In search of meaning: how Generation Z is changing the culture in the labor market
The requests of zoomers, many of whom, according to employers and more senior colleagues, want "everything at once," have long been a topic of discussion. Meanwhile, it is these seemingly excessive demands that can gradually change the labor market, experts believe. Izvestia investigated how Generation Z and employers influence each other.
The driving force
In the first quarter of 2025, Russians posted or updated almost 10 million resumes, while post-millennials accounted for 34%, more than 3.3 million. Such data was obtained as a result of a study conducted by the IT company BIA Technologies in conjunction with the HeadHunter platform. Elena Artemenko, head of the company's Personnel Training and development department, told Izvestia that the Zoomer generation was the driving force behind the transformation of the labor market in the digital age. They are highly flexible and able to quickly learn new tools and platforms.
They also have specific requirements. According to Artemenko, 23% of young professionals prefer remote work exclusively, and 21% appreciate the possibility of flexible working hours. These preferences turned out to be more important than compensation for mobile communications, meals, travel, foreign language training, sports, and others — only 17% chose them, while 16% chose VMI.
Tatiana Fedorova, an entrepreneur and certified Access Consciousness facilitator, emphasized that "high salaries, flexible working conditions and a non—toxic atmosphere are a generational reaction.
— Generation Z has a history of "violence for good", so they reject direct pressure and demand transparency and security. They know how to collect information and analyze it, they know that it is possible to act differently, and they choose what they are used to receiving, that is, the best," said Fedorova.
Andrey Ivanov, head of the Fractales Agency marketing agency and founder of the Media Bay digital studio, believes that the main reason for the difficulties in finding a job for young professionals is the discrepancy between personal expectations and what the employer needs.
— Firstly, the spread of online education allegedly demonstrated a huge demand [for new employees] and the ease of entering the labor market with good starting positions, which greatly warmed up the expectations of young applicants. Secondly, there has been significantly less free money in recent years, and companies have started counting business indicators. Many young job seekers do not understand that the value of their work for the company should be significantly higher than the amount they receive in the form of a salary," Ivanov said.
The new normal
Marketing and Communications Director of a digital agency Magnetto.pro Yulia Tsibizova believes that the turbulence of the domestic labor market should not be blamed on a specific generation or education. She added that the educational system provides a base and foundation, but people "pump up" opportunities for growth themselves.
— We are ready to hire guys without strong hard skills, if they have strong soft skills, and then we will "mold" professionals together with them. It was different with millennials — we were actually creating a digital industry from scratch, there was no one to train. It is important for zoomers to honestly show reality and at the same time help them develop and achieve results within the company," said Tsibizova.
In the Level Group, the formation of the personnel reserve is carried out immediately in cooperation with the target universities. The developer's HR director, Valentina Romanova, said that generational differences are not a contradiction, but an inevitable companion of development and change.
— Zoom requests are the new norm. They rightly want not just to have a job, but to find self-fulfillment, comfort and development in it. The meanings and values of the company they work for are important to them, and interest and passion are important in the work process," Romanova shared.
Romanova added that long—term internships with a clear route to employment are the company's main tool in working with the younger generation. At the same time, an internship is not just a small—scale help, but a full-fledged integration cycle, where a young specialist goes through several waves, each of which implies an increase in responsibility, competencies and, of course, wages.
Olga Shapovalova, an expert in line personnel outsourcing, confirmed that internships and internships with subsequent employment allow young professionals to smoothly influence the corporate environment, so classic hiring is less suitable for them.
— This is a challenge for companies to adapt their processes to new realities, take into account the needs of young professionals, and change the culture and training system. Such changes do not happen instantly, but they will determine the competitiveness and sustainability of the business in the coming years. Willingness to change is the key to successful work with Generation Z, and it's not just a matter of personnel, but a company—wide development strategy," she said.
The Corporate Coup
Younger generations of employees place high demands on companies, but they can accept lower salaries if the organization is stable and the job gives them a sense of meaning and the opportunity to benefit, according to a Skolkovo study.
As Elena Dubovitskaya, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Skolkovo School of Management, explained to Izvestia, "inflated expectations" hide not whims, but a different coordinate system.
