“Gen Z is bringing new expectations to the workplace, driven by their digital upbringing as well as their self-identified emotional barriers to success,” says one researcher. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Gen-Z has something to say about their working ethic. According to a new report, Meet Gen-Z, from the The Workforce Institute at Kronos and Future Workplace shows that Gen-Z things they are the hardest-working generation.

One-third (32percent) of Gen-Z believe they are the hardest-working generation ever with millennials ranking as the second-hardest working generation at 24 percent. Almost two-fifths (36 percent) of Gen-Zers believe they “had it the hardest” which is tied with the Silent Generation (ages 75-94), which generally began entering the workforce during or just after World War II.

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While Gen-Zers believe they are hardworking, one in four (26 percent) admit they would work harder and stay longer at a company that supports flexible schedules, with flexibility desired most in Canada (33 percent), the U.K. (31 percent), and the U.S. (31 percent).

“Gen Z is bringing new expectations to the workplace, driven by their digital upbringing as well as their self-identified emotional barriers to success,” says Dan Schawbel, research director, Future Workplace. “They have strong feelings about how and when they want to work, especially compared to generations past. With Millennials moving into management roles, we're entering an inflection point in the employee-manager relationship – and leaders will need to familiarize themselves with the priorities of this latest generation of workers in order to effectively manage and develop them.”

Around the world, more than half (56 percent) of Gen-Z is optimistic about their professional future, led by India where an incredible 44 percent of 16- to 25-year-olds are “extremely optimistic,” followed closely by U.S. Gen-Zers at 31 percent.

However, Gen-Zers who are employed today are the least optimistic: Half (50 percent) of those who are currently serving in an internship and one-third (28%) of those working full-time are only “moderately” optimistic about their professional future.

The overall optimism of Gen-Z is met with many emotional barriers this generation feels it must overcome to achieve workplace success, including anxiety (34 percent), lack of motivation/drive (20 percent), and low self-esteem (17 percent). Anxiety, specifically, is a greater concern among female Gen-Zers (39 percent vs. 29 percent for male) and most prevalent in Canada (44 percent), the U.K. (40 percent), and the U.S. (40 percent).

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