Gen Z Tech Workers Redefine Full-Time Work with Side Hustles and Flexibility, Embrace AI with Optimism
MWN-AI** Summary
Recent research by Randstad Digital reveals that Generation Z (Gen Z) tech workers are significantly transforming the landscape of full-time employment. They prioritize flexibility and supplementary income, with 25% aspiring to blend full-time roles with side hustles, eclipsing those seeking traditional roles. This shift reflects their adaptation to contemporary economic realities, where a mere 1% view passion pursuits as a primary motivation, underscoring a pragmatic approach focused on financial stability.
Flexibility is paramount for Gen Z, as 49% value flexible hours and 41% prefer location flexibility. Additionally, 36% cite inadequate pay as a primary reason for leaving jobs, with nearly half having departed roles within a year. The data indicates a clear preference for competitive compensation and clear career progression opportunities, highlighting a low threshold for turnover.
On the technological front, Gen Z exhibits cautious optimism towards artificial intelligence (AI). While 75% express excitement about AI's integration into workplaces—outpacing millennials slightly—43% worry about its impact on job security. Nonetheless, many are actively engaging with AI tools, with 61% having received AI training last year, demonstrating their willingness to leverage technology for problem-solving.
For employers, understanding these tendencies will be crucial for talent retention. Almost 25% of Gen Z workers anticipate staying with their current employers for 3-5 years, while a notable 29% expect to remain for just 1-2 years. To foster retention, companies must focus on enhancing pay, career development opportunities, and delivering flexible work arrangements, aligning their strategies with the expectations of this emerging workforce. With these insights, employers can better navigate the evolving dynamics of talent acquisition and retention in the tech sector.
MWN-AI** Analysis
The evolving landscape of employment driven by Gen Z tech workers represents a pivotal shift in how companies should approach recruitment, retention, and workplace culture. Research highlights that nearly 25% of these workers prefer a hybrid model of full-time work combined with side hustles, revealing a strong inclination towards income diversification. For employers, this signals an urgent need to adapt roles that can accommodate flexible schedules and allow exploration of side ventures without compromising primary job responsibilities.
Flexibility is paramount for Gen Z, with 49% ranking it as their top priority. Businesses must reassess their operational models to provide this flexibility while ensuring competitive compensation packages to attract this talent pool. Offering clear career progression pathways will also be critical, as 41% of Gen Z cite poor workplace culture and low pay as reasons for leaving their positions. Creating an environment that fosters growth and satisfies their aspirations can significantly increase retention rates.
Moreover, Gen Z demonstrates a cautious yet optimistic approach to artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, using it with enthusiasm to enhance their problem-solving capabilities. While concerns about job displacement exist—43% expressing apprehension—employers who upskill their workforce through AI training will likely gain a competitive edge in attracting these tech-savvy individuals.
To summarize, companies should focus on flexible work arrangements, promote a culture of innovation, and strategically integrate AI tools. By doing so, employers can not only attract Gen Z talent but also foster loyalty and engagement, ultimately leading to a more resilient workforce ready to navigate the future’s complexities. As Gen Z continues to redefine work, adaptability will be essential for organizational success.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
PR Newswire
New research by Randstad Digital polled technology workers from across the globe to reveal Gen Z's work preferences, career expectations, and more.
DIEMEN, Netherlands, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new global research study from Randstad Digital confirms that Gen Z workers in the Technology sector are reshaping traditional notions of full-time employment: prioritizing flexibility and supplementary income streams, and approaching AI's role in the workplace with a cautious enthusiasm. These findings highlight Gen Z's role in reshaping traditional career paths and provide valuable insight for employers in understanding how to recruit and retain the right talent.
"Our research illustrates that Tech jobs remain highly attractive to Gen Z – yet their expectations are shaping how companies now think about culture, flexibility, career growth, and even the use of AI," said Graig Paglieri, chief executive of Randstad Digital. "While it's tempting to focus automation efforts on entry-level jobs, employers should design these roles as stepping stones to build stronger, more resilient organizations for the future. Tech leaders should also focus on competitive compensation and clear career paths, while encouraging AI exploration and building a culture of innovation within their organization."
