In my work covering talent mobility trends at EWS Limited, I’ve learned that understanding the evolving expectations of Gen Z and Millennials is not just helpful—it’s the foundation for building an organization that attracts, retains, and grows young talent. This year, I looked closely at the 2025 Deloitte Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, a major study that spotlights what young professionals want most from their employers and how those preferences are changing. As part of my ongoing series reviewing major industry research on workforce mobility, I’m summarizing the survey’s most telling findings—putting a special focus on worries, priorities, and hopes that define the new working generations.
This article aims at leaders, managers, and HR professionals who need the freshest, most practical insights for adapting to the needs of younger talent pools. If you’re interested in industry reports you’d like highlighted in future issues, feel free to email [email protected].
In my experience, these younger generations are often in the spotlight because they now make up most of the active workforce. Gen Z includes anyone born from the mid-1990s up to the early 2010s, while Millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996. Combined, they’re shaping how business works and how leaders look at working culture, flexibility, technology, and even company purpose. The latest 2025 Deloitte Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey reveals their attitudes and main concerns, and it serves as a wake-up call for employers everywhere.
What matters to young workers—and how it’s shifting—should guide decisions in every HR, People, or Mobility strategy.
The survey’s headline is simple: Gen Z and Millennials want more than a paycheck. They’re asking deeper questions about workplace equality, life balance, and the values their employers live by. That means the old playbook, where salaries and job titles ruled, doesn’t work anymore. Employers must now consider culture, purpose, and flexibility just as much as traditional benefits.
I found that the survey points to four main themes shaping how these generations judge employers:
Let’s dig into each, with data and real examples from young professionals wherever possible.
Perhaps the loudest signal in the data is that money worries are not fading for Gen Z and Millennials. Even with inflation slowing, many feel the squeeze of high rents, basic expenses, and student debt. The Deloitte study shows that:
Young workers are supplementing their incomes, not just chasing dream jobs.
I discussed this in more detail in our post on how financial pressure drives Gen Z and Millennials to side jobs, and the trend shows no sign of slowing for 2025.
Next, the survey highlights ongoing mental health challenges. Almost half of Gen Z and a third of Millennials rate their mental wellbeing as poor or fair. Many cite work as a top stressor, with heavy workloads and unclear boundaries between job and life.
One respondent, a 26-year-old software developer, shared, “I try not to work after 6 PM, but I still answer emails in bed. I wish my manager would set the example.” This kind of personal story shows that strong, clear boundaries from managers matter.
The shift toward flexible schedules and remote work has not settled into one simple pattern, as I saw in several workforce conversations. According to the Deloitte survey and supported by Gallup’s 2025 research on remote-capable Gen Z workers:Only 23% of Gen Z employees would choose fully remote work. The majority prefer either a hybrid set-up or flexibility to pick their in-office days. Older workers, by contrast, are more likely to stick with remote-only when offered.
Some companies have tried to force on-site attendance, but I think the most successful approach is offering real choice and trusting people to use it. Hybrid work is not just a compromise; for many, it is the standard they expect.
Young professionals are ambitious, but they want growth that fits their lives and aligns with real skills. The survey found that Gen Z and Millennials are:
Gallup’s March 2025 research on Gen Z readiness for AI-driven workplaces tells another side of this story, with only 61% of Gen Z workers in STEM fields saying they feel prepared for AI at work. In sectors like healthcare or service jobs, that number drops close to 20%, showing an urgent need for accessible digital training.
Employers must give young professionals clear, simple paths to new skills if they want to keep them engaged and ready for the future.
Skill-based hiring best practices are further discussed on our site, especially in relation to the benefits of skill-based hiring for talent mobility.
According to the Deloitte report, Gen Z and Millennials are much more attentive to whether companies live up to their values. Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are not a “nice to have,” but a baseline expectation. Workers from these generations look for employers who:
I’ve covered practical tips on inclusive recruitment that match these expectations, emphasizing real action over statements.
One question I get often from HR leaders is: “Are these issues new, or have they just grown louder?” The Deloitte 2025 results compare with previous years and confirm a few clear shifts:
One Millennial survey subject said, “When I joined, I asked about recycling policies and team volunteering. If a company isn’t serious about purpose, I won’t stay.” This matches the movement I see: purpose and culture are real decision drivers, not marketing slogans.
Young workers are clearer and more vocal than past generations around what they want employers to offer. The survey highlights five main expectations:
I’ve witnessed that when these needs are overlooked, engagement drops quickly. Our post on improving employee engagement gives a few step-by-step processes that work with these trends in mind.
The 2025 findings are not just academic. I believe every leader and People team can take clear actions:
For more on making these shifts, the article on improving engagement and boosting productivity gives practical ideas that are working for clients in EWS Limited’s network.
While the Deloitte report aims for a global sample, it does highlight some differences by region and sector:
Across all markets, there’s one theme: companies that listen, communicate, and take action on real employee concerns build stronger loyalty in a challenging, mobile market.
If there’s a frustration voiced in the survey, it’s that progress often feels too slow or superficial for young professionals. Here are some of the specific barriers mentioned:
One Gen Z call center worker put it bluntly: “We’re told our ideas matter, but decisions still happen above our heads.” That gap between what’s said and what’s done is, I think, the biggest risk to retaining these professionals.
Without real mobility—inside an organization and across borders—Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to look elsewhere. EWS Limited’s mission is to connect the dots for both growing businesses and the new talent they rely on. Whether that’s by supporting hybrid work, smoothing the process of hiring across countries, or offering up-to-date compliance expertise, the answer is always to make every transition easier for the people who drive business forward.
If you want a bigger picture on why mobility and inclusion are linked, see the guides on inclusive hiring and skill-driven models.
This article is part of my ongoing focus on what talent mobility reports can teach us about where work is heading. I encourage readers who find gaps, have new research to share, or want to challenge these findings, to contact me at [email protected]. I’m always searching for the next big development to help business leaders adapt early and well.
The 2025 Deloitte Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey confirms what I’ve seen in daily conversations with candidates, leaders, and HR specialists: young employees want authenticity, flexibility, and a real path to impact. Financial security is still a worry, but purpose, learning, and feeling heard dominate choices about where they work and stay.
By listening, adapting, and following the evidence, business leaders can create more productive, more loyal teams—whatever the sector or geography.
If you are ready to rethink how you attract and support young talent, EWS Limited is ready to partner with you. Let’s connect and make mobility, engagement, and growth easier for everyone.
The Gen Z workforce includes employees born from the mid-1990s through the early 2010s who are now active in the global job market. They often value learning, social impact, technology, and work–life alignment over hierarchy or tradition. This group brings digital skills, fresh expectations on company values, and a strong desire for flexible career paths.
Millennials—those born between 1981 and 1996— tend to favor hybrid or flexible work models, according to both the Deloitte 2025 survey and recent Gallup findings. They want autonomy over schedules and seek meaningful tasks, recognizing that work is an important part of life but not its whole.
Key benefits that Gen Z rates highest, based on the 2025 Deloitte survey, are: fair and transparent pay, flexible working arrangements (especially hybrid options), clear routes for career growth, and real mental health support. This generation also expects companies to show evidence of acting on diversity, sustainability, and social values.
To reach and retain younger talent like Gen Z and Millennials, companies should focus on:
The main trends in the 2025 workplace are increased demand for flexibility, rapid adoption of digital skills (especially AI), higher expectations for employer transparency and action on social issues, and a shift toward hybrid models balancing in-person culture with remote freedom. Surveys agree that purpose, inclusion, and real career mobility are now non-negotiable for young workers.
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