Generation Z: The Future of Work and Technology

Learn more about ServiceNow

"Self‑absorbed, entitled, and attached to their mobile phones." These are some of the common perceptions of Gen Zs, the generation of people born between 1997 and 2012 that is now entering the workforce. But, according to recent research conducted by ServiceNow, Gen Zs are defying some of these stereotypes in the workplace. ServiceNow findings bust several of these myths and show that Gen Zs recognize the promise of technology to improve work experiences, and are not only eager to learn from other generations, but also believe they can help older generations be more open‑minded.

“Gen Zs represent the future of work. As companies drive digital transformation, which impacts work environments and experiences for all employees, it’s critical to understand, rather than stereotype, our newest generation of workers,” said Pat Wadors, ServiceNow’s Chief Talent Officer.

Today, technology is blurring the lines of work and home life like never before. With easy access to apps and communications technology, employees can be accessible 24/7. For Gen Z workers, who grew up with smartphones in hand, technology is second nature.

With one‑third of our lives spent at work, Gen Zs are eager for technology to help simplify their work lives and recognize that technology can play a more significant role in the workplace. Done right, technology can be the catalyst that enables employees to easily navigate the “moments that matter” throughout their career.

According to the new research, Gen Zs and the Future of Work, ServiceNow found that:

■ 69% of Gen Z workers believe work life should be as easy as home life.

■ 54% of Gen Zs want to use 5G networks at work.

■ 53% of Gen Zs want to use connected/smart devices in the workplace.

■ 83% want the apps they use to be mobile optimized.

■ 49% want apps to be voice activated — More Gen Zs in technical positions want voice activated apps (57% vs. 36% of those in non-tech positions).

■ 43% of Gen Zs want to use both wearable technology and AI tools on the job.

■ Gen Zs in technical positions rate state-of-the-art technology 4x higher than Gen Zs in non-tech positions (12% vs. 3%).

■ In the first weeks on the job, nearly a quarter of Gen Zs say it was difficult to use the apps and software required at their workplace.

As Gen Zs increasingly join the workforce, companies should be prepared not only to create a workplace culture that suits their needs, but also utilizes technology to help simplify their work lives. According to Wadors, “As employers, we have an opportunity to be open‑minded and overcome the stereotypes associated with Gen Zs in the workplace. We should listen, learn, and help create an environment and culture that not only equips Gen Zs to improve and grow, but also enables their managers to adapt to their needs.”

Methodology: ServiceNow’s research, “Gen Zs and the Future of Work,” examines the future of work through the eyes of Gen Zs workers. It was conducted in July and August 2019 via a 10‑minute online survey. A total of 424 Gen Zs between the ages of 18‑22 responded to the survey. These respondents work at companies with 1,000 or more employees, including ServiceNow, and they regularly use a computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet on the job. In addition to this, a separate survey was conducted with 73 ServiceNow Gen Z managers that responded in August 2019.

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Generation Z: The Future of Work and Technology

Learn more about ServiceNow

"Self‑absorbed, entitled, and attached to their mobile phones." These are some of the common perceptions of Gen Zs, the generation of people born between 1997 and 2012 that is now entering the workforce. But, according to recent research conducted by ServiceNow, Gen Zs are defying some of these stereotypes in the workplace. ServiceNow findings bust several of these myths and show that Gen Zs recognize the promise of technology to improve work experiences, and are not only eager to learn from other generations, but also believe they can help older generations be more open‑minded.

“Gen Zs represent the future of work. As companies drive digital transformation, which impacts work environments and experiences for all employees, it’s critical to understand, rather than stereotype, our newest generation of workers,” said Pat Wadors, ServiceNow’s Chief Talent Officer.

Today, technology is blurring the lines of work and home life like never before. With easy access to apps and communications technology, employees can be accessible 24/7. For Gen Z workers, who grew up with smartphones in hand, technology is second nature.

With one‑third of our lives spent at work, Gen Zs are eager for technology to help simplify their work lives and recognize that technology can play a more significant role in the workplace. Done right, technology can be the catalyst that enables employees to easily navigate the “moments that matter” throughout their career.

According to the new research, Gen Zs and the Future of Work, ServiceNow found that:

■ 69% of Gen Z workers believe work life should be as easy as home life.

