By Mariah Levin
We launched beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship about 18 months ago and have been working closely with young innovators ages 16 to 28. Through this experience, we gathered great data on how workplace aspirations and expectations are evolving for this generation.
It’s clear that professional landscapes have undergone seismic shifts accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes have particularly impacted those just starting their careers. Whereas Millennials experienced traditional office environments and sought to advance more inclusive policies within those contexts, Gen-Z is pioneering what it means to work and thrive professionally in a predominantly remote and hybrid world.
Defining a new office landscape
Historically, offices were not just places of professional contribution but also social hubs. Water cooler conversations and post-work socializing guided workplace culture and influenced career progression. For millennials and earlier generations, informal office interactions were instrumental to understanding workplace priorities, building networks, and learning the unwritten rules of professional life.
COVID completely disrupted the informal learning office spaces offered. While incentives for returning to physical offices fall short, many organizations are grappling to maintain a cohesive work culture. In this new context, Gen-Z holds an advantage to influence and reshape the future of work their careers began in a remote-first environment.
We launched the beVisioneers Fellowship as a hybrid program; fellows learn theory mostly remotely and come together in person four times throughout the fellowship calendar. A hybrid fellowship has enabled us to scale high quality, inclusive access to learning and community interactions. After some growing pains (building the necessary online infrastructure), we witnessed our Gen-Z fellows embrace our hybrid curriculum with ease and efficiency. In fact, they demand the flexibility inherent in hybrid environments, and their ability to virtually create the informal information sharing that used to happen in person will define a new office landscape.
Advancing Holistic and Inclusive Work Cultures
Our fellows have been particularly engaged in our Personal Sustainability Lab, a segment of our program that explores leadership practices and authenticity, and builds tools to manage mental and emotional health. Part of the reason why fellows have appreciated this part of our curriculum comes from their desire to break down traditional professional boundaries. Whereas previous generations faced pressure to maintain strict separation between professional and personal realms, Gen-Z wants workspaces that acknowledge the interconnectedness of the two.
As we hear Gen-Z actively advocating for workplaces where individuals can “be themselves,” we also know that this generation is struggling to feel supported at work, with only 34% of them reportedly thriving. Our fellows have placed significant importance on creating and advancing work environments that overtly considers and builds policies around mental and emotional health, and this follows established trends. Part of the appeal of remote work is that it enables more introverted personalities and neurodivergent people to be able to feel comfortable and thrive. Likewise, we see Fellows demanding a more “choose-your-own-adventure” program based on their needs and our expectations of what they will achieve, rather than a set “one-size fits all” curriculum. This generation wants workplaces that make room for their individual needs to perform at their best.
‘’Coming from a young Fellow, new to the professional world, I love the build up of the personal sustainability lab first and covering different mindsets and thinking tools!’’ – Marlene Mostert – Cohort 1 Fellow
Holding Organizations Accountable
Gen-Z is also distinguished by the value of integrity and its expectations that organizations will live up to their stated values. When there is a gap between what an organization claims to stand for and its actual practices, Gen-Z is not afraid to call it out. Leveraging social media and collective organizing, they make their disapproval heard, holding organizations accountable in ways that were not possible before.
Companies can no longer rely on marketing and PR to uphold their reputations; they must ensure that their actions align with their professed values. This demand for authenticity and accountability is pushing organizations to adopt more transparent and ethical practices, ultimately leading to a more equitable and just professional landscape.
In Meta’s recent Workplace Survey, it was revealed 73% of Gen-Z employees would leave a company if business practices were not ethical, while 68% would leave if their business was not sustainable, 62% because of social differences and 58% due to political differences. Fellows express determination to stick to their guns when it comes to being value-driven.
Navigating the Future of Work
As Gen-Z continues to enter the workforce in greater numbers, their influence on workplace culture and practices will only grow. Organizations that understand and adapt to their values and expectations will be better positioned to attract and retain top talent from this generation. This entails creating work environments that prioritize flexibility and inclusivity, support holistic well-being, and demonstrate genuine commitment to stated values.
About the Author
Mariah Levin is the Executive Director at beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship. She has focused her career on generating positive impact at the nexus of public and private sectors. She led the World Economic Forum’s Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL), an independent foundation for remarkable leaders under 40 to tackle the world’s greatest challenges. There, she directed the foundation’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Roadmap, resulting in a 10% increase in the new class’ regional diversity. She has worked as a consultant, Fulbright Fellow, committed community volunteer, and adept facilitator of C-suite conversations mobilizing action for societally-motivated initiatives. She holds Master’s degrees from Harvard University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and an undergraduate degree in Russian Area Studies and Philosophy from Wellesley College.
