A view of the office through Gen Z eyes

A study by Adobe tries to understand the Gen Z in the workplace, their expectations, importance given to culture and mentoring.

If you are fixated on their date of birth, Gen Z can be brushed aside as a tenderfoot in the workplace. Getting past that superficiality, one sees an enterprising workforce for what it is: naturally attuned to the future of work, keen on kicking fresh ideas around, and (this one just might raise many pairs of grey eyebrows) eager to soak up knowledge and insights from seniors. That is how the data from an India-specific Adobe Future Workforce study translates into.

Here is a peek into the findings: 91% of Gen Z respondents say they are prepared for AI adoption in the workplace; and 81% of them admit to having tried using the technology to aid in their work regardless of whether their workplace has implemented guidelines on generative AI. Most of the Gen Z respondents (96%) point out they are comfortable providing feedback to their peers and colleagues; and (86%) state they are comfortable giving upward feedback to managers or supervisors. Gen Z is eager for career guidance with 91% saying they believe a workplace mentor is crucial for their career, the study states.

Reportedly, in collaboration with Advanis, Adobe collected over 1,000 responses online from Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) in India in early September 2023.

The Gen Z respondents had worked full-time for a medium to large-sized company for up to three years.

Fast track to success

The report states that an overwhelming majority of Gen Z workers (93%) are eager to grow, not only in impact but up the corporate ladder to the C-suite. While 87% say they feel good about career growth opportunities at their company, 46% of respondents ranked “no clear path to promotion” as the number one reason for leaving a job, closely followed by less-than-satisfactory pay (43%).

Mentoring matters