What Gen Z need from work

About this episode

The episode discusses the unique needs and characteristics of Gen Z in the workplace as explored by Jackie Cooper from Edelman.

Gen Z have been shaped by recessions, the pandemic, geopolitical instability, not to mention financial insecurity and world changing technology. That's the finding of the Edelman Gen Z Lab as told to me by the leader of the project Jackie Cooper. Most powerfully she explains that Gen Z's have a ' visceral need for safety' - that's financial, social, cultural and even physical. They respond to fear by asking questions and wanting to be heard , which older generations often misread as entitlement or disrespect for hierarchy. Politically, Gen Z is fragmented . Younger Gen Zs, especially boys/young men , are leaning more conservative and drawn to strong-man archetypes; older Gen Zs, shaped by Obama / BLM, are more idealistic about progressive politics. Algorithms and “TikTok-isation” amplify those splits. I was blown away to see Jackie Cooper from Edelman talk about the research that the company has done to understand the new generation of workers entering the workplace - I think you'll love this discussion. You can read the report here Full transcript on the website. Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website . Eat Sleep Work Repeat…

People in this episode

Host: Bruce Daisley

Guest: Jackie Cooper

Topics covered

• Gen Z
• workplace culture
• financial security
• politics
• technology

Keywords

• Edelman Gen Z Lab
• safety
• social needs
• cultural needs
• political fragmentation

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Eat Sleep Work Repeat

More episodes of Eat Sleep Work Repeat - better workplace culture

• What chance do we have versus the machines? · June 11, 2026 · 43 min
• Can one bad apple ruin your team? · May 7, 2026 · 47 min
• Your colleagues like you more than you realise… · April 16, 2026 · 47 min
• Life Reclaimed with Pippa Grange · April 2, 2026 · 40 min
• We-ness: The secret cause of Psychological Safety · March 14, 2026 · 55 min
• The more you talk about culture, the less people believe you · February 26, 2026 · 47 min