What Industries Are Gen Zers Choosing To Work In?

• Gen Z are the most diverse generation and the most tech-savvy. 
• Finding top Gen Z talent has become difficult, which has prompted HR professionals to reassess their recruitment approaches, resources, and technologies. 
• Gen Zers are aspiring to work in tech — the majority of job applications from Gen Zers were for companies in the tech industry, followed by business services, finance, and retail.   

 Gen Zers (those born after 1997) are graduating and getting ready to enter the workforce. Gen Z (also called Zoomers) employees may be young, but they are also the most diverse generation and the most tech-savvy.

Finding top Gen Z talent has become difficult, which has prompted HR professionals to reassess their recruitment approaches, resources, and technologies.  

According to Vantage Point, to attract the digitally competent, work-from-anywhere-oriented Zoomer workforce, companies must rely on benefits inspired by new age methods to find candidates based on merit and compatibility with the brand’s business objectives and culture. 

What companies does Gen Z want to work for the most? 

Recruiter surveyed more than 29,000 Zoomers and found that Google, Apple, and Netflix are the top three companies they want to work for.  

Women in this age group prefer to work for Netflix, Disney, and Apple, while men prefer Google, Apple, and Amazon.   

While tech companies are generally popular with Gen Zers, Apple is the only company that appears in the top three across all lists.

Entertainment is Gen Z’s most prized industry, with 78% of the Gen Zers surveyed naming arts, entertainment, and recreation as an industry they’d like to work for. 77% named technology, and 60% selected hospitality, tourism, and the restaurant industry. 

In 2019, Glassdoor found that “software engineer” is the most in-demand job that Gen Z job seekers are applying to – with applications accounting for 19% of total applications by Gen Z users during a three-and-a-half-month period. 

The second top job that Gen Z job seekers are most applying to is “software developer,” accounting for 2% of total applications.   

Gen Zers are aspiring to work in tech — the majority of job applications from Gen Zers were for companies in the tech industry, followed by business services, finance, and retail.  

IBM, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Deloitte are the top five companies that Gen Z are applying to on Glassdoor. 

Across Glassdoor reviews left by Gen Z, “work environment,” “flexible hours,” and “good pay” are the most common keywords used by Gen Z to describe the pros of working for their employers.  

“Free food,” “company discount,” and “easy work” also appear in the top ten most common phrases for Gen Z employees.  

“Long hours” and “low pay” are the most common keywords Gen Z employees use to describe the cons of their work experience.   

What is Important for Gen Z in the workplace? 

1. Flexibility 

Gen Z workers greatly value work-life balance and flexible schedules for their jobs to fit their daily routine.  

Working remotely is the way to go for Gen Z as they can deliver results from any city or location without conforming to dress codes or punctuality rules of a traditional office. 

2. Cutting-edge tech 

80% of Gen Zers expect to work with the latest technology, according to Dell. 91% of the Gen Zers interviewed by Dell believe that tech influences their decision to choose between similar employers.  

Finding the right gadgets and software for Gen Z employees is essential if companies want to attract talented workers from this age group.  

3. Workplace diversity 

Pew Research Center revealed that 48% of Gen Z are non-caucasian, making them the most racially diverse generation to date. They want to know that their employer controls an equitable, diverse company. To attract Gen Zers, companies will need to ramp up their diversity hiring game.  

Companies with the highest reviews from Gen Z   

Glassdoor used reviews left by Gen Z employees to identify the employers that Gen Z has had great experiences working for. The reviews include employee feedback primarily from a mix of part-time, full-time, intern, contract, and freelance workers.  

The top three highest rated companies according to Gen Z employees are all tech companies.   

The highest rated company is Apple – with an average rating of 4.6 from Gen Z employees. It is closely followed by Google and Microsoft, both with average ratings of 4.6 from Gen Z employees.   

Morgan Stanley is the fourth highest rated employer, and the only employer in the finance industry that appears in this list. The fifth highest rated employer is Facebook, with an average rating of 4.5 from reviews left by Gen Z workers. 

As members of Gen Z continue to join the working population in the next decade, we’ll likely see employers continue to adapt to attract these new job seekers.  

From Glassdoor’s analyses on job application data, it found that millennials and Gen Z job seekers are applying to similar companies and metros. This will only heighten the pressure on companies across diverse industries to compete with their tech counterparts to recruit and hire skilled workers.