Job Hunting Trends Among Generation Z: How Does Generation Z View "Employment"? And How Did Job Hunting Change During the Pandemic?

The generation born from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, also known as "Generation Z," is attracting attention as a symbol of "new norms." In this article, Masaya Yomaru from Dentsu Inc.'s Youth Research Department (*) explains the characteristics of this Generation Z.

Furthermore, this article delves deeper into "Generation Z's Attitudes Toward Work and Job Hunting." As Generation Z begins to enter the new graduate job market in earnest, companies must adapt their recruitment activities to align with this generation's preferences and values. From a corporate sustainability perspective, "recruiting talented next-generation employees" is essential. But is your company truly implementing recruitment practices that resonate with Generation Z? Continuing with the same approaches as before may mean you fail to reach the talent you genuinely need.

Therefore, this article revisits an interview with Mr. Yōmaru of Dentsu Inc. Youth Research. Drawing on insights from their monthly university student surveys, he discusses Generation Z's real-world realities and job hunting. The latter part also introduces "47 INTERNSHIP," an online internship program where Mr. Yōmaru participates as a Branding Director.

*The Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department is a special task force within Dentsu Inc. that investigates the realities of teens and young adults, primarily high school and college students. It consistently plans and executes surveys and projects to help companies and society build better relationships with young people. Its members possess diverse expertise in creative, strategy, digital marketing, business design, and other fields. We engage with young people because they are the "first to become new," and to seek hints for society's future direction.

To avoid becoming a company "not chosen by Generation Z"

Q. First, why did you start focusing on Generation Z's job hunting?

Yomaru: This is purely my personal observation, but I sensed there was room to expand creativity into corporate recruitment. Also, being relatively close in age to job seekers myself, I felt a huge gap between the recruitment activities companies are currently undertaking and the values of those often called Generation Z.

We hear real voices from university students saying things like, "I plan to leave my first company within three years," or "I don't expect the company I join to still exist when I retire." This made me feel a sense of crisis: if recruiters continue hiring based on past assumptions, companies will increasingly become "companies not chosen by Generation Z."

Given that we work from a "youth expert" perspective, we reasoned there must be diverse needs within this recruitment domain. Furthermore, as Japan's population continues to decline and the younger generation shrinks, deciding which young talent to hire becomes a core business challenge for companies. We wanted to dive into this area.

Q. Your team conducts monthly quantitative and qualitative surveys of university students. What characteristics of today's students emerge from these surveys?

Yomaru: A defining trait is their impatience – they can't wait three years on a rock. Traditionally, the pattern was to join a company, endure a period of apprenticeship, steadily gain experience there, and work until retirement. But today's Generation Z often carries various anxieties and, influenced by COVID, feels isolated. They strongly dislike what they perceive as meaningless apprenticeship periods. It's also characteristic to hear statements like, "Even after getting a job, if I feel it's not a good fit with the company, I'll change jobs within five years," or "I want a guarantee of my assignment before joining the company." It's often said that "Japanese companies have membership-based employment, while Western companies have job-based employment," and it feels like Generation Z is better suited to job-based employment.

Q. I understand the aversion to groundwork, but that relates to how they perceive their own growth, right? Do they have a solid career plan but still dislike groundwork, or are they more hedonistic, focusing only on "what they want to do now"?

Yomaru: Of course, individual differences are a given, but from what I've observed, few seem to consider their careers from a medium-to-long-term perspective. Instead, there's a strong tendency to prioritize constantly adapting to changing circumstances. That's why I sense a movement away from enduring 3-5 years of groundwork, toward pursuing what they enjoy now.

What's changed dramatically in recent years is the rise of students who say, "I'm earning money as a freelancer." Traditional part-time jobs like convenience stores or izakayas used to be the standard, but options like that have dwindled due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, more people are gaining experience earning money from hobby-like activities, like video editing or photography. They sell various things on flea market apps or monetize their knowledge and skills through services like crowdsourcing. Recently, when I meet with alumni, students often say things like, "If I were to get a job, I'm considering this company." In other words, they're considering the option of not getting a job at all, thinking about whether to continue the work they've been doing as a freelancer since their student days or to get a job at a company. Rather than joining a company only to face the "assignment lottery" and be stuck in menial work, they'd rather keep doing what they enjoy now. I sense a growing number of people who feel joining any company might actually be riskier.

Lately, I often see the term "JTC" on Twitter. It stands for "Japanese Traditional Company." Companies that don't allow side jobs or operate on a seniority system get lumped together as "JTC" and labeled as "bad." It's not about company size or industry; there's this clear categorization of "JTC or not."

Q. On the other hand, many young people still join large corporations, and some might view that as "stability," right?

Yomaru: I think we'll see a polarization into two types: the "Work-Life Separation Type," which strictly separates work and private life, and the "Work-Life Melt Type," which doesn't distinguish between the two. However, there's inevitably an information gap between urban and rural areas. Students in Tokyo are more likely to actually see role models earning as freelancers. In rural areas, there's often less information, so decisions tend to be based on following seniors into the same company they joined.

