With all the upheaval the workforce has seen in the last few years, it’s no wonder employers and employees alike are doing some soul searching. Employees are wondering what their life’s work should be and how to balance work, family, and other pursuits. Employers – having seen an exodus of many workers – are examining their societal responsibilities and what they need to do to attract and retain talent. In particular, it’s the youngest members of the workforce who are looking at where employers stand on diversity, equity, and various social issues as well as other factors affecting mental health. And it’s those young workers who are letting their employers know the company values they truly value.

What do employees want?

Researchers are finding an increasing focus on mental health and work-life balance. In May 2022, Indeed, the employment website, and singer Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation teamed up to produce a report called Kindness in the Workplace: Understanding Mental Health Resource Availability and Preferences for Your Workers.

A letter introducing the report says researchers found that 79% of young people believe it’s important to work in a place that prioritizes mental health, and 74% of young people say it’s important to work in a place that feels like a kind community. The researchers found that just six in 10 young workers said they work in a kind community.

One question included in the study asked respondents whether they would be more or less likely to apply for a job if the job posting listed “supporting employee mental health” or “kindness” as an important value of the company. The study found that 72% of respondents said “supporting employee mental health” would make them more likely to apply, while 77% said “kindness” would make them more likely to apply.

The research also found that 72% of the young workers polled said they can’t access the mental health resources they need because of cost. The report found that financial security is another priority for young workers.

TalentLMS, a workplace training company, and BambooHR, a software provider for HR, teamed up on other research about Generation Z in the workplace. They found that 82% of Gen Z employees find it important to have mental health days, and half want mental health training.

The TalentLMS and BambooHR research, released in May, stated that 77% of Gen Z workers feel it’s important to work for a company that cares about diversity, equity, and inclusion. The research also found that young workers prefer hybrid work, but the top traits Gen Z’ers seek are empathy and honesty from leaders and managers.

What makes Gen Z’ers quit?

In addition to learning what young workers want, employers also need to learn why employees leave. The Born This Way Foundation asked young workers why they have quit jobs in the past. The top two responses were a desire for higher pay or benefits and being burned out from stress or hours. These answers were followed by wanting a career or job change, needing to support their mental health, and wanting kinder, more supportive management. Not getting recognition or promotions, needing a job with more hours, and wanting a different work model (remote, in-person, hybrid) were also cited.

The TalentLMS study reported that unsatisfactory salary, burnout, and lack of work-life balance were the key reasons Gen Z’ers quit their jobs. Also, a lack of learning opportunities was found to be a reason for workers quitting.

What can employers do?

The Born This Way Foundation report says you don’t have to incur costs or make major policy changes. Instead, you can do things such as encourage managers to check in with young workers and publicly list kindness and supporting mental health as values of your company.

To attract and retain the youngest members of the workforce, the TalentLMS research advises you to lead with empathy and honesty. That may require managers to be more transparent and adjust their leadership style.

The TalentLMS research also says you need to make sure you’re not underutilizing your young workers, and it stresses that young workers need to have opportunities to grow into leadership roles.

Employer sincerity is also key, according to the TalentLMS research. “Today’s youth want to connect with companies and brands that align with their values, but the commitment needs to be genuine,” the research report says. “Trying to ride the trend wave without doing something real about it won’t cut it for Gen Z.”