What does each generation want from work?

Tailoring job descriptions, benefit plans and engagement strategies to each generation is critical for employers looking to attract and retain the right candidates, says a Canadian academic, after survey results highlight varying preferences among the age groups.

According to Kickresume, Gen Z values salary and flexibility, with learning and development a close third. Millennials want work-life balance, followed by professional development and a sense of purpose.

And for Gen X, flexibility and balance rank highest, driven by family responsibilities, found the report, based on analysis of LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report.

Targeting through hiring language

WIth different generations wanting different things, its important for employers to target desired candidates through tailoring, according to Nita Chhinzer, Associate Professor of Leadership & Organizational Management at the University of Guelph. 

This starts with the hiring process where different language “results in different signals” from potential candidates. For instance, emphasizing “leadership” might suggest a power imbalance and alienate candidates who want equality. Similarly, describing a role as one for someone “not willing to quit until the job is done” may discourage applicants who prioritize work-life balance, causing them to “self-select out,” she explains.

“I definitely recommend tailoring the job ad to the group you’re looking for,” Chhinzer says.

The job description should remain static, outlining the skills and competencies required, but the job ad is where employers can get specific.

“If you’re looking for someone who’s more experienced, talk about things like continual learning opportunities or potentially what the retirement package looks like,” she says. “But if you're looking for someone who's perhaps a little bit more fluid with their career, you would want to talk about opportunities for internal movement, opportunities for flex time and vacation because those things matter to that population.”

It’s a basic principle yet rarely followed; where companies go wrong is assuming that one hiring post can speak to all, she says.

“Candidates have been given the notice – they picked up the signal – and they’re tailoring their resumes for each job,” she says. “But we really have to start thinking about who we are trying to promote to apply.”

It’s equally critical that companies don’t present an image during hiring that they can’t realistically back up once the employee is on the job, Chhinzer says.

“Don’t be a fraud,” she warns. “If we go out and we recruit saying that 'We value independence, we value flexibility, we offer support to our employees,' but in reality, we don’t, then that person won’t stay.”

Why benefits need to be just as personalized as hiring

This approach ripples across every stage of the employee experience. From onboarding to retention, companies are navigating complex terrain where assumptions about work are no longer shared across age groups.

When it comes to benefits, a one-size-fits-all package just doesn’t cut it anymore. Chhinzer points to a la carte systems, where employees use tokens to select the benefits that matter most to them. Someone just out of school may want debt relief; someone more senior might spend their healthcare spending account on acupuncture or golf memberships.

“I love the modular benefit plans,” Chhinzer says. “From a company’s perspective, it’s the same cost; the thing that gets in the way is the administrative nightmare of trying to balance all of that.”

That can be solved with the right tools, she insists. But there’s a risk if companies aren’t transparent about the limits of those benefits. One-time perks, if not clearly framed, can become expectations.

“If we offer something this year and we take it away next year, it gets perceived as us taking something away that they had earned,” she says.

Retention hinges on relationships, not just policies 

Even retention strategies have to be recalibrated; people don’t quit because the company’s mission changed. They quit because their manager is toxic, because there are no development opportunities or because feedback isn’t handled well.

“The reasons why a person joins the company are not the same as the reason why a person leaves the company,” Chhinzer says. 

She points out that many younger employees expect 

frequent recognition and faster promotions. What was once a two-step ladder now has multiple rungs: junior analyst, analyst, intermediate analyst, senior analyst.

For older workers, that pace might seem unnecessary. For younger workers, it’s validation.

This cultural shift, Chhinzer notes, is shaped by years of education systems that reward participation as much as performance, and that gap in expectations is what trips up so many employers, especially when younger employees leave without another job lined up.

This is why managerial training is so essential, she says. Middle managers often serve as the key link between company vision and employee experience, but many are promoted without ever receiving proper training in how to lead, coach or support a diverse team.

Even the best tailored hiring strategy or benefits plan will fall flat if the people managing day-to-day relationships don’t know how to carry it through.

“Their direct managers are the ones who are out of the loop with the narrative, and they don’t know what tools and processes they need to implement to support the employees,” Chhinzer says.