Forget job searching – Gen Z is ‘growth hunting’

WHEN I talk with business leaders about Gen Z, the same frustration often bubbles up: “They won't stay.

- JEFF LEBLANC

And they seem very comfortable with moving on quickly.” These sentiments are expressed with a kind of bewildered shrug; as if the younger generation has suddenly rewritten the rules out of thin air. But the data paints a different picture.A new study of 1 000 full-time professionals found that nearly half of Gen Z workers are already planning to leave their jobs —- not for higher pay, but for better growth. This is the highest rate among all generations surveyed; and it’s not driven by impulsiveness or disloyalty. It’s about something far more reasonable: Gen Z is “growth hunting”.

Reality check

There's a familiar script about young workers: they’re too quick to leave, too impatient, too everything. That narrative has been around for so long that many leaders use it as a default explanation without thinking. But when nearly one out of two early-career workers say they can’t picture a future where they are, it points to something systemic and not personal.

The data shows that 86% of Gen Z say they won’t pursue upskilling unless their employer helps pay for it. This isn’t about a lack of drive. It’s the reality of trying to build a career while carrying historic student debt and dealing with a cost of living that climbs faster than salaries.