Redefining full-time work:
While the generations that came before may have been able to rely on one consistent income stream, Gen Z is adapting to the economic environment more creatively. A significant 25% of Gen Z tech workers aspire to have a full-time role combined with a side hustle, surpassing the 23% who prefer a traditional full-time role and 13% opting for gig work. Even Gen Z respondents who currently only work one full-time position are looking to make a change, with 36% expressing a desire for a side hustle. These insights indicate a strong trend towards blended income models.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, flexibility and pay are paramount for Gen Z, with 49% ranking flexible working hours, 45% ranking pay, and 41% ranking flexibility in location among their top three priorities. This aligns with emerging career preferences, as Gen Z employees in the Technology sector seek additional income streams on top of their 9-5. Strikingly, only 1% of Gen Z cited pursuing passions as a top factor, underscoring a pragmatic, financially-driven approach to work.
Gen Z are realists about AI in the workplace:
A large majority (75%) of Gen Z are excited about AI in the workplace, and 76% already utilize it for problem-solving. Though Gen Z is largely embracing AI, millennials outpace them slightly when it comes to adoption: 77% are excited about AI, and 78% already using it for problem-solving.
Employers are getting on board with AI, as well, and are actively investing in upskilling, with 61% of Gen Z having received AI training in the past year. Despite the enthusiasm and investment from leadership, 43% of Gen Z workers in Tech are concerned about AI's impact on their jobs, a sentiment possibly fueled by discussions around AI's potential to displace entry-level positions. In contrast, only 41% of Millennials and 38% of Gen X share this concern.
Still, Gen Z isn't shy about adopting AI: almost half (45%) frequently learn through AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot, though on-the-job training remains the primary learning method for 52%.
Retention Challenges: Gen Z is growth-hunting, not job-hopping:
While flexibility and pay are key drivers for Gen Z in determining if they accept a position, they're also key factors for determining if they want to stay with their current company. If they aren't satisfied, they're not afraid to leave: nearly half (49%) of Gen Z have voluntarily left a job in less than a year. The primary reasons cited were "pay too low" (36%), poor workplace culture (41%), lack of career progression (19%), and lack of flexibility (11%).
Only 25% of Gen Z plan to stay at their current company for 3-5 years, with 29% expecting to stay only 1-2 years, and 18% for just 6-12 months. In stark contrast, only 3% of Gen Z plan to stay at their current company for more than 10 years, compared to 10% of millennials and 11% of Gen X.
To retain Gen Z long-term (3-5 years), employers need to consider the preferences of these workers: better pay (45%), career progression (25%), and more flexible working hours (23%) are the leading motivators. This highlights a short-term mindset and pragmatic retention drivers – this generation won't hesitate to pursue alternate paths that lead to growth, both professionally and financially.
Additional GenZ insights can be found in Randstad's latest report: "understanding talent scarcity: the Gen Z workplace blueprint".
About the Research Study:
Randstad Digital's research uncovers the strategic shift employers need to make to attract and retain Gen Z talent in the Technology sector, based on a survey of 742 respondents working in Tech. This pool of respondents draws from a larger Randstad survey of 11,250 talent across 15 markets and an analysis of 126 million global job postings.
About Randstad Digital
Randstad Digital is a global partner for talent and technology solutions, helping organizations accelerate transformation through specialized talent, scalable capacity, and domain-led expertise. A business unit of Randstad—the world's largest talent company—Randstad Digital is powered by Torc, an AI-driven talent platform and global technology community designed to meet the demands of today's enterprises. Randstad Digital delivers flexible solutions that enable agility and address critical tech skill needs across customer experience, cloud & infrastructure, data & analytics, and digital & product engineering. For more information, see https://www.randstaddigital.com/.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Randstad operates in 39 markets and has approximately 40,000 employees. In 2024, we supported over 1.7 million talent to find work and generated a revenue of € 24.1 billion. Randstad N.V. is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam. For more information, http://www.randstad.com/.
SOURCE Randstad Digital
FAQ**
How do the work preferences and expectations of Gen Z tech workers, as highlighted in the Randstad Digital study, impact the recruitment strategies of companies like Rand Capital Corporation RAND in attracting and retaining talent?
In what ways can Rand Capital Corporation RAND adapt its corporate culture to align with Gen Z values, particularly in terms of flexibility and career progression, based on the findings from the Randstad Digital research?
Considering that 45% of Gen Z tech workers prioritize pay as a key factor in job satisfaction, how can Rand Capital Corporation RAND remain competitive in compensation packages to retain this demographic?
With Gen Z’s cautious enthusiasm for AI in the workplace as reported by Randstad Digital, how can Rand Capital Corporation RAND leverage AI to enhance employee training and support while addressing concerns about job displacement?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Randstad NV ADR (OTC: RANJY).
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