1 in 2 Employees Eye Job Change as Gen Z Workforce Share Doubles: Report

Gen Z representation in India’s professional services has doubled but a retention crisis widens as only one in two employees plan to stay in the country, a report said on Tuesday. The report from Great Place To Work found that around 1 in 2 employees are actively looking for a new job and that three in four planners intend to exit their current organisation within the next 12 months.

The report also noted that willingness to go beyond required their formally laid down duties has steadily declined even as basic workplace conditions improve. "The downward trend suggests that while employees acknowledge minor physical or basic workplace improvements, they have not yet experienced the systemic, cultural changes required to foster long-term loyalty and discretionary stretch," the firm said after the study of over 130 organisations representing over 1.1 lakh employees.

Gen Z now accounts for 34 per cent of the workforce, up from 17 per cent in 2023. The demographic cohort shows low tolerance for ambiguity on pay, recognition and promotion criteria and is quick to leave when expectations are unmet. “Professional Services leaders must redefine engagement and retention for their talent, aligning with the personalised expectations of the diverse workforce,” said Akshat Shah, Managing Director, Great Place To Work India. An alarming 86 per cent of frontline managers and supervisors are actively looking for a new job, compared to 53 per cent of individual contributors.

“These managers are acting as shock absorbers for the entire industry, carrying the compounded weight of project delivery pressures, client demands, and team care, while being expected to translate every organizational change without disruption,” the report noted. Nearly 6 in 10 organisations utilise artificial intelligence meaningfully in their day-to-day operations but only 2 in 10 employees strongly agreed that they have been sufficiently briefed on the risks and benefits associated with these tools.

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