Generation Z reshapes job expectations and employer hiring

Generation Z is redefining workplace norms by placing mental‑health and personal well‑being above traditional loyalty. Young workers are abandoning toxic employers, employing tactics such as “quiet quitting” – doing only what is required – and “loud quitting,” where they publicly call out poor conditions.

Employers are responding by demanding greater self‑reliance, digital fluency and rapid adaptability from new hires. In Croatia, private universities are redesigning programmes to deliver multidisciplinary, project‑based learning and mandatory internships ranging from 400 to 800 hours, aiming to equip students with practical skills that match employer expectations.

Both the cultural shift among workers and the educational reforms aim to create a labour market where flexibility, psychological safety and alignment with corporate values become core requirements.