A study compiled by global marketplace Fiverr has revealed that the UK’s “Gen Z” reject traditional 9-5 roles in favour of greater flexibility.
Fiverr conducted a world-wide piece of research on the career aspirations of Gen Z workers. The results of the study, which included 2,000 respondents from the UK, reflects a desire for personal autonomy at work, with 71 percent of people surveyed saying that they were either planning to freelance or already do. An additional 36 percent said that their ultimate aspiration was to work for themselves.
Gen Z are defined as people in the 16-26 age bracket who have grown up with digital technology.
The findings indicate Gen Z believe that financial independence is possible without relying on one specific working pattern. 39 percent of respondents said that a fulfilling job can either be a full-time or freelance role. Meanwhile, a third of those surveyed said that their work ethic is influenced by the passion they have for their job.
In recent weeks, business leaders have expressed concern that workers in the post-pandemic age prefer to stay away from the office. However, remote working seems to be less of a concern for Gen Z, with only 24% of 16-25 year olds considering remote work a factor when applying for jobs.
Gen Z’s relative lack of interest in remote working stands in sharp contrast to the approach favoured by older workers. Recent statistics published by Linkedin reveal that one third of UK workers would quit their jobs if company chiefs made them return to the office full-time.
The Workers Union Says…
Gen Z workers have grown up with a level of technical comfort that enables them to imagine a different working future. It is a future no longer constrained by prescriptive working patterns or a regular place of work. It is a future where work is a way to fund a lifestyle rather than a lifestyle itself.
Their approach is an expression of the information age and a pathfinder for the jobs of the future. Whatever exists now in terms of employer/employee relations is on the cusp of dissolving, as more information literate young workers use tech to access the global marketplace, rather than rely on traditional models of employment.
It is now up to execs to offer working arrangements that reflect this new reality or lose the race for global talent.