— Young specialists are readily involved in projects, they can create tangible value for the company, but they do not seek to disappear into the "corporate spirit" forever. We are witnessing a process of rethinking what work is, why it is, and how value is created," she notes.
Companies are responding to this trend by developing corporate volunteerism, contributing to the creation of an inclusive environment, launching targeted initiatives together with foundations close to them in spirit and mission. The atmosphere in the team and the reputation of the company are becoming increasingly important. Zoomers are more likely to pay attention to flexible working hours, while millennials are more likely to have a social package, the expert added.
At the same time, the key reasons for leaving include a delay or reduction in salary, harassment and an unfriendly atmosphere in the team. For millennials, incompetent management may be an additional factor.
Ksenia Makeeva, Logistics Manager at ATU Forwarding, shared with Izvestia how the Zoomer representative sees the situation. According to her, the main conflict with the classic office is the lack of understanding of the need to "sit from nine to six in a stuffy office" if part of the work is done and the day can be finished from home.
— The myth of high expectations is greatly exaggerated. We don't want everything at once just like that. We want the work to be meaningful, flexible, and adequately paid. This is not laziness or rebellion for the sake of rebellion. It's a matter of efficiency and respect for one's own and others' time. We are ready to be responsible for the result, but we are disgusted by the idea of serving hours simply because it is customary," said Makeeva.
According to her, companies have to make a choice: put pressure on employees, forcing them to play by the old rules, or try to adapt. Ksenia noted that those who change end up with a motivated and loyal team.
— Another frequent reproach is that we come "raw" and demand a lot. This is not the fault of the generation, but a systemic failure, a gap between universities and the real market. We want meaning and fair pay, not because we are so spoiled, but because we see that the world allows us to work differently," the manager added.
Ksenia noted that hiring a person without experience is always an investment, an investment that pays off, even if not instantly. She added that when senior colleagues are not afraid to share knowledge, young employees get up to speed very quickly and begin to bring real benefits.
Dream Response
Oksana Bobrova, GASKAR's HR director, said that young professionals often face the effect of a "gap between education and practice": they have a diploma, but no relevant competencies, and several unsuccessful interviews are perceived as confirmation of their own inadequacy.
According to her, there is often a psychological factor in stories about difficulties in finding a job. Someone is really looking for ideal conditions and cannot compete with more active candidates. Someone experiences a fear of evaluation, anxiety about growing up, an all-or-nothing cognitive distortion.
Anastasia Kournikova, HR manager at the PR Partner communications agency, noted that according to a PwC study, 26% of Generation Z representatives are ready to change jobs within a year if they are not satisfied with the corporate culture or lack the opportunity for training.
According to her, recruiters view hundreds of resumes every day, and many applications do not automatically qualify according to the criteria. Kournikova emphasized that it is much better to customize the response to a specific vacancy using keywords from its description. This increases the probability of automatic selection by 2-3 times. It is also important that the cover letter answers the question: "Why do I want to work for you and how will my skills help you solve your problem?"
In addition to professional skills, adaptability, learning ability, and digital literacy are increasingly valued in the labor market, implying the ability to quickly learn new tools such as CRM systems or artificial intelligence. At the same time, many young specialists focus on courses in their resumes, but do not show how they applied their knowledge in practice.
Alexey Vorobyov, a recruitment consultant at the Fersol service and recruiting company, told Izvestia that there are much fewer vacancies for novice specialists on the market than for experienced ones. If a candidate responds to a position where the requirements already require seniority, then it is logical that the recruiter will give preference to those who have it.
— Many young professionals cannot get a job because their expectations are higher than reality. Employers expect willingness to learn, not instant team leadership. Those who know how to assess their strengths sensibly and are ready to grow, find work much faster," Vorobyov said.
He added that if a person is really motivated to find a job, he should devote at least two to three hours a day to this process: to study vacancies at hh.ru , leave feedback, write cover letters. Mass mailing of resumes does not work thoughtlessly. It is more effective to combine quantity and quality: send enough feedback, but at the same time adapt the resume and letter to a specific vacancy.
Vorobyov emphasized that someone who throws a thousand "spam responses" rarely gets to an interview, and someone who focuses on working with 10-15 vacancies, but carefully prepares, studies the company and writes meaningful cover letters, receives offers much faster.
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