in office, the best way to do this is by being flexible with hours. Providing incentives won’t hurt either, though. It’s hard for Gen-Z creators to get health insurance as freelancers or influencers, so that would definitely be a major factor in their decision to work in an office. Additionally, some businesses are now offering in-office yoga classes, while others, the most famous by far being Google, have “sleeping pods” in which their employees can catch a few Zs. Finally, a major incentive would simply be having a fun and exciting work environment, complete with coworkers who would be willing to hang out after work. Work can be a great place to meet people, something that lonely freelancers (or, really, anyone who has spent the past year in quarantine) can truly appreciate. These incentives can go a long way in persuading Gen-Z creatives to settle down in an office.

More than any generation before them, Gen Zers are persistent in maintaining their professional independence by embarking on creative freelance endeavors wherein they can get work done on their own time. If your brand is interested in connecting with one of these talented, driven creatives for your next project, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Adolescent!

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