As Gen Z emerges into the workforce—with the oldest now around 28—organizations are grappling with how to engage, motivate, and support this complex and evolving generation. A recent webinar explored the business case for focusing on Gen Z now, shared new motivational research, and examined generational dynamics through case studies and data-driven insights

Why now?

Gen Z entered the workforce during a uniquely turbulent time—many started careers during the pandemic, experiencing disruptions in education and professional growth. Now navigating a hybrid, tech-centric, and politically polarized world, they face challenges that set them apart from previous generations at the same life stage. 

A Familiar Pattern

As with every new generation, older cohorts tend to scrutinize—and often criticize—the newcomers. Boomers were called selfish by the Silent Generation, Gen X was labeled cynical and rebellious, Millennials were seen as lazy and entitled, and now Gen Z is described as screen-addicted and communication-averse. These exaggerated generational narratives obscure both shared struggles and real opportunities for intergenerational understanding. 

What Makes Gen Z Unique?

Research reveals several unique traits and challenges for Gen Z: 

• Mental Health Concerns: This generation reports significantly higher levels of stress, burnout, anxiety, and isolation than previous generations. 

• Managerial Reluctance: 72% prefer to be individual contributors rather than managers. 

• Communication Habits: They’re more likely to seek answers from AI than from colleagues, which can be both a strength and a risk. 

• Values and Expectations: They seek work-life balance, meaningful work, and alignment with their values, and are more open to lateral career moves. 

Motivational Insights from New Research

Using the Individual Directions Inventory (IDI)—a psychometric tool measuring 17 motivational dimensions—researchers examined nearly 60,000 global responses from 1993–2025. 

Gen Z is more motivated by: 

• Receiving support 

• Having charisma (entertaining others) 

• Showing determination 

• Being flexible and opportunistic 

• Being self-sufficient 

Gen Z is less motivated by: 

• Competing aggressively 

• High achievement (as traditionally defined) 

• Creativity and innovation 

This contrasts with older generations, such as Gen X and Baby Boomers, who scored higher on competitiveness and achievement motivation. 

Age vs. Generation 

By comparing Gen Z’s motivations to those of Gen X and Millennials when they were also in their 20s, the study distinguished between generational traits and age-related factors. Findings suggest some differences are developmental, not generational—like valuing charisma or being organized. 

Takeaways for Leaders & Organizations

• Avoid Overgeneralizing: Not all differences are generational; many are simply part of being in your 20s. 

• Support Mental Health: Address the higher rates of stress and anxiety among Gen Z employees with proactive support systems. 

• Foster Self-Awareness: Motivation is personal and can evolve; helping Gen Z understand their own drivers through tools like the IDI can inform smarter career decisions. 

• Rethink Leadership Development: Gen Z may not aspire to traditional leadership roles. Offer alternative growth paths that emphasize meaning, flexibility, and autonomy. 

• Enhance Communication Skills: Invest in helping Gen Z build comfort and capability in in-person dialogue, while honoring their strengths in digital communication. 

Gen Z is not a problem to solve—they are a generation to understand, support, and empower. Their entry into the workforce offers a valuable opportunity to rethink outdated systems and create healthier, more inclusive workplaces. 

For more much more on this topic – including a real-world case study – watch the full webinar on-demand now.

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Q&A with the Experts

Q: What role do parents and educators play in an individual’s motivation?

A: Early in life, parents and educators are role models and play a strong role in determining a child’s experiences. It is, therefore, likely that they will have a good degree of influence on what motivates the child. For example, many Gen X parents took a “helicopter” or “stealth-fighter” parenting approach to raising children from Gen Z. Motivation is based on experience and these parenting styles may not have provided Gen Z kids with a lot of opportunities to take risks or to figure things out on their own. Might this be related to their lower motivation for innovating? Possibly. Gen Z’s strongest motivator is receiving support. This could be related to having highly supportive parents who were more present than previous generations of parents.

Parents and educators can influence children’s motivation through the stories they share, the activities they make available and the expectations they place on them. However, this influence should weaken as the child becomes an adult and has greater control over their world. It will be interesting to see how this plays out with Gen Z now that they are going off on their own and gaining greater control over their own experiences.

Q: I saw a lot of « less motivated by » compared to the other generations and only one « more motivated by ». Does it mean that Gen Z is less motivated overall?

A: When we compared Gen Z to other generations regardless of age, we found that they are less motivated than Gen X in 1 dimension and more motivated than Baby Boomers in 3 dimensions.

When we compared Gen Z to other generations when they were in their 20s, we found that they were less motivated than Gen X and Y in 4 dimensions, and more motivated than Gen X in 1 dimension.

