Gen Z Workforce Prefers AI Over Managers for Career Guidance

According to a survey conducted by an outplacement services firm, nearly half of Generation Z employees expressed a preference for seeking advice from a chatbot like ChatGPT rather than from their managers. Many cited a perceived lack of support for their career development from their managers as a reason for this preference.

A recent study conducted by career development and outplacement firm Intoo, in collaboration with research firm Workplace Intelligence, reveals that toxic work environments and limited internal career growth opportunities are contributing to employee dissatisfaction. According to the survey, many employees attribute these issues to the behavior of their managers.

Gen Z employees, in particular, are increasingly turning to "AI Career Coaching," with around 47% stating that they receive better career guidance from a chatbot like ChatGPT than from their managers. Overall, 77% of employees and 79% of human resource leaders reported experiencing at least one characteristic of a toxic workplace in their current jobs.

Lydia Frank, vice president of marketing at Chronus, a career development platform, explains that Gen Zers, having grown up with the internet, are accustomed to accessing information instantly. Therefore, they readily adopt generative AI for various purposes, including career advice.

Frank notes that Gen Zers often seek guidance from ChatGPT because they are dissatisfied with their current company's learning and development programs, or they lack the professional networks that earlier generations had the opportunity to build. The absence of mentorship, especially in remote work settings, prompts many Gen Zers to turn to ChatGPT for assistance in learning new skills or navigating workplace challenges.

The survey also reveals that poor treatment at work and a lack of career progression are prompting an increasing number of employees to actively seek employment elsewhere. The top factors contributing to toxic workplaces include managers showing favoritism toward certain employees (cited by 46% of respondents) and managers ignoring employee feedback (cited by 42%).

Furthermore, the survey indicates that a significant portion of workers (39%) have received poor career advice from their managers, leading them to seek guidance from other sources such as friends and family, Google, social media, and AI platforms.

Overall, the survey highlights a disconnect between employees and their employers regarding the prioritization of productivity over career development. Many employees feel unsupported in their career growth, with 54% reporting that they feel entirely on their own within their organization. Additionally, 44% of respondents believe that their employer does not value their career development.

In light of these findings, HR leaders predict a substantial turnover rate, with 25% of employees (and 44% of Gen Z employees) likely to leave their jobs within the next six months due to a lack of support for career advancement.

Navigating Career Paths Amidst Uncertainty

In a separate study conducted by recruitment and outplacement firm LHH, involving 30,000 full-time employees across 27 countries, findings revealed that nearly half of respondents (46%) expressed a desire to change careers but lacked clarity on which path to pursue. Moreover, 72% of workers regularly contemplate future plans, including their next job, reskilling, and upskilling, at least once every quarter.

Despite this uncertainty, a significant majority of workers (86%) feel confident in their ability to secure a new job within six months, marking an increase from 61% in 2022. They believe they can achieve this through their personal networks (74%), independent job searches (71%), or with the assistance of staffing agencies (68%). However, nearly half of respondents (46%) do not believe their managers would support their transition to another role within the organization.

Interestingly, while 47% of employees stay informed about open job opportunities, they refrain from applying for them. Only 8% actively seek internal job opportunities within their current company, while 18% are actively applying for external positions, and 19% are engaged in interviews with prospective employers, as per LHH data.

The report highlights the importance of organizations investing in their employees to attract skilled talent, particularly within the tech sector. Workers in the tech industry exhibit the highest confidence in their ability to transfer skills to other industries or roles within the tech field.

This sense of uncertainty is pervasive across various geographies and industries, notably in Australia (65%), China (62%), Turkey (59%), and the US (57%), where employees feel that external factors have a greater influence on their careers than their own efforts. Interestingly, in these countries, employees are less likely to consider leaving their jobs due to salary reasons and are more inclined to do so to pursue entrepreneurship, indicating a desire for empowerment.

Moreover, younger employees, driven by their values, aspire to effect change within their organizations but feel constrained in doing so. According to a recent survey by Deloitte, over half of Gen Z respondents (58%) and millennials (55%) believe their organizations seek input from employees and incorporate their feedback. However, a significant portion (32% of Gen Z and 35% of millennials) feel that decisions are predominantly made from the top down, with little action taken on employee feedback.

‍Source: Computerworld