Celeste Sirin, an employer branding specialist, speaker, facilitator and founder of Employer Branding Africa, takes us inside the world of Gen Z, offering a rare perspective on how this generation is navigating a workplace unlike any other.
As a Boomer parent of two Gen Zs, and through ongoing conversations with entry-level professionals, I’ve witnessed, and am still witnessing, firsthand just how different the playing field looks for this generation. They’re hungry to earn, qualified and ready to work, but navigating a perfect storm: post-Covid, economic crisis, climate anxiety, social justice reckonings, AI disruption, and fundamentally shifting ideas of what work even is. They’re not asking for shortcuts. They’re asking for a way in.
The entry-level crunch
While previous generations were told to get experience to get the job, for Gen Z, that ask still stands, but the pathway to that experience has narrowed drastically. In many cases, the traditional entry-level landscape is either unchanged, out of reach, or has disappeared altogether. Many of the roles once designed to onboard and grow early-career talent are evaporating at a dismal rate, due to automation, outsourcing, or economic pressure.
ILO Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 confirms that in 2024, the global youth unemployment rate stood at 13.6 percent, with young people nearly three times more likely to be unemployed than adults.
StatsSA Q1 2025 Quarterly Labour Force Survey cites that as of early 2025, South Africa’s youth unemployment rate (ages 15–34) remains alarmingly high at 46.1 percent – one of the highest in the world.
Many Gen Zs are juggling two to three jobs or freelance gigs to pay off study loans, cover rent and survive the cost of living. This is not because they lack drive, but because formal opportunities are increasingly out of reach. And when they do enter, they’re often doing so into roles with limited structure, mentorship, or long-term promise. It’s not that they’re disengaged – they’re just doing what they can with what they’ve got.
Perhaps it’s no surprise then that so many are turning to South Africa’s resilient entrepreneurial sector – by necessity, not by luxury. With limited access to traditional pathways, many Gen Zs are building their own, finding creative, unconventional ways to participate in the economy and craft their own version of success.
Workplace redesign
The traditional idea of hiring junior staff, grooming them internally and progressing them steadily through the ranks is quietly being disassembled. In its place, a leaner, cost-sensitive model shaped by doing more with less.
This new landscape is visible in two major shifts:
- Automation and augmentation: Tasks once handled by junior staff are now either fully automated or done in partnership with AI, reducing the need for early-career roles and the practical learning those roles once offered.
- Fractional and gig work models: Employers are increasingly filling roles via specialists, contractors and gig workers, usually with existing skill sets and AI fluency, to manage costs and maintain agility.
According to Deloitte, 66 percent of hiring managers say recent graduates are underprepared for entry-level roles, while job listings for those same roles increasingly demand two to five years of prior experience – creating a gap Gen Z simply can’t bridge.
This is happening as companies reconfigure roles around automation, AI-augmented delivery and project-based contracts, where junior support is no longer the default, but the exception.
While organisations adapt their models to maximise agility and cut cost, Gen Z are navigating an entirely different set of pressures – most of which they didn’t create, and many of which they’ve inherited.
They’re entering the world of work with AI fluency, digital confidence and self-motivation, yet finding few formal structures designed to support them. Already, we’re seeing roles evolve or disappear, with traditional linear career paths giving way to fit-for-purpose and future-fit jobs.
According to the World Economic Forum, generative AI is rapidly transforming entry-level work by automating basic, repetitive tasks and placing greater demand on uniquely human capabilities such as creativity, empathy and problem-solving. While this opens new doors, it also raises the bar – requiring Gen Z to arrive job-ready before they've had a chance to gain real-world experience.
With the rise of AI, new job types and the shift to a skills-first workplace, the playing field has in many ways been levelled, but the one thing Gen Z still lacks is the timeless challenge of experience. These expectations extend far beyond technical ability. The modern workplace demands problem-solving, agility, decision-making, communication, resilience and self-leadership, often without providing the structures or environments to develop them. And without workplace exposure, networks, or guidance, the climb remains steepest for those just starting out.
What we’re seeing is not a lack of talent, but a lack of infrastructure to harness it. Many early-career professionals are:
- Juggling multiple jobs or freelance gigs just to stay afloat not by choice, but because formal access points are scarce.
- Learning on the edges and adapting fast – building skills through side hustles, peer networks and self-led learning, often without recognition or support.
- Positioned to lead, but overlooked with seasoned leaders retiring and succession gaps widening, this generation needs mentorship, not exclusion.
Are we making sure the ladder is still there?
Gen Z isn’t standing at the bottom of the ladder. They’re watching it being pulled away before they’ve even had a chance to climb.
If the future of work demands agility, resilience and AI fluency, Gen Z already brings those traits in abundance. But potential alone doesn’t translate into performance. It takes structure, exposure and belief. Leaders need to stop waiting for them to be “ready” and start designing systems that help them rise.
Here’s where to begin:
- Redesign entry points: Create intern and graduate roles with real stretch, mentorship, and visible career growth within the AI-shaped workplace.
- Connect their work to real impact: Help Gen Z see how their individual contributions drive positive business outcomes.
- Mentor both ways: Enable two-way learning between senior leaders and emerging talent as part of future-focused succession planning.
- Tailor your EVP: Don’t serve a generic promise. Make it authentic to your culture and what Gen Z can expect. Ensure they’re not just seen and heard, but expected to lead.
Gen Z aren’t the future of work – they’re already shaping it. The real question is: are we making space for them to lead?
