Gen Z places high importance on work-life balance: survey

A survey on 65,900 workers and 9,600 students nationwide in the latter half of 2023, announced by HCMC-based recruitment firm Anphabe on Tuesday, revealed that the career goals of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) follow the general trends of Vietnamese working people.

56% of those surveyed want an income that's enough for them to live comfortably, leaving enough to save, along with a stable job.

Gen Z however shows a clearer focus on development and promotion in their career than previous generations.

Workers have higher expectations for work-life balance. They want to create value, to contribute to their job and become leaders and experts.

Gen Z students want to be trained and given platforms for development, as well as expanding their networks and enjoying new experiences.

Salaries and benefits are what Gen Z workers want to see the most, and a major factor in whether they work at a place or not.

73% of those surveyed want to work in a happy, active environment; 72% need work-life balance; and 71% want colleagues who they can be friends with.

Following a turbulent year for the economy in 2023, Gen Z places high importance on stable jobs and safe working environments, good benefits, leaders with good vision, and employee healthcare.

Gen Z students have high expectations on their salaries, yet also want a "low commitment time" to their work.

Their salary expectations for their first job increased from VND8.1 million ($328) in 2019 to VND9.2 million in 2023.

Gen Z wants to stay at a company for only 2.2 years, compared to Gen Y (1981-1996) at 3.2 years and Gen X (1965-1980) at 4.3 years.

Gen Z students have increasing preference towards jobs in food and beverage, hospitality, finance, retail and commerce, at an average growth of 9-14%. They have decreasing preference towards fields like advertising, communications and e-commerce at 9%.

Work-life balance has become a trending desire for the workforce of 2024.

A report on salary and the labor market, conducted by Navigos in the third quarter of 2023, revealed that work-life balance is among the major factors that make workers decide to leave or stay at a job. This demonstrates that people are caring more about their mental and emotional health.

The surveys stated that businesses should keep their workers with salary and benefit policies, clear career ladders and frequent performance evaluation.

They should also pay attention to workers' mental health, apply flexible working hours and remote work, and organize bonding activities between employees and managers.