Understanding Millennials and Zoomers: Today’s Conscious Workforce

Ever wondered who makes up today’s modern workforce? Who they are? What they care about? What makes them tick?

I’m Crystal, Remote Work Advocate at Employment Hero and I’ll be sharing a content series on cultivating workforce strategies which attract, engage and retain today’s conscious workforce – AKA millennials and zoomers.

Who are Millennials (Gen Y)?

Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are arguably the pioneering digital trailblazers of our time. Roughly born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s, this generation represents a dynamic force that has reshaped societal norms and workplace dynamics. They are characterised by their unwavering tech-savviness, relentless pursuit of purpose and meaning, and their unyielding desire for work-life balance.

Millennials have effortlessly navigated the intricacies of the digital world, harnessing its power to drive innovation and connectivity. Their passion for social justice and sustainability is a defining trait, as they strive to create positive change.

Who are Zoomers (Gen Z)?

Zoomers, also known as Generation Z, embody the unstoppable spirit of the digital era. Born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, they are the fierce and fearless generation that is redefining the landscape of our globalising world. Zoomers are technology fluent, having grown up in a hyper-connected, always-on digital realm.

Their innovative mindset, coupled with their ability to effortlessly adapt to change, makes them natural-born disruptors. Zoomers are unafraid to challenge the status quo and demand a better future for all.

To gain deeper insights into how Gen Z is currently coping in the workplace, read our article on How Are Gen Z Really Coping at Work?

Today’s conscious workforce

Millennials and our successors, the zoomers (Gen Z) are the largest generations in today’s workforce. Not only that, we are the future workforce and leaders in an increasingly connected and globalised world. As a millennial myself, I can no longer willingly ignore the impacts of globalisation. Meaning, I am more aware and intentional about my life choices as I contemplate daily how I can live a more mindful, moral, and selfless life.

And my work and career have been front of mind. Why? I have willingly sacrificed personal priorities including wellbeing, relationships and more in the name of my career and job. I’ve enabled this situation due in part to deeply rooted psychological and emotional experiences behind the ‘sacrifice’.

I’ll be exploring how I got here through this content series. My point being, for almost twenty years, the majority of my time, which includes many early mornings, late nights and A LOT of weekends has been spent working! A narrative which is more common than not for a lot of us, no?

This means, it is now REALLY important for me to work for an organisation that shares my values, who cares about their impact on their communities and the environment AND more specifically, who ‘walk the talk’. That is, beyond revenue, profit margins and return on investments, an organisation that is proactively embedding strategies which have a meaningful and positive impact on my life as an employee, our communities and our environment.

Further, if a company does not provide flexible working arrangements, encourage and support a work-life balance and does not have a clear and established pathway for employee well-being and support as someone who has had lifelong challenges with mental health, well then, they are not the company for me.

As I have entered my 40’s, my priorities have massively shifted from my young adulthood days. For me it’s the benefits of flexible working, work-life balance and programs of employee support that now trump the material. This got me thinking, surely I am not flying solo here? Especially post COVID? So I started digging around and unsurprisingly, discovered that like me, my fellow millennials and zoomers alike want to experience progress and action on all fronts. We also have no hesitations about leaving a company whose values are not aligned to our own and who we perceive to be solely profit driven.

Not only that, we need to experience a career which feels like it is going somewhere or that our contributions matter and more importantly are genuinely appreciated. Yeah we may stick around for a bit and ‘hope’ things change but eventually we will leave if there is no progress. Don’t believe me? Let’s see what the data says.

Read more: How Covid-19 has changed what employees want in their careers

Taking a closer look at the findings

Here at Employment Hero, we recently released our 2023 Talent Insights Report which had 5,000 employees across Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom participate. Interestingly, over half of respondents surveyed were millennials and zoomers. This is what they had to say:

1. 59% stated that they are looking to leave their current role within the next 12 months. Citing poor company culture, management of and within the company, their role, and lack of recognition and appreciation as their primary motivations for leaving.
2. 53% reported feeling burned out or lacking motivation in their current role. A lack of appreciation, recognition and reward were key indicators of this feeling.
3. 50% said they are exploring alternative opportunities, including starting a side hustle, seeking opportunities within their current organisation or alternative industries altogether. With a further 89% stating that their next role would either be a promotion or lateral move with a new organisation, or within a completely different role and sector entirely.
4. 54% also said they were open to overseas opportunities believing that they offered better career prospects, higher salaries, and the opportunity to work and travel.
5. Finally, another key but common insight was that 55% believed that their current salary did not meet the demands of inflation. An unsurprising statistic, given the rise in living costs and inflation rates worldwide.

If you’re looking for more, Deloitte’s latest annual Millennial and Gen Z survey collated responses from 20,000 participants across 46 countries. Their findings are no different to our own. Powerfully too, their results also emphasise the importance of workplace mental health, revealing that stress and anxiety levels are high for millennials and zoomers, especially for women. That has been me! Financial pressures received the highest causation ranking, followed by family wellbeing, personal mental health, relationships, workload and a poor work / life balance. A valuable insight and I am sure most of us can relate.

To understand how different generations can work together harmoniously, read our guide on Managing a Multigenerational Workforce.

But, these findings aren’t telling us anything new; they’re just reinforcing what has been known for some time. What is surprising though, is the number of businesses of all sizes that are continuing with outdated HR, operating and leadership models as if the conscious workforce is just a phase. I can assure you that our consciousness in the workplace is here to stay and that it will continue to grow and evolve.

As an active and engaged member of today’s conscious workforce, I know we have choices (and lots of them) and I have personally not been afraid to pursue opportunities with companies whose values are better aligned to my own. Easy for some, I get it! I am not a parent, I do not have a family of my own and I have also been raised in a developed country so I am definitely not trying to speak for or represent every millennial out there!

As for zoomers, I am old enough to be most of your generation’s mother! Further and in my upcoming blog on mental health, I actually do know first-hand how hard life can be. Moral of the story here is that millennials and zoomers are becoming – or ARE – fearless when it comes to their work and careers, as they realise it is possible to make their careers work for them.

For the insights shared, please download our talent insights report for the full overview of our survey data presented. Noting the percentages I presented in this report were compiled by myself from our raw data. For more information on the millennial and zoomer workforce, I would also encourage you to check out Deloitte’s 2022 Millennial and Gen Z survey and the 2023 Human Capital Trends report.

This is part one in our series on cultivating workforce strategies and initiatives that captivate, empower, and retain the dynamic forces of today’s conscious workforce. In our next instalment, we’ll uncover the key to unlocking loyalty in your workforce, transcending mere financial incentives. From here, we will explore the art of attracting and captivating today’s workforce amidst a fiercely competitive landscape and a rapidly globalising economy.

Our mission is to make employment easier and more rewarding for everyone! AND it is through this series I intend to equip small to medium sized businesses, leaders and managers alike with the insights and strategies needed to reshape the way you perceive and engage with today’s conscious workforce and to thrive in the ever-evolving realm of talent acquisition and retention. Stay tuned!

To stay ahead of the curve and understand future work trends, download our Guide to Future Working Trends. Read more:  Gen Z In The Workplace Report