76% of Gen Z teens surveyed say they want to make a career out of their hobbies. And 60% say it’s important to make an impact on the world.
Image: Supplied

Generation Z does not care about a traditional 9 to 5 workday in a “cubicle farm”.

This is one of the findings employer brand research firm Universum found in their latest report “World’s Most Attractive Employers” for 2018. 

Generation Z is generally between 10- and 20-years-old and only know a world with smartphones with easy internet access. 

For this generation‚ a work/life balance means something different to Millennials and those who came before them.

“Gen Z is the first generation to grow up understanding that technology allows you to work wherever and whenever you would like. Why work a traditional 9 to 5 schedule in a ‘cubicle farm’ when one can just as easily work remotely – even as a digital nomad.

“76% of Gen Z teens surveyed say they want to make a career out of their hobbies. And 60% say it’s important to make an impact on the world.”

Universum asked 228‚910 business‚ engineering and IT students in the world’s 12 biggest economies which employers they admire the most and what they are looking for when seeking employment.

They found what they want day to day is largely the same‚ but their long-term goals differ according to region. For the UK and Russian students‚ making top dollar is a top priority‚ Japanese and South Korean students want to work for companies that respect its employees‚ while French and Italian students want to be challenged.

About three in every 10 students want to work for companies with over 1‚000 employees while about a quarter want to join companies with 500 to 1‚000 employees.

In their research‚ students first check the social media pages of companies they want to join before heading over to their websites.

“For companies‚ this means increasingly relying on paid social content over organic content. Social media was once hailed as the great equaliser – allowing small companies to compete effectively against big brands‚ but this is increasingly less true.”

Retail giant Amazon was the biggest mover amongst business students‚ rising from 26 to 13 in the rankings of the most wanted boss.

“Amazon was particularly attractive due to its two brand pillars: a willingness to pivot and adapt in pursuit of success‚ as well as care for its customers.”

Meanwhile‚ Facebook struggled over the past year as they faced several crises including Cambridge Analytica and claims a Russian-funded operation used the platform to interfere with the US elections.

“Mark Zuckerberg‚ once the epitome of digital innovation‚ now often appears to be tone deaf to public concerns about Facebook’s power.”

The top 10 employers for business students were: Google; Goldman Sachs; EY (Ernst & Young); Deloitte; KPMG; PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers); Apple; J.P. Morgan; McKinsey; and Microsoft.

The top 10 employers for IT and engineering students were: Google; Microsoft; Apple; BMW; Intel; General Electric (GE); IBM; Siemens; Samsung; and Amazon.

The 12 economies surveyed are: Brazil; Canada; China; France; Germany; India; Italy; Japan; Russia; South Korea; The United Kingdom; and The United States of America.