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They are said to be less invested but demanding. Young professionals definitely do not have the same professional aspirations as their elders. They are much more attentive than their predecessors to the environmental impact of their employer. He does not hesitate to change it if they are not satisfied with it, according to a new survey.
Young people are very concerned about ecological issues. This interest is reflected in particular in the criteria that they consider priority when looking for a job. A quarter of millennials and members of Generation Z surveyed in the latest edition of Deloitte's “Gen Z and Millennial Survey” say they have already researched a company's environmental impact and policies before apply there. More generally, 70% of young workers say that they attach importance to the fact that companies are taking action in the face of climate change.
In this sense, they have a much more engaged profile than their elders. They are also distinguished from them by their desire to want to be useful to society. There is no question for them of exercising a profession that goes against their system of values. This is why 20% of Generation Z and 19% of Millennials have already made the decision to change jobs or sectors of activity due to environmental concerns. Others plan to do so in the future to avoid a potential environmental ethical conflict at work.
While some young people change jobs to be more aligned with their personal beliefs, others prefer to act from within. Nearly half of Gen Z (54%) and Millennials (48%) say they and their colleagues are pressuring their employer to take action to combat climate change and its impacts . This trend has continued to grow since 2022: at the time, 48% of Z and 43% of millennials said they did the same.
Potential “ecotacafeurs”
These young people are what Gaëtan Brisepierre, independent sociologist and expert in energy and ecological transition, calls “ecotaféurs”. This neologism designates employees who try to encourage their company to take the path of ecological transition. One thing is certain: the young professionals surveyed by Deloitte are full of ideas for getting there. They would like, for example, for employers to offer their employees training to help them adopt more ecological behaviors in their daily lives, or for them to redesign their offices in line with climate issues.
The expectation that younger generations place on businesses to act positively on climate change is commensurate with the urgency we face. While efforts are still needed on the part of managers, the young workers interviewed generally have the impression that their employer understands the seriousness of the situation. 59% of members of Generation Z and 58% of millennials say that their boss is taking an approach to combat global warming. Encouraging figures.
*The 2024 edition of Deloitte’s “Gen Z and Millennial Survey” was carried out among 14,468 members of Generation Z and 8,373 millennials (22,841 respondents in total), from 44 countries. This survey was carried out using online questionnaires that participants had to complete themselves.