No generation has entered the workforce during a period of greater disruption than Generation Z. Every generation has adapted to economic uncertainty, changing technology, and evolving workplace expectations. Generation Z, however, began building careers during a global pandemic, the rapid expansion of remote work, unprecedented advances in artificial intelligence, and an economy changing faster than many organizations can redesign themselves.

Few generations entered the workforce with a larger gap between what they were promised and what they experienced. Millennials were raised during a period of extraordinary optimism. They were told that education, ambition, and hard work would open doors. A college degree was presented as a reliable path to professional opportunity. Career growth seemed attainable for anyone willing to work for it.