Adam Kidan on Gen Z: Why they don’t want your job – and how to win their talent anyway

Gen Z is rewriting the workplace script. They don’t dream of corner offices. They don’t romanticize corporate ladders. And increasingly, they don’t want your job.

From TikTok-driven career advice to viral videos calling out burnout culture, Gen Z is approaching employment on its own terms. According to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Gen Z & Millennial Survey, only 24% of Gen Z respondents believe business leaders have a positive impact on society—and nearly half say they would quit a job that doesn’t align with their values.

This generational shift isn’t just cultural—it’s profoundly economic. With baby boomers retiring in large numbers and labor shortages pressing across multiple industries, employers have little choice but to pay attention. Winning Gen Z’s talent is now a competitive imperative.

What Does Gen Z Actually Want from Work?

Gen Z isn’t anti-work—they’re anti-traditional work. Their top priorities include:

• Flexibility in when, where, and how they work
• Purpose-driven work that aligns with their personal values
• Mental health support and work-life integration
• Growth opportunities beyond just a title

Rigid 9-to-5 schedules, unclear advancement tracks, and performative DEI language no longer cut it. Employers who ignore these expectations risk being ghosted by their most digitally native generation yet.

How Is Adam Kidan Addressing the Gen Z Challenge?

As president of Empire Workforce Solutions, Adam Kidan has spent decades matching workers to opportunity—and he sees Gen Z not as a problem, but as a pivot point.

“What worked for Millennials or Gen X won’t necessarily work for this generation,” Kidan explains. “We’re evolving our recruiting strategies to meet Gen Z where they are—and that means more transparency, more tech, and more purpose.”

Under Kidan’s leadership, Empire Workforce Solutions has:

• Expanded hybrid and remote staffing options, especially in admin, customer service, and tech-adjacent roles
• Prioritized culture-fit assessments that align with candidate values and employer mission
• Leveraged AI tools to personalize job matches and streamline candidate communication

What Makes Gen Z Engagement Different from Past Generations?

Gen Z is the first generation raised entirely with smartphones and social platforms. This makes them:

• Highly attuned to authenticity: They detect inauthentic messaging quickly and call it out
• Digitally fluent but emotionally demanding: They expect rapid, personalized communication, but also empathetic engagement
• Platform-savvy job seekers: Traditional job boards often lose to TikTok, Discord, or Reddit as places to explore employer reputations

Kidan has taken these shifts seriously. Empire Workforce Solutions is investing in digital storytelling, real-time feedback loops, and mobile-first hiring journeys to meet these candidates where they spend time.

Is It Working?

Yes—when done right. According to a 2024 PwC report, organizations that redesign their hiring and onboarding process to reflect Gen Z expectations see a 25% increase in first-year retention. Kidan’s focus on contract-to-hire models also gives both employers and Gen Z workers a “trial period” to ensure alignment before making permanent decisions.

The result? Better engagement, stronger employer branding, and a more resilient talent pipeline.

Closing Thought: It’s Not Just About Hiring—It’s About Trust

Gen Z isn’t rejecting work. They’re rejecting outdated systems that fail to see them as full people. Employers who want to win their trust will need to go beyond perks and paychecks. They’ll need to tell better stories, build real cultures, and show up with transparency and empathy.

Adam Kidan’s approach offers a clear-headed roadmap for this shift. By focusing on flexibility, alignment, and technology-driven hiring, he’s helping build bridges to the next generation of talent.