Gen Z employees seeking more say in how they work, making companies rethink strategy

Bengaluru: For Gen Z, workplace freedom is no longer just a perk. It is becoming an expectation, with young employees seeking greater say in how they work, what they work on and how their careers progress.

The shift is taking different forms across companies: Deutsche Bank is focusing on flexible working and career mobility; InMobi on outcome-led performance and cross-functional opportunities; Emeritus on continuous learning; RPG Enterprises on remote work and greater career transparency; and Schneider Electric on internal mobility and AI-enabled skills development.

Across companies, the broader trend is towards giving employees more choice in how they work and deliver, while keeping accountability firmly in place.


"For many Gen Z professionals, freedom at work goes beyond flexibility in location or working hours. It is increasingly about having a voice, being trusted to take ownership and contributing meaningfully to outcomes," said Madhavi Lall, head-HR India, Deutsche Bank Group.

Organisations are increasingly listening-and learning.

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Emeritus is speaking to more than 1,000 Gen Zs across India, including talent already in the workforce, for an upcoming report. One early finding is that nearly three in four prioritise work-life balance over formal leadership titles.

"Gen Z does not leave organisations, they leave managers. That insight has shaped where we invest," said Ganesh S, CHRO at Emeritus.

He said ambiguity creates anxiety for this cohort, prompting Emeritus to become more deliberate about performance expectations, decision-making and realistic growth paths.

The company has also shifted from annual surveys to continuous listening through skip-levels, pulse checks and informal feedback channels.

At InMobi Group, Gen Z comprises more than 38% of the workforce, including interns, reshaping its approach to high-performance cultures.

"We view our mandate not as prescribing career paths, but as enabling individual capability," said Shefali Rai, group CHRO, InMobi and Glance.

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Its SuperYou framework supports development, while Live Your Potential offers cross-functional bridge assignments to help talent test new domains and build multi-dimensional skillsets. More than 15% of InMobi's open roles are filled through internal mobility.

"When you give ambitious talent the freedom to experiment, paired with the responsibility to deliver, you don't just retain Gen Z; you create a resilient, self-driven workforce," said Rai.

Research by RPG Enterprises found that 64% of Gen Zs cited flexible work options as a workplace must-have.

"Every generation has wanted more control over its time. Gen Z is simply much more comfortable asking for it upfront," said Udayan Dutt, president-group HR at RPG Enterprises.

But freedom for Gen Z goes much further, said Dutt. It is autonomy over how a problem gets solved, not just when. It is having a voice in the work they take on, the skills they build and the direction in which they grow.

"The policies at RPG reflect this-flexible working hours, remote work options, structured mentorship, progressive benefits and continuous learning platforms."

Niharika Mohan, CHRO, Greater India Zone, Schneider Electric, said the company puts employees in the drver's seat of their careers.

"Through our AI-powered Career Hub, we give people greater transparency on their skills, career paths and opportunities. Mentoring, projects and internal mobility enable employees to explore different roles, build networks and gain experiences."

However, freedom at work cannot mean freedom from accountability, managers said.

"The framework is simple but quite critical-be clear about the outcome, the deadline, the dependencration is non-negotiable-then give people appropriate freedom over how they get there. This also makes autonomy more inclusive," said Emeritus' Ganesh.

Mercer careers leader Mansee Singhal said organisations getting this right are deliberately shifting performance conversations towards outcomes, impact and skill application rather than hours logged or desk time.

That means clearer goal-setting, more frequent and specific feedback, and reward structures tied to what an employee delivers rather than how visibly they deliver it.

“This is a harder transition for many managers than a hybrid-work policy, because it requires a genuine shift in how trust and accountability are built,” said Singhal.