Written by Neha Mantoo Director Talent Acquisition, TELUS Digital
Every August, International Youth Day gives us a reason to ask a question I deal with almost every day at my work: what does India’s young workforce actually want? The answer isn’t complicated, but it does require employers to let go of some old assumptions. Gen Z now makes up a fast-growing share of India’s workforce. Their numbers are projected to double, from 13 percent to 26 percent, between 2023 and 2026. Within a couple of years, one in four employees in most Indian companies will belong to this generation. That’s not a small trend to watch from the sidelines. It changes hiring, management, and retention across the board.
Growth doesn’t mean the same thing anymore
Most companies still equate growth with becoming a manager. Gen Z doesn’t necessarily agree. Nearly seven in ten young professionals say they aren’t interested in management roles unless there is a strong enough reason to take one on. That’s not a lack of ambition. It’s a demand for growth that actually means something : new skills, more ownership, real impact, rather than just a new title.
Young employees want to keep learning, receive regular feedback, and know where their roles are headed. When they don’t get that clarity, they don’t wait around. They leave. This means annual growth conversations aren’t enough anymore. Employees want to know, in specific terms, what growth looks like for them and how long it will take, not vague talk about future potential.
Boundaries aren’t the same as entitlement
There is a popular idea in corporate India that Gen Z is entitled or unwilling to put in the work. I don’t think that holds up, and the reaction to it said more about a generational misunderstanding than about actual work ethic. Something else is changing, too. Gen Z isn’t glorifying overwork the way older generations sometimes did.
Staying late just to be seen doesn’t carry the same weight it used to. But that doesn’t mean they care less about their work. It means they expect the job itself to feel worthwhile, and they expect reasonable limits on time and energy to be part of how a company runs, not a favor granted occasionally. If anything, this is a fairer way to measure commitment. It focuses on what people actually get done, not how many hours they spend at their desk.
They are starting work earlier and under more pressure
Many young people are entering the workforce before they feel ready. Financial pressure and a job market being reshaped by AI are pushing many into jobs earlier than planned. So, there’s a strange mix at play: urgency to start earning, but also uncertainty about whether the skills they have today will still matter in a few years. This is where employers can genuinely help. Good onboarding, real mentorship, and structured learning in someone’s first year or two can make a big difference to how they perform and how supported they feel.
Switching jobs isn’t disloyalty, it’s strategy
Short stints at a company used to raise red flags. For Gen Z, it’s often a deliberate choice. Many switch jobs when they feel their growth has stalled, not because the work is too hard, but because they don’t see a way forward. Companies that offer real internal mobility, new challenges, different teams, and cross-functional projects tend to retain their people longer.
What employers should take from this
Employers must to build around these shifts rather than push back against them. That means recognizing skills and contribution over job titles, giving people flexibility in how and where they work, and being honest about what growth actually looks like and how long it takes. It also means treating feedback as a two-way conversation, not something that only flows downward once a year.
This International Youth Day, the most useful thing any company can do is stop asking whether Gen Z is difficult to manage and instead ask whether its own systems are built to support the way this generation actually wants to work. They aren’t asking for less accountability or an easier ride. They’re asking for honesty, fairness, and a real reason to stick around. Employers who take that seriously will end up with stronger teams, not just younger ones.