Does this mean that overall, they are less motivated than other generations? While the comparison of Gen Z with Y and X in their 20s might make it seem like there are fewer things that motivate Gen Z, it might show that they are more variable in what motivates them to a high degree. The group mean for a dimension may not be high even if some individuals in the group score high on that dimension. If individuals within the Gen Z group have less consensus about what is highly motivating, then the group means for the dimensions will be lower than they are for a group with more similar motivational patterns across individuals. That said, when we look at the motivational profile of the different generations (see below), they all have multiple high and low motivators.

Averages can hide some of the variability present in a group but individual Gen Z profiles are more likely than not to show a variety of high and low motivators.

Q: I wonder if there would be generational differences if the analysis controlled for factors like role, industry or whether one is working for a nonprofit versus a for-profit organization.

A: We have conducted several studies on motivation and the factors listed above. That research consistently finds differences in motivation based on role, industry, and organization type. For example, people with different motivational profiles tend to work in different areas:

• People in sales roles tend to be more motivated by winning and maneuvering than people in other roles.
• People in technical, engineering and research roles tend to be more motivated by interpreting than people in other roles.

We also know there are gender and regional differences in motivation, among other factors.

The primary goal of the present study was to explore overall differences with Gen Z. Because of this, we controlled for three factors: function, gender and region.

As we continue to explore what motivates Gen Z as their numbers grow in the workplace, it would be interesting to explore what generational differences there are within different groupings.  For example, are there generational differences in motivation when looking at people who work in nonprofits? I suspect we will find many similarities with the general research, but also some unique patterns in that context.

Q: Given the relatively small differences in motivation across generations, would it be more useful to classify motivators according to career stage? 

A: Thank you for the suggestion. I agree that this would be useful research. We run age group comparisons as a proxy for career stage, assuming that people in the same decade of their lives are in similar places in their careers. It would be interesting to consider groupings based on years in management. Stay tuned as we continue to explore this topic!

Q: When it comes to Gen Z, what’s going to motivate them to step into leadership roles?

References: Deloitte, HR Brew, Yahoo Finance

Q: You didn’t say anything about whether money was a motivator for this generation. What is it that they need to have motivate them to step up in to leadership roles if it is not status, money, etc?

A: Regarding what we know so far about Gen Z and money, Gen Z is, on average, wealthier than previous generations were at the same age. This is supported by income data, wealth accumulation trends, and the rise of the gig economy.  

The Economist reports that a typical 25-year-old Gen Zer has a household income over $40,000, significantly more than baby boomers at the same age. Gen Z is also a generation of spenders, with faster spending growth on both necessary and discretionary items, NBC Philadelphia. Newsweek reports Gen Z has accumulated more wealth per capita than previous generations at the same age .  Gen Z is also more likely to participate in the gig economy, which allows for flexible work arrangements and potentially higher income opportunities, Yahoo Finance.  Finally, Gen Z may be earning more due to higher levels of education and a propensity to job-hop, Fortune.  

While Gen Z is financially better off at their age, some studies also suggest that they may still feel financially stressed due to factors like higher costs of living and student loan debt. Furthermore, there is a term growing in usage “money dysmorphia” which essentially means that even though Gen Z is doing well by objective measures financially, they don’t feel like they are.  While this certainly is influenced by higher costs of living and student loan debt, it is also the result of hedonic adaptation which means we get used to the good things in our lives and our baseline happiness resets, making the good feel more ordinary resulting in us craving/wanting more than we have. 

Q: The thought that Gen Z is turning to AI rather than asking questions is really scary. What does this say about the future of mentoring and being a mentor from a different generation?

A: A recent study by Censuswide, published by pearl.com, reveals a striking insight into Gen Z’s relationship with questions and AI. An overwhelming 83% of Gen Z respondents reported feeling anxiety about asking questions in real life—fearing judgment, wasting someone’s time, or appearing incompetent. As a result, Gen Z is significantly more likely to turn to AI than to a colleague when seeking answers. On average, they use AI 12 times per week, and 41% say they trust AI more than humans in most situations.

For those of us who lead, manage, mentor, or coach Gen Z professionals, this is a clear call to action. We must foster environments that normalize curiosity and make it safe to ask questions—without fear of embarrassment or dismissal. Psychological safety isn’t optional; it’s foundational. If we want to unlock the full potential of Gen Z, we need to consistently demonstrate that there truly are no foolish questions.

Q: I work with many companies as a consultant and I continue to see Gen Z, and even Millenials, asking for for growth and learning and leaders choosing to not share responsibility with them, often resulting in Gen-Z/Millenials leaving the organization entirely to find growth elsewhere. Is this something you guys are seeing as well and how can we get these senior staffers to share responsibility and knowledge?