Dive Brief:

• Forty percent of Gen Z workers said they regret accepting a job offer, according to a Gartner survey. More than 50% of respondents envision themselves being in a long-term career at an organization, and more than a third who regret accepting a job offer planned to quit within 12 months.
• Survey data showed that development opportunities were a top attraction for 23% of Gen Z respondents, compared with only 17% of millennials at the same age in 2013. Survey results also showed that flexible work arrangements were important to Gen Z candidates, and money didn't motivate as many Gen Zers to leave a job in 2018 as it motivated millennials to in 2013.
• "To address this increase in candidate regret — and stem the ensuing issues with underperforming talent and/or high turnover — organizations need to better understand what Generation Z candidates want," Gartner's VP of HR Practice Lauren Smith said in a news release.

Dive Insight:

HR leaders can look to previous research, too, to understand Gen Z with more clarity. Others studies confirm that career development and flexible work arrangements top the generation's list of must-haves; an InsideOut Development survey found that 75% of Gen Zers expect to be coached by their managers. And a recent Udemy report showed that Gen Z wants flexibility in their work schedules just as much as the previous generations.

Turnover hit an all time high last year, according to a report from Compdata, and this survey indicates that Gen Zers could contribute to a new record in 2019. To combat this, recruiters must be honest and upfront about their company's culture and what a job entails so that candidates know exactly what they're taking on before they accept an offer. It may also behoove HR to understand what fuels turnover, even across generations; one study confirmed many workers quit their jobs over puny paychecks and lack of meaningful work.