gen z in australia: the talent wave your business can’t afford to ignore.

What if your best young talent left after just 1.1 years because they couldn’t see what’s next? According to the latest Randstad “Gen Z Workplace Blueprint: Future Focused, Fast Moving” report, this is the reality for Gen Z globally—and it signals a wake-up call for Australian organisations too. Especially since Gen Z will become about one-third of the Australian workforce by 2030.

For senior business leaders, here’s what the research reveals and how to act decisively to attract, engage and retain Gen Z (typically born mid-1990s to early-2010s) talent now.

what the data tells us: australia & global snapshot

• Globally, Gen Z averages 1.1 years in a role during the first five years of their career—shorter than Millennials (~1.8 yrs), Gen X (~2.8 yrs) and Baby Boomers (~2.9 yrs).
• In Australia, 41% of Gen Z say they always consider their long-term career goals when deciding whether to change jobs - higher than older generations.
• Entry-level job postings (0-2 yrs’ experience) in Australia have declined by 29 percentage-points since January 2024.
• Globally, 55% of Gen Z use AI to solve work problems—highest among all generations.
• 75% of Gen Z globally say they use AI to learn new skills - ahead of other generations.
• Lack of visible career progression emerges as a top reason globally that Gen Z say they will change jobs (alongside compensation).

These data points reveal a clear pattern: Gen Z are not simply the “next workforce generation”—they’re the acceleration cohort. They demand fast progression, meaningful skill-building, digital fluency—and they will move if those expectations aren’t met.

five strategic actions for business leaders to attract, engage, and retain gen z talent

1. re‐design early‐career roles

With fewer traditional entry roles available in Australia, you must shift from “junior job” to “growth launchpad” - reconfiguring to meaningful skill-building pathways, not stop-gaps.

• Define 18–24 month career pathways for new entrants: what they’ll learn, what project they’ll lead, what skills they’ll gain and what internal mobility options exist.
• Map Role A → Role B → Role C visibly, with approximate timeline and outcomes; and publish it in your internal/external talent-materials.
• Use rotations, cross-functional assignments and stretch responsibilities to accelerate development, essentially embedding ‘learning-on-the-job’.

2. build “employability” into your employer value proposition (EVP)

Gen Z is more likely to evaluate potential employers on long-term capability, not just pay-package. As such:

• Frame your talent offer around your skills promise - i.e. skills built and opportunities unlocked.
• Commit to a learning guarantee (e.g., X hours per quarter, micro-credentials).
• Link development to reward and mobility: show how upskilling leads to career progression, salary increases, new roles.
• Use the 41% Australia stat (who always factor long-term career) to craft messaging: “Join us to build skills, not just fill a role”.
• Promote mobility internally—not just “move up”, but “move across”. Especially in Australia where talent scarcity is real across industries.

3. embed AI and digital tools into work-design and learning

Gen Z are highly fluent with AI—globally 55% use it to solve problems and 75% to learn. That sets both expectations and competitive advantage.

• Provide and normalise access to AI-enabled tools: for problem-solving, for learning, for innovation.
• Offer curated AI-toolkits: approved platforms, “safe zone” usage, role-relevant case-studies.
• Provide short role-based labs: “Use AI to accelerate X” (e.g., report generation, analytics, ideation).
• Ensure manager training includes digital-coaching so your talent leverages tools rather than being replaced by them.
• Train managers and teams on ethical, safe use of AI—so you don’t just hand tools, you embed capability.
• Beware the divide: research shows uneven access (e.g., women or non-white-collar roles may have less exposure) which leads to retention risk.

4. shift from annual reviews to agile quarterly career sprints

Gen Z are used to speed and iteration—they don’t wait a year to ask “What next?”

• Replace static performance reviews with quarterly career check-ins: “What skills have you built? What’s next? Where do you want to move in 3–6 months?”
• Train managers as career-coaches (not just task-masters and performance evaluators). Equip them to identify stretch moves, facilitate change, and articulate “what’s next”.
• Celebrate and promote internal mobility stories (especially Gen Z moves) to make progression visible.

5. offer flexibility in time, not just place

While remote or hybrid work remains important, Gen Z are increasingly focused on what they can do and when they can do it, rather than simply where.

• In Australia, design time-flex models: core hours + flex time bands, compressed weeks, learning days.
• For roles requiring on-site presence, communicate and map out the trade-offs: if you’re on-site X days, you’ll get Y additional leave, time-flex or travel support. This is so Gen Z sees both cost and benefit.
• Use on-site time for high-value activities: coaching, collaboration, innovation, live learning—not just presence for presence’s sake.

a 90-day leadership sprint: from insights to action

weeks 1–3: audit & listen

• Map all early-career roles (0–3 yrs) in your business: skill-content, mobility options, time-flex design, time spent on mundane tasks.
• Run a short pulse survey with your Gen Z cohort: “What’s your next career move? What’s blocking you or holding you back (skills, visibility, mentorship)? What trade-offs would you accept?”.
• Review job-postings: Are your “entry” roles still back-packed with admin? Are you attracting Gen Z-friendly language and value-propositions?

weeks 4–6: prototype & design

• Select one early-career cluster (e.g., Graduates/Associates) and build a revamped 18-month pathway: milestones, learning blocks, rotation schedule, mobility trigger.
• Develop an “AI & Learning Starter” module: 1-day lab + ongoing tasks + micro-credential - i.e. provide a small scale access to AI tools + guided tasks + internal showcase of how it supports the role.
• Collaborate with managers of one location-bound team to map a time-flex trade-off package and communicate it - e.g., “If I come into the office 4 days, these additional flex/leaves apply”.

weeks 7–12: launch & embed

• Launch the new career pathway publicly (internal and external) with storyboards of several Gen Z future journeys.
• Train managers in the new career-coaching model: quarterly check-ins, mobility mapping, skill-spotting.
• Communicate internal mobility success stories (especially Gen Z talent) via your intranet/newsletter - show the pathway in action.
• Monitor early indicators: learning tool uptake, rotation starts, internal move interest, job-posting response rate.

metrics to monitor (and target)

• Early‐career retention (0–3 yrs tenure) – aim for measurable improvement year-on-year. If retention improves, your redesign is working.
• Internal mobility rate (percentage of Gen Z moving roles within 18 months). This shows that progression is real and visible.
• Learning engagement (hours per person, % using AI-learning tools, credential attained). It’s a proxy for ‘employerability’ delivered.
• Time-flex satisfaction – via engagement survey question: “I feel I have control over when I work the hours required”. Ensures your time-design meets Gen Z’s expectations.
• Sense of progression clarity – e.g., % of Gen Z who can articulate their next move and timeline which will demonstrate career visibility.

why this matters—for business leaders

Ignore Gen Z’s expectations at your own peril. With global average tenure at a mere 1.1 years for early-career Gen Z, the risk of losing emerging talent is real. But less about disloyalty, more about unmet potential.

If organisations in Australia design work, development and progression for this cohort, you don’t just solve a Gen Z challenge—you build a future-ready talent engine.

In other words: you’ll attract new entrants and raise the capabilities of your entire workforce, because the standards Gen Z bring become the standards others expect.