■ 54% of Gen Zs want to use 5G networks at work.

■ 53% of Gen Zs want to use connected/smart devices in the workplace.

■ 83% want the apps they use to be mobile optimized.

■ 49% want apps to be voice activated — More Gen Zs in technical positions want voice activated apps (57% vs. 36% of those in non-tech positions).

■ 43% of Gen Zs want to use both wearable technology and AI tools on the job.

■ Gen Zs in technical positions rate state-of-the-art technology 4x higher than Gen Zs in non-tech positions (12% vs. 3%).

■ In the first weeks on the job, nearly a quarter of Gen Zs say it was difficult to use the apps and software required at their workplace.

As Gen Zs increasingly join the workforce, companies should be prepared not only to create a workplace culture that suits their needs, but also utilizes technology to help simplify their work lives. According to Wadors, “As employers, we have an opportunity to be open‑minded and overcome the stereotypes associated with Gen Zs in the workplace. We should listen, learn, and help create an environment and culture that not only equips Gen Zs to improve and grow, but also enables their managers to adapt to their needs.”

Methodology: ServiceNow’s research, “Gen Zs and the Future of Work,” examines the future of work through the eyes of Gen Zs workers. It was conducted in July and August 2019 via a 10‑minute online survey. A total of 424 Gen Zs between the ages of 18‑22 responded to the survey. These respondents work at companies with 1,000 or more employees, including ServiceNow, and they regularly use a computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet on the job. In addition to this, a separate survey was conducted with 73 ServiceNow Gen Z managers that responded in August 2019.

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People want to be doing more engaging work, yet their day often gets overrun by addressing urgent IT tickets. But thanks to advances in AI "vibe coding," where a user describes what they want in plain English and the AI turns it into working code, IT teams can automate ticketing workflows and offload much of that work. Password resets that used to take 5 minutes per request now get resolved automatically ...

Smarter Systems for Disinformation: How Data-Centric Design Could Transform Online Trust

Governments and social platforms face an escalating challenge: hyperrealistic synthetic media now spreads faster than legacy moderation systems can react. From pandemic-related conspiracies to manipulated election content, disinformation has moved beyond "false text" into the realm of convincing audiovisual deception ...

The 5 Pillars of Cross-Platform Observability

Traditional monitoring often stops at uptime and server health without any integrated insights. Cross-platform observability covers not just infrastructure telemetry but also client-side behavior, distributed service interactions, and the contextual data that connects them. Emerging technologies like OpenTelemetry, eBPF, and AI-driven anomaly detection have made this vision more achievable, but only if organizations ground their observability strategy in well-defined pillars. Here are the five foundational pillars of cross-platform observability that modern engineering teams should focus on for seamless platform performance ...

What's Blocking Scalable AI?

For all the attention AI receives in corporate slide decks and strategic roadmaps, many businesses are struggling to translate that ambition into something that holds up at scale. At least, that's the picture that emerged from a recent Forrester study commissioned by Tines ...

Not All Networks Are Built for the Edge

From smart factories and autonomous vehicles to real-time analytics and intelligent building systems, the demand for instant, local data processing is exploding. To meet these needs, organizations are leaning into edge computing. The promise? Faster performance, reduced latency and less strain on centralized infrastructure. But there's a catch: Not every network is ready to support edge deployments ...

Why Observability Is the Missing Piece in Your Business Growth

Every digital customer interaction, every cloud deployment, and every AI model depends on the same foundation: the ability to see, understand, and act on data in real time ... Recent data from Splunk confirms that 74% of the business leaders believe observability is essential to monitoring critical business processes, and 66% feel it's key to understanding user journeys. Because while the unknown is inevitable, observability makes it manageable. Let's explore why ...

Gartner: Regular AI System Assessments Triple the Likelihood of High GenAI Value

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Beyond Autoscaling: What True Kubernetes Optimization Actually Requires

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The more technology businesses invest in, the more potential attack surfaces they have that can be exploited. Without the right continuity plans in place, the disruptions caused by these attacks can bring operations to a standstill and cause irreparable damage to an organization. It's essential to take the time now to ensure your business has the right tools, processes, and recovery initiatives in place to weather any type of IT disaster that comes up. Here are some effective strategies you can follow to achieve this ...