Employee Engagement
58% of Gen Z workers see their job as a ‘situationship’: study
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With nearly one in four Gen Z viewing their jobs as temporary, organizations must reevaluate how they invest in and manage human capital.
More than half of Gen Z consider their job as a short-term arrangement with little or no commitment, according to newly published research by Gateway Commercial Finance, a payroll services firm.
In a study involving more than 1,000 professionals, Gateway said that 58% of Gen Z respondents described their current role as a ‘situationship’. While often used to describe personal relationships with an undefined, non-committal arrangement, the ‘situationship’ meaning in a professional context signifies that they don’t intend to stay in a role for the long term.
Of those planning to leave their roles, about 47% said they expect to quit within the next year, with half indicating their readiness to leave anytime. Earlier studies provided more conservative numbers in comparison, including one from EY that claimed only 38% of respondents were more likely to resign.
With the Gen Z age range between 13 and 28, many Gen Zers grew up in a turbulent era, marked by global conflicts, a growing wealth gap, and the erosion of long-established institutional promises like home ownership, social security, and a return on their college education.
This skepticism is reflected by the indifference of nearly half of Gen Z workers toward job loyalty, with only 46% believing that they will be rewarded for sticking to one employer. 71% also consider pay transparency essential, with 58% refusing to apply to jobs without a listed pay range and being more comfortable discussing pay with coworkers.
The study also emphasised the crucial role leadership has in retaining and developing Gen Z talent, noting that finance and HR leaders, in particular, can help organizations adjust by investing in and developing retention strategies such as flexible schedules, clearer paths for advancement, increased mentorship, pay raises, and other benefits.
Other key takeaways from the study include:
Gateway conducted its study in June 2025, interviewing 1,008 Americans, of whom 50% were Gen Z employees and another 50% were managers or employees with hiring experience.
The fastest-growing generation in Southeast Asia, Gen Z, is expected to make up 30% of the region's total workers by the end of 2025. By 2034, they will make up nearly a third of the workforce in advanced countries, followed by millennials at about 30%, according to McCrindle Research.
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