Generation Z's top job demands include flexi time and plant-based milk

Forget a company car – where’s my soy milk? Generation Z’s top job demands include flexible hours, birthdays off, a good coffee machine and plant-based milk – with 9% wanting to bring their dogs into the office, survey reveals

• Generation Z’s top job demands include flexible hours and getting birthdays off 
• A good coffee machine and subsidised lunches also made the top 10 priorities
• The findings are from a survey of 2,000 working Brits aged 18 – 29 in November

Forget a pension pot or a company car – generation Z’s top job demands include flexible hours, getting birthdays off work and plant-based milks for coffee, a new survey has revealed. 

Access to a life coach, Friday afternoons off and being allowed to bring a dog to work also make it in the priorities list for young employees, the survey of 2,000 working Brits aged 18 – 29 showed.

Modern Brits now also focus on the ability to work from home and deem a relaxed dress code a must. 

Linda Blank, COO, Feedr, which conducted the research said: ‘There has been a lot of negativity around Gen Z’s expectations of work, however, they are the future workforce and it’s important to understand what matters to them. 

‘The research shows that young people want to feel supported, valued and respected in the workplace by employers who understand the benefits they want and value, from nutritious food to access to mental health support.’ 

The top five thing Generation Z look for in a job are flexible hours (45 per cent), getting your birthday off work (39 per cent), a good coffee machine (28 per cent), working from home at least twice a week (27 per cent) and a gym membership (26 per cent). 

Other priorities included the ability to have a shower after cycling in to the office, which 13 per cent said was important, and nine per cent said bringing their dog to the office was a must.  

Fifteen per cent of Gen Z’s want every Friday afternoon off and one in five said a relaxed dress code is a must.

Young people now believe working from home and flexible working are priorities in a job (file photo)

GENERATION Z’S TOP DEMANDS FROM A JOB

Food is a major priority for 18- to 29-year-olds, with 50 percent expecting dedicated areas for eating and 30 percent saying team lunches and dinners out were important, while 27 percent want cakes and treats on offer, according to the research by office delivery and catering company, Feedr.

One in three (30 percent) admit that lunch is the highlight of their working day, with 85 percent saying that it is important for them to have access to healthy meals at work.

And the humble office sandwich has been replaced by curries (29 percent), stuffed pitta breads (18 percent), Greek salads (16 percent) and poke bowls (14 percent).

A quarter (25 percent) would like staff to have lunch together, while one in four (25 percent) would like outside eating areas in the summer.

Mental health and wellbeing is also an important factor, with access to a life coach or psychotherapist a priority for 15 percent, a career mentor crucial for nine percent, complimentary yoga sessions key for seven percent and a meditation room important for five percent.

Overall, two thirds (64 percent) of youngsters believe a happy and ‘zen’ working environment is more important than a massive salary, with more than half (57 percent) saying that better nutrition and mental health perks are more important than old school benefits such as laptops, company cars and pension plans.

Six in ten (61 percent) agree that workers today have different expectations of benefits than previous generations did, with one in two (53 percent) agreeing that young people can be unfairly judged for having high standards when it comes to their job and working environment.

Nine in ten (91 percent) believe that employers need to be more creative in terms of the working environment and perks that they offer, if they want to keep people happy in the modern age.

And over a third (37 percent) admit that their parents or older people don’t take them seriously when they express a desire for certain perks or standards in a place of work.

Ms Blank added: ‘Listening to employees and reacting to their needs can go a long way in attracting & retaining top talent and supporting a great employee experience.’ 

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