Q. Lazy. Entitled. Can't take feedback. Job-hops for "vibes." You've heard the labels. Which one makes you roll your eyes, which one low-key gets to you, and which one — hand on heart — are you willing to own just a little?
“Lazy” honestly makes me roll my eyes the most. We’re not lazy, we just don’t believe in doing things that have no purpose or growth.
“Entitled” is the one that slightly gets to me sometimes. But I think what people call entitlement is just clarity — we know what we want and what we don’t want anymore.
And yeah, I’ll admit — job-hopping, a little bit. But not for “vibes.” It’s more like, why stay somewhere you’re not growing or not valued?
Q. What does GenZ look for in a job and workplace?
Salary is important, obviously. But it’s not everything.
For me, the most important thing is the environment. I should never feel like “why am I even here?”
I want a workplace where there’s zero toxicity. Where seniors and juniors don’t have this unnecessary hierarchy. Respect should be based on experience, yes — but never at the cost of someone’s dignity.
Everyone should feel equally heard.
Also, a fun environment matters more than people think. When the vibe is good, you actually want to work. That’s what creates real productivity — not pressure.
At the end of the day, I just want mental peace and a place that feels worth showing up to every day.
Q. You’re doing things differently — what are you building instead?
I think earlier it was all about adjusting, waiting, proving yourself for years.
We don’t think like that. If something doesn’t feel right, we move. If we want to try something new, we just do it.
We’re building our careers more on our own terms — exploring, switching, learning fast.
And honestly, I think it’s better because we’re not stuck in one path hoping it works out. We’re actively shaping it.
Q. What’s not being leveraged well about GenZ? What should workplaces change?
I feel like workplaces are not fully using how adaptable we are. We learn fast, we adjust fast, and we’re not scared of new tools or change.
But still, sometimes we’re not taken seriously just because we have less experience.
One thing I really want workplaces to change — stop assuming that less experience means less value. Sometimes fresh perspectives solve problems faster.
Q. One thing GenZ does best at work
We question everything.
We’re not scared to speak up, share ideas, or question things that don’t make sense.
That ability to challenge the “normal” is something I think no other generation does the same way.
Q. Finish the sentence - We are not misunderstood. What is actually happening is ..
People are uncomfortable with the fact that we’re not willing to settle anymore.
--Ends--
Saloni is a Software Engineer at Optum, where her work centres on backend systems built with Python and AI/ML. Raised in Indore, she brings both technical depth and a management sensibility to everything she builds — shaped by her earlier role at Reqpedia Technologies, where she worked across backend development and project management, owning solutions from build to delivery. She sees herself as someone who sits comfortably at the intersection of tech and leadership. When she is not writing code, she is in the water or playing guitar.
