Retain entry-level employees and cut turnover costs with strategies focused on career development, authentic values, and the workplace stability Gen Z expects.

The workforce participation of Gen Z continues to increase—they’ve officially surpassed Baby Boomers in the labor market.

Because Gen Z has been such a rising talent pipeline and consumer force, it's important to understand how to attract, engage, and hire this entry-level talent.

But the healthiest talent pipelines don’t stop at attraction—they prioritize retention. After so much effort put into recruiting and onboarding, no team wants to see new hires walk away.

Read on for how you can show Gen Z employees that your company is a place to build a future, not just hold a job.

What are some reasons entry-level employees might consider leaving a company or role?

It’s tempting to point the finger and label Gen Z as fickle, noncommittal job hoppers. But that designation doesn’t tell the whole story or offer any real clarity. Handshake pulse survey data actually found that about half of students expect to stay in their first job for 3+ years.*

For the 19% of students surveyed who expect to stay 1 year or less, it can be helpful to think back to your own early career: Are you still at your first job? It’s normal for entry-level talent to change jobs as they figure out what’s right for them.

To actually retain Gen Z employees, you need to look past the stereotypes and understand the underlying motivations. To generalize, there are a few common drivers of retention issues among entry-level employees today:

• They’re in a period of rapid career learning: Gen Z workers are just kicking off their careers. They’re learning a lot about what they want (and don’t want) from their work lives and their employers, and many are eager to explore other careers or industries. This phase of intense learning and self-reflection often leads them to make more changes than employees who are further along in their careers.
• They’re hungry to grow: Career progression is a big deal for Gen Z. If they feel stuck, stagnant, and like their employer isn’t supportive of their learning and development, they’ll look elsewhere.
• They want their work to mean something: Meaningful work is deeply important to Gen Z, with nearly three in four undergrads saying doing work they’re passionate about is essential to their definition of career success. If they don’t see the point or purpose in what they’re doing, they’re more likely to disengage or look for more fulfilling opportunities.

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