Recruitment is only the beginning. That is the central argument from Sovereign PPG Corporate Services, which says GCC employers risk losing Gen Z talent by treating early-career hiring as a transaction rather than the start of a longer workforce strategy.
“Gen Z should not be treated as simply another graduate intake. These are the employees who will increasingly move into management and leadership roles over the coming years, so employers need to think carefully about how they recruit, support and retain them from the beginning,” Nina Pacic, People Operations Director – Middle East, Sovereign PPG said in a statement.
“There is sometimes an assumption that Gen Z is primarily looking for flexibility and technology from their employers. In our experience, financial security and wellbeing are also important considerations. Workplace savings and retirement planning, alongside healthcare, wellness and wellbeing coverage, can be important parts of the overall proposition for younger employees,” Pacic added.
The stakes are real. Recent global research found that 76 per cent of Gen Z respondents are interested in pursuing senior leadership roles at some point in their careers, though only 6 per cent say a leadership position is their primary career goal right now. That gap between ambition and immediate priority means employers who invest in this cohort early are better placed to benefit later.
Feedback from Gen Z staff at Sovereign PPG itself bore this out, with financial support and wellbeing provisions ranking alongside flexible hours and remote working options. Recruitment processes are also worth examining. Clear communication, shorter decision timelines and visibility around career progression can help ensure the experience after joining matches what was promised before it. The failure to do this tends to show up quickly with a generation accustomed to fast, transparent communication.
The longer-term challenge sits with management. Younger employees entering first professional roles need regular feedback, coaching and defined expectations.
But Pacic is direct that the development obligation runs both ways: “There is a tendency to focus on what Gen Z expects from employers, but employers also need to think about what they need to do to develop this generation. They also need opportunities to build commercial awareness, communication, stakeholder management and other skills that come with experience,” they added.
For international businesses expanding across the GCC, Sovereign PPG positions this as operational rather than optional. “Employers do not need to create an entirely different workplace for Gen Z,” Pacic concluded.
“But they do need to understand what this generation values, where expectations are changing and what support employees will need to develop into future managers and leaders. The companies that approach this as part of their wider people and growth strategy will be in a stronger position as this generation moves into more senior roles.”
