'Conscious quitting' is the latest trend that Gen Z are bringing to the workplace

Gen Z are often described as a socially conscious generation - and now a new workplace trend "conscious quitting" is reflecting this attribute.

"Conscious quitting," refers to leaving a job because the company you work for does not align with their values, in particular environmental and social issues.

In a survey from NetPositive Employee Barometer of 4000 workers in the UK and US found that two out of three employees say their employers simply aren’t doing enough to improve the world.

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While employees know their companies are taking action on to address climate change and inequality, they can still see an "ambition" gap between what has been promised and what has materialised.

A large percentage of Gen Z respondents want to work for a company that is trying to have a positive impact on the world (71 per cent UK, 80 per cent US).

Half of UK Gen Z employees (49 per cent) and two out of five US Gen Z employees (40 per cent) report having previously resigned from a job because of this.

Many of the generation (45 per cent UK, 43 percent US) would even taking a pay cut in order to work for a company that shares their values.

Elsewhere, a KPMG study in January which survey 6,000 UK adult office workers, students, apprentices found that one in two (46 per cent) want the company they work for to demonstrate a commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance).

Gen Z employees want to work for a company that matches up with their values. iStockphoto by Getty Images

Now, Adam Butler, workplace solutions expert and CEO of Officeology has this latest tend to take over the workplace is "unsurprising".

"Last year we saw the rise of ‘quiet quitting’, which saw Gen Z’s and millennials using the tactic as a way to cope with being overworked and underpaid in a cost of living crisis," he said.

"The trend led to young people placing more value on their time, confidently asking for pay rises, and being able to identify toxic employers. Quiet quitting had huge personal benefits, but as we know, Gen Z’s are statistically a more selfless generation.

Butler then referred to research from Hubspot that shows 64 per cent of Gen Z’s are willing to pay more for sustainably made products, and another study from Deloitte where 49 per cent say that personal ethics play a role in their career choices as it could negatively impact their mental health.

Consequently, Gen Z employees will move to companies that "address these issues openly," according to Butler who noted that they may move to "smaller companies for lower pay but better alignment with conscious principles."

He also noted that more established companies with unclear and ambiguous ethics may see the number of young applicants decrease which could have "drastic effects on their ability to keep up with trends in social media, advertising and marketing, and therefore leading to negative impacts in profitability."

All in all, Butler's advice to employers is to "make having clear company values a priority," to attract Gen Z employees to your company.

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