Even without personal experience, I feel there's a significant difference based on whether someone has actually seen the work style of "turning a hobby into a job." People who have seen this tend to have a strong desire to pursue side gigs or "multiple careers" even after getting a full-time job.

Recently, I saw a social media post stating, "Life is pretty much over by age 30." This opinion suggests that major life transitions—like further education, exams, employment, and marriage—are mostly completed by around age 30. After that, life becomes less stimulating, the future feels somewhat predictable, and dreams for what comes next fade away. This view drew mixed reactions. While I think it's a pretty extreme view (lol), it's understandable that many Gen Zers might be inspired by such opinions. If that's the case, it makes sense to think that grinding away isn't the way to go, and instead, envisioning a future built on the extension of what you're passionate about now feels logical.

The spread of online tools during the pandemic is correcting regional disparities in job hunting

Q. Mr. Yōmaru, as a Branding Director, you're involved in "47 INTERNSHIP,"a nationwide multi-company joint internship program for university students. Could you tell us about this initiative?

Yomaru: This initiative began when our "Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department" met with the NPO Encourage. We shared the vision of "creating new job-hunting opportunities for students." As mentioned earlier, regional disparities in job hunting were undeniable. For students from regional areas, job hunting in Tokyo was difficult—they had few alumni contacts or information to rely on, and attending company information sessions required significant time and money. Even if internships were available in Tokyo, most regional students couldn't participate. Consequently, they started late in the process, often ending up joining companies where they knew someone who had already been hired. Personally, I work with the goal of "eliminating resignation among young people." With the pandemic pushing classes, interviews, and more online, I saw this as a potential opportunity for regional students. It opened the possibility for everyone, regardless of location, to have the same experiences.

That's why we created "47 INTERNSHIP." The 2021 application essay prompt was: "Tell us about an issue related to your local community that you are passionate about tackling, or are currently tackling." We asked them to write about this. We then selected one student from each prefecture – prioritizing those with a strong sense of purpose and love for their region – for a group of 47 to participate in an online internship program. We started this in 2020 and continued it in 2021, with many companies participating. The program flow was: Day 1 was a "space to share and challenge each other's problem awareness," Day 2 was a "space to think together with participating companies about what we can do," and Day 3 was the final presentation.

Q. How did the participants react?

Yomaru: First, it was striking to hear students say, "I'm happy to have peers nationwide." Indeed, during the pandemic, university classes went online, part-time jobs disappeared. In that environment, there were no clubs, no classes. So they've been living daily without classmates they see regularly. Among students, "loneliness" and "anxiety" have likely emerged as major challenges. As physical connections with others fade, they also start questioning whether what they're doing is right. They seek communities that can alleviate that anxiety. I felt "47 INTERNSHIP" became that new community for these students.

From the participating companies' perspective, this internship also yielded many discoveries. We discussed how "students from regional areas are at a disadvantage in job hunting," but this situation is actually the same for hiring companies. For example, companies headquartered in Osaka face the problem that students from the Kanto region simply don't apply as much. Beyond the companies participating this time, I believe many companies have the need to expand their pool of applicants by utilizing nationwide online events.

We also learned about the various challenges faced by those on the front lines of recruitment. The job-hunting process itself is starting earlier and earlier. Companies must run summer internships while simultaneously progressing with their main hiring efforts. Furthermore, recruitment activities themselves have become year-round in many cases, creating a situation where multiple actions must be managed concurrently. Consequently, the front lines are incredibly busy, and the year-round nature of activities is making it harder to plan recruitment strategies themselves.

Consequently, companies face the challenge of increasing responsibilities while simultaneously needing to expand the pool of applicants. Furthermore, the shift to online recruitment has made it increasingly crucial for companies to make their presence known to a larger number of students. While 47 students were ultimately selected to participate in the internship program through "47 INTERNSHIP," in 2021, we held a "Day 0" event featuring panel discussions and workshops for all 2,000+ applicants. This scale was made possible thanks to the nationwide network of university students cultivated by Encourage, the NPO hosting "47 INTERNSHIP." We believe that if "47 INTERNSHIP" continues to serve as a platform connecting many students and companies, it will surely become a place that helps resolve challenges for both students and companies.

Mr. Uemaru suggested that the changing attitudes of Generation Z toward work and job hunting fundamentally stem from "changing role models for how we work." With just a smartphone and a computer, anyone can create content that amazes the world. As this lifestyle becomes increasingly visible, it's perhaps natural that more people are thinking less about "getting a job" and more about "how can I make a living doing what I love or my hobbies?" Even if they do get a job, if there's no emotional alignment, motivation won't rise, leading to underperformance or even quitting. Labeling this as "Generation Z can't handle hardship" risks limiting your company's potential. Re-examine Generation Z's characteristics and values, and consider how your company appears to them. Doing so could reveal hints for transformation, not just in recruitment but also in HR strategies.

To understand trending terms like "quiet quitting," please also refer to this resource.