Generation Z represents the 23 million Americans born between 1994 and 2010, ages 6 to 22 years old. This year, the first group of Gen Z-ers graduated from college and entered the workplace. They have their own set of values, preferences and abilities that companies simply cannot ignore if they want to remain competitive in today's business landscape.
They grew up in a time of economic and political uncertainty and have watched their millennial predecessors struggle to find jobs and become financially independent. Gen Z doesn't want to share the same fate, which is why they are not willing to settle and are extremely self-motivated.
In order to further identify the unique views of Gen Z, we partnered with Randstad on a new global study of over 4,000 respondents, a follow up to our previous study in 2014. Overall, Gen Z believes that their college education prepared them for their job, and when asked about their industry preferences, they are most interested in technology and least interested in insurance, manufacturing and utilities.
Here are the four most significant findings from our study and why they help define the generation: