Gen Z top talent tells potential employers what they want

By James W. Lewis, President of NSHSS

The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) and Hanover Research conducted a recent survey on the preferences, attitudes, and goals of high-achieving high school and college-aged students in areas of education, employment, international experience, career planning, and social and civic dedication.

This focused look at Generation Z offers a useful resource for employers working to engage and retain diverse talent who promise to bring distinct skills and expectations to the workforce.

Employment Preferences

NSHSS scholars paint a clear picture of the type of employer and environment they would like to work for, and their preferences reflect their values and fears—ongoing learning, social justice, and concerns about health.

Factors in Choosing an Employer

Although Generation Z scholars may be less interested in attending graduate school in 2020, they are still interested in learning new skills and advancing professionally. Among opportunities they may encounter on-the-job, respondents are most interested in those that expand and develop their skill sets, and they expect employers to provide those training opportunities regularly.

Benefits and Compensation

In terms of benefits and compensation, Generation Z scholars value medical, dental, and vision insurance above all else, even base salary. Three in four choose these health benefits as among their top two most important, while less than half choose base salary (46%) or having a flexible work schedule (45%).

Employer Values

Generation Z scholars want their employers to reflect their own social justice beliefs. A majority (62%) suggest it is extremely or very important to have women in leadership positions and 63% believe the same of racial diversity in leadership. In addition, fair treatment of all employees and corporate social responsibility (e.g., making a positive impact on the world) are the most important social justice concerns NSHSS scholars have with new employers.

Work Atmosphere and Environment

Working conditions that promote a work/life balance and a positive social atmosphere are valued more than those related to physical office location and space.

Economic Expectations and Influences

Despite their economic concerns, most NSHSS scholars express optimism about their job prospects after college. In fact, 43% expect to land a job as soon as they graduate from college, another 30% expect to do so within six months of graduation, and only 12% expect it to take between six months and a year. In total, 84% expect to find a full-time job within a year of graduation. Most (79%) will make career decisions in consultation with their parents or guardians.

Having grown up with a cell phone in hand, it is no surprise that Generation Z relies on technology to learn about companies to work for and expect companies to communicate with them via email. It is telling that social media and mobile apps fall far below more traditional technologies and one-on-one communication when searching for job opportunities.

STEMS Careers and Healthcare

STEM-related careers remain highly sought after, reflected by students’ selection of STEM fields as their current or intended undergraduate majors, and their expected career paths. Consistent with 2018 data, the top three expected career paths are all STEM fields. Medicine/health-related and science careers are the top two career paths among respondents. Despite this intention, data suggests that more undergraduate degrees are conferred for business or education rather than the planned health professions.

While most NSHSS scholars are interested in working for a large corporation or a small business, more than one-quarter (28%) would consider the government. This year, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has surpassed the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as the most interesting agency.

Gender and Racial / Ethnic Disparities in STEM Careers

Despite some progress being made, STEM careers remain divided by gender with women being more likely than men to enter the fields of Medicine, Science, and Biology but far less likely to consider Engineering or Computer Science.

Interest in working in medicine or a health-related field now tops the list of preferred careers. Thus, it is not surprising that hospitals earn the top three spots— and four of the top 10—among desired employers. Interestingly, local hospitals took over the number one spot from well-known St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Finally, five of the 14 newcomers to the top 100 employers are in the healthcare industry.

NSHSS Annual Top Employers List

Respondents were asked to rank their preferred companies to work for from a list created by combining the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, Diversity Inc Top 50 Companies for Diversity, selected companies from Fortune’s Global 500, and popular write-in choices from prior surveys. Companies were also included this year from the lists of top innovative companies from Fast Company, Fortune, and Forbes. Respondents were given the opportunity to select up to three companies and were also allowed to write in choices. Segmented rankings are available for further review by gender, age group, and ethnicity. To see a complete list of company rankings, please visit: www.nshss.org/lp/2020-career-interest-survey

NSHSS scholars were also asked to share where they expect to attend college, giving them the opportunity to write in up to five responses. This year’s results show that larger state universities top many scholars’ lists – seven of the top ten schools are state universities.