NOT CAREER LADDERS BUT LILY PADS
What if climbing the career ladder isn’t success but distress in disguise?
“68% of GenZ workers wouldn’t pursue management if it weren’t for the paycheck or title”, as observed by a Glassdoor community survey. This is a stark contrast to the work attitudes that the previous generations strived for, which were, in particular, trying to climb the corporate ladder. However, for a Gen Z worker, a higher rank on the ladder does not necessarily entail success anymore; rather, having control over how, when, and for whom they can work is a better measure of self-fulfilment and well-being. “72% of Gen Z have left or considered leaving jobs lacking flexible policies compared to Millennials and Gen X”, identified by LinkedIn’s 2024 Survey.
The readiness of Gen Z not to stick around when faced with misalignment in terms of growth and flexibility is often misunderstood as laziness or fickle mindedness. Then again, reading laziness as ‘trying to avoid burnout’ might be helpful in understanding where Gen Z is coming from. This is not to say that one generation has a better work ethic than the other, because ethics are influenced by various external socio-economic factors, and nobody is at fault for the state of the world they live in. That being said, it can still be beneficial to have mutual understanding and expectations between two generations, also when it comes to matters of the workplace. While previous generations took pride in career maximalism, Gen Z is embracing career minimalism. Let’s see what this term exactly entails.
REDEFINING CAREER MINIMALISM
Career minimalism does not mean doing the bare minimum in your career, but rather steering away from rapid promotions to redirect toward a more sustainable career path with security and expansion, rather than elevation. It is trading the career ladder for a career lily pad – where we can jump to the opportunities that are the most suitable in the moment. Last but not least, it is choosing range over hierarchy by building diverse skills and income streams from passion projects.
Putting it this way makes it sound quite fancy and eloquent, doesn’t it? But it is only a simple attempt at building a stable income from day jobs, passion from side hustles, and identities outside of a 9-5 job. A mere effort to undo the burnout the previous generations faced by chasing corporate success, and searching for the answer to “What if there’s a better way?”
Now that Gen Z has redefined career minimalism, an obvious question arises. What brought about this shift in mindset? What did the Gen Z experience that led to different preferences? The first potential answer that comes to mind is the infamous pandemic. It wiped out millions of lives from the face of the earth but lent the rest of us an opportunity to rewind and reflect as an apology. The pandemic not only compelled people to find meaning in their lives through hobbies and interests, but also to consciously appreciate how good it is to have certainty and stability. The Gen Z that came out of this historical event was the hardest hit, and very rightly so, would like to implement the lessons from that time and turn over a new leaf going forward.
Another possibility could be the fact that the AI revolution came right on time as Gen Z were looking for jobs. While AI can definitely augment existing jobs and help navigate job searches for this generation, 70% of Gen Z also say that AI has made them question their job security. Hence, they are moving towards more blue-collar jobs and choosing sectors such as government and education, with more stability.
And of course, there’s also the student debts, rising housing costs, stagnant wages, competitive job markets… the more you look into it, the worse it gets!
So, what can be done about this? Mainly, what can employers do to recruit and retain Gen Z employees? Avoiding the issue is not an option because, according to Zurich Insurance’s 2025 predictions, 27% of the global workforce by year-end will comprise Gen Z. This figure is also echoed by the World Economic Forum. The only reasonable way for employers would be to reach a middle ground with Gen Z workers and adapt to how workplaces will be reshaped in the future.
TAKEAWAYS FOR EMPLOYERS
The Deloitte Global 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey summarizes some key takeaways for employers, which could benefit both Gen Z and the work culture in general.
- First, investing in a culture of continuous learning & development since Gen Z deems learning new skills important.
- Second, managers should be trained to also coach, mentor, and support rather than just being a ‘task overseer’.
- Third, make the eligibility criteria for recruitment less strict, as many younger Gen Z are re-examining formal education pathways.
- Fourth, employers should not treat tech change passively but actively engage their employees in adapting to it and mitigate anxiety around tech change.
- Last but not least, employers need to go beyond just providing salary and benefits and ensure that the work aligns with the values of the employees and that well-being (mental health, etc.) is embedded in the work culture.
Having said that, it is also unrealistic to expect employers to fulfill all our demands and expectations. So, the burden of the work needs to be shared. While the employers are ensuring continuous learning and embedding well-being in the work culture, Gen Z can put efforts into finding a workplace that actually aligns with their values and meets a satisfactory amount of their needs. From an economic perspective, an optimal point is where both sides meet or cross each other, and this concept also applies to contexts like these.
FUTURE OF CAREER MINIMALISM
To wrap it all up, it is important to reiterate that minimalism is not anti-work but pro-sustainability in one’s career. Instead of deeming it a Gen Z trend, it’s quite clear that it can be the future of work for everyone. By adopting some of the Gen Z work ethic, it might help previous generations to realize that working extra hard does not always mean extra reward, or having a side hustle or hobby to indulge in after work could help wake up a little bit earlier every morning. Basically, giving this up-and-coming group of people a chance to change your minds can be a good idea, as you might be in for a surprise!
Keen to know how GenZ deals in the job market? Click here.
Blog post written by Anindita Kalita for Expertise in Labour Mobility
Image by Jizelle Ys for CareerProfessor.works
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