Student Edge drops Australia’s Top 100 Gen Z Employers for 2024 with YouthInsight report
Student Edge, Australia’s largest members based organisation of high school and tertiary students in Australia has dropped its 2024 YouthInsight report on Australia’s Top 100 Gen Z Employers in collaboration with Workplacer.
The YouthInsight report documents Australia’s Top 100 Gen Z Employers for 2024 and sets the benchmark for the most popular workplaces, as voted by nearly 1,000 Australians, aged 15 to 24. Student Edge with its member base of 1.3 million, as well as Australia’s largest online youth panel, with over 200,000 young people is the go-to source for insights into what the next generation of high school and university students want in a career and from a workplace.
The top companies who made the cut include Apple who took out the number one spot for 2024, followed in order by Woolworths, JB Hifi, Officeworks, Kmart, Movie World, Hoyts, Ikea, Coles and The Sydney Opera House.
The report found synergies among the top employer brands who all offer competitive salaries, great learning opportunities and a diverse workplace culture in an effort to attract and retain top Gen Z talent.
What top things Gen Z Aussies want from an employer:
● 56% want a competitive salary
● 44% want opportunities to advance their careers
● 35% want to work for a company committed to social responsibility
● 31% want a creative workplace
● 27% want an inclusive and diverse workplace and culture
As part of the survey, YouthInsight identified 10 attributes that young people value when they are choosing where to work and asked Gen Z respondents to associate these attributes with their favourite workplaces.
Gen Z (those in the first 10 years of their careers) are a growing force in the workplace, set to make up 27% of the workforce globally by 2025 before becoming the dominant generation in the workforce by 2031.
Among all common attributes that a workplace could offer, Gen Z valued a competitive salary the most. Young Australians are also driven by career advancement opportunities, the availability of additional benefits and a positive and ethical work environment.
The Top 10 Gen Z Employers belong to categories such as Technology & Games, Supermarkets & Department Stores, Entertainment and Attractions. The Employer Value young people most associated with the winners of these categories was being well-established. Interestingly, this value was not among the Top 5 Employer values prioritised by Gen Z.
Student Edge Co-Founder, Damien Langley says the survey into the top 100 Aussie Employers for Gen Z provides valuable insights to multiple industries on how to attract the best young talent to their business.
“Gen Z and the next wave of Aussie talent have different expectations to previous generations, they’re chasing a competitive salary in industries that resonate with them where they can feel a part of a great diverse and inclusive workplace culture,” says Langley.
“The 2024 YouthInsight report showcases the Top 100 Aussie companies where Gen Z wants to work and why. We’re able to give companies a deep analysis of where they can improve, where they’re going well and the role that word of mouth, a strong online presence and customer experience plays in being an attractive prospect to the next generation looking for work or casual and part time opportunities,“ he said.
The report takes a deep dive and examines attractors and deterrents for a Gen Z workforce across categories and sectors and found consistent trends including positive customer experiences or perceptions of the workplace, a personal interest or passion for the products or services offered, and attractive compensation and employee benefits.
Workplacer CEO, Mark Robertson says it’s a unique and competitive time for Australian employers to attract young talent into their business and teams need to be dialled into what the next generation want from work and a workplace.
“54% of those who are employed are unhappy and looking for work, that’s a crazy stat, also deeply insightful for businesses in Australia actively looking for bright young talent to join their teams, half of young workers in the country are actively on the hunt for new opportunities,” Mr Robertson said.
“Interestingly young people are desperately searching for new work or additional work – the report clearly identifies the areas where an employer can be an attractive brand to the next generation whether that’s cash bonuses, flexible work hours or being an employer brand that’s doing good in the world,” says Mr Robertson.
