As graduation season wraps up, a sea change is about to take place: Gen Z is expected to overtake Boomers in the workforce this year.
Seemingly every week, a new research study, survey, or book comes out dissecting Gen Z and offering plenty of critiques. We aren’t research experts on generations, but we are the president of a leading 21st century university and the leader of an organization that recruits and develops young people to take on our education system’s inequities. In other words, a Baby Boomer and a Gen Xer who have engaged with, observed, closely listened to, and been wholly inspired by thousands of Zoomers since they first started entering and graduating from college.
Those experiences have taught us that we need to move beyond critiquing Zoomers or trying to get them to fall in line with workplace practices because that’s “the way it’s done.” Instead, Gen Z can be a model for how the workplace can change along with a changing world.
That’s right. We older generations should be getting in line with their values—it will make a profound difference for our society and advance our economy.
Here are some of the things we admire about Gen Zers we’ve met: How they push back against the status quo. The way they prioritize wellness over a grinding work culture. Their nuanced critique of our education system’s quality and how it often—and inequitably—falls short of preparing young people to thrive in today’s world.
Zoomers have come of age amid a global pandemic, accelerating climate change, political polarization, dipping life expectancy, rising gun violence, and sustained income inequality. Far from being discouraged, young people have repeatedly told us they want to have a meaningful impact on society. They’ve never seen a united America, but they have a strong sense of civic responsibility.
Yet many don’t feel prepared for the future. They highly value mental health, social connectedness, and financial stability—and they don’t want to risk those elements of their lives for careers, no matter how meaningful.
There are many ways today’s leaders can—and should—help Zoomers realize their aspirations for themselves, their families, and our country, with Gen Z values as the starting point.
Focus on mental health and well-being. Young people’s mental health has declined for years and was severely impacted by the pandemic. Knowing that, universities and employers need to make therapy accessible and affordable, provide coaching, and invest in other resources that foster wellbeing. Zoomers will pay attention and vote with their feet. Teach For America, for example, has found that the online mental health benefit we provide is extremely popular: Between June 2021 and March 2023, more than one-third of corps members engaged with a therapist.
A focus on ongoing skill-building, training, and university-to-career pipelines can also reduce early-career stress. And many of us have learned from experience that choosing a job where you find meaning and purpose promotes wellbeing. We should make it possible for Gen Z to align their values and careers in this way.
Help young people achieve financial stability, especially in vital careers like teaching. Gen Z feels financially behind compared to earlier generations. Student debt, high housing costs, and inflation have made salary top of mind for young job seekers. As a result, many young people shy away from high-impact but lower-paying careers like teaching, civil service, and academic science. Yet these careers are country-builders: without them, we won’t have a strong economy or thriving democracy. Our investment in the individuals doing this work should reflect that.
We must address cost of living—and living-wage salaries are only one element. Employers can show they care about all the forces that affect young people’s financial stability by offering such perks as signing bonuses, housing support, and student loan benefits.
Create the conditions for young people to drive innovation at work. The rigidity and hierarchy of many careers are increasingly out of step with what matters to today’s college graduates. Zoomers want to have impact from the jump—and why shouldn’t they?
At Teach For America, for example, young people spend at least two years leading a K-12 classroom in rural or urban America, committed to making a positive, substantive difference with their students and learning about the education system from the ground up. Then, the organization supports them in pursuing their next steps, whether in the classroom, administration, education policy, or a different field where they can continue to work toward ensuring that every child has an equal chance in life.
At ASU, students are helping improve healthcare outcomes for Arizonans through our ASU Health initiative. The Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation has designed five unique pathways through which students with different educational and career experiences earn quality nursing degrees and also are taught how to leverage technology and entrepreneurship. In that way, the College is accelerating learning and ensuring new graduates are empowered to tackle our serious nursing shortage. The College has also prioritized personal wellbeing as a key value that is actively integrated across all programs.
If traditional professions like teaching and nursing can lead change, the rest of us are only limited by our imaginations. Workplaces can turn entry-level jobs into launching pads for impactful careers by being open to new ways of doing things and building a strong, supportive culture for workers of all ages.
Gen Z is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in American history. They want consequential careers that align with their values, and we believe they’re destined to change our country for the better. Those of us who’ve been around the block a few times can do a lot to break down the barriers in their way—and older workers will benefit when we lean into Gen Z values, too.
Elisa Villanueva Beard is CEO of Teach For America. Michael M. Crow is the president of Arizona State University and former executive vice provost of Columbia University.