Survey: Gen Z’s preferred job and work style align with SDGs

The SDGs business news platform “Tszukeru” launched a survey project called “[Generation Z] SDGs Job Hunting Dissection White Paper” to investigate the connection between Generation Z’s awareness of SDGs and their company selection during job hunting. They conducted a web questionnaire and received responses from 601 students (52.8% Hosei University graduate students, 47.2% students from other universities.) This is the third survey in the series about the relationship between years of service and work style.

The survey revealed that the desired length of service for most students was “3 to 5 years” at 44.7%. Additionally, 7% of respondents wanted to start their own business, while 14.1% wished for lifetime employment. Regardless of the desired length of service, most students expressed a desire to “work in their own way” and achieve a “work-life balance based on marriage and childcare.” Gen Z prioritizes working in their own way and values work-life balance, which is not influenced by the length of service.

In this cross-tabulation, it became clear that the longer the desired length of service for students, the higher the trend of the “as high salary as possible” item. This takes the form of a desire to enjoy salary benefits by working for a long time. On the other hand, in the section of “services with social significance,” students who desire “3 years or more” exceed 40% across the board. For companies that want to hire students who will work for as long as possible, it may be important to communicate whether they meet social justice.

Furthermore, more than 40% of students who wanted to shorten their length of service expressed a desire to “work hard on the front line” and “work surrounded by excellent people.” Interestingly, this group tended to be more interested in working in an environment that allows for flat communication and emphasizes working with excellent colleagues.

The survey also found that students who prioritize the future of companies showed interest in 15 out of the 17 goals, with over 30% of respondents for each. Businesses in education industry ranked first overall, which includes gender equality, poverty, and regional disparity. The result was that the ranking was reversed with the products and services that correspond to Goal 1 (No Poverty). Moreover, interest in multiple goals has increased, and the number of goals for which over 30% of students said they are interested has increased dramatically from 9 to 15.

Tszukeru believes that Generation Z is highly sensitive and possesses a strong sense of values. The results of this survey indicate that they are paying attention to companies that address social issues and prioritize education. Although the survey results show that Generation Z is sensitive and forward-thinking, they also indicate a level of conservatism that should be addressed by companies looking to recruit from this generation. Companies must create an environment that allows Generation Z to demonstrate their abilities by building the necessary technology and mechanisms.

Read more about SDGs in Japan