If organisations want Gen Z talent, they must rethink workplace culture

South Africa’s workplace is quietly undergoing a generational shift.

Over the next decade, Generation Z, those born roughly between the late 1990s and early 2010s, will make up an increasingly significant share of the workforce across industries ranging from communications and technology to finance and the public sector. Yet despite this shift, conversations about Gen Z employees are often dominated by stereotypes that portray them as overly sensitive, entitled or unwilling to cope with pressure.

These assumptions obscure a far more important conversation that younger professionals are trying to initiate about the nature of modern workplaces. What many Gen Z employees are advocating for is not a workplace free from accountability or high expectations but one where respect, psychological safety and mental wellbeing are recognised as essential conditions for sustainable productivity.

In 2024, Deloitte released its global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, which found that around 40% of Gen Z respondents reported feeling stressed or anxious most of the time. Work related pressures, long hours and unhealthy workplace cultures were among the most commonly cited contributors to this stress. The survey also highlighted that a significant number of young employees remain hesitant to raise mental health concerns with their managers, often because they fear judgement or negative consequences for their careers. These findings point to a deeper disconnect between how many organisations continue to operate and what the emerging workforce increasingly values.

For much of the 20th century, corporate culture in many industries was built on hierarchical structures and rigid management styles. Long working hours were often interpreted as a demonstration of commitment, while intense competition within teams was frequently seen as a driver of ambition. Although such models may have once been effective in certain contexts, they are increasingly being questioned in workplaces that now depend on collaboration, creativity and knowledge sharing.

Gen Z’s expectations of work have been shaped by a very different social and technological environment. Many entered adulthood during a period marked by global uncertainty, economic instability and rapid digital transformation. At the same time, they are the first generation to grow up fully immersed in digital ecosystems, navigating social media platforms, online communities and increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence tools as part of their everyday lives.

This dual experience has produced a workforce that is highly adaptable and digitally fluent, capable of understanding cultural trends, online communication patterns and emerging technologies in ways that organisations are still trying to understand. In industries such as communications, media and marketing, these insights are particularly valuable because they shape how brands connect with audiences in an increasingly digital world. However, the potential contributions of this generation can only fully emerge in workplace environments where employees feel valued and respected.

Research in organisational psychology has long emphasised the importance of psychological safety, a concept that refers to the ability of individuals within a team to express ideas, ask questions and acknowledge mistakes without fear of humiliation or retaliation. When employees feel safe to contribute openly, teams are more likely to innovate, collaborate and solve complex problems effectively.

Unfortunately, many young professionals still encounter workplace cultures characterised by condescending communication, internal politics or subtle forms of exclusion that discourage open participation. Such environments can quickly undermine confidence and motivation, particularly among employees who are still developing their professional identities.

The consequences extend beyond individual wellbeing. When organisations fail to create environments where employees feel psychologically secure, they risk losing the very creativity and fresh thinking they seek from younger professionals.

It is therefore worth reconsidering what Gen Z employees are actually asking for when they speak about workplace culture. Contrary to popular perception, they are not demanding a professional environment without standards or discipline. Rather, they are advocating for workplaces where feedback is constructive rather than humiliating, where managers recognise the importance of mental wellbeing and where colleagues treat one another with basic professional respect.

These expectations are not unreasonable. In fact, they align closely with modern management research, which consistently shows that employees perform better when they feel engaged, supported and valued within their organisations.

For employers, the shift required may be less dramatic than it initially appears. Often it begins with leadership that listens more attentively, management practices that prioritise collaboration and organisational cultures that recognise empathy as a professional strength rather than a weakness.

Within the next decade, Gen Z will not simply be entering the workforce. Many will begin moving into leadership positions themselves, bringing with them new expectations about how workplaces should function. Organisations that recognise this shift early will have the opportunity to build cultures that attract and retain talented young professionals while encouraging innovation and long-term productivity.

Those that fail to adapt may discover that the challenge is not that Gen Z does not want to work hard. The challenge may simply be that they no longer wish to work in environments that make it unnecessarily difficult to do their best work.

Nancy Dusani is a graduate in public relations and communications from the University of Johannesburg and is pursuing an advanced diploma in strategic communication. She is interning at Decode Communications, a pan-African communications agency in Johannesburg.