Marko Stavrou on the Future of Work: What Leaders Need to Know About Gen Z Talent

For many organisations, attracting and retaining young talent has become increasingly difficult.

Graduate recruitment is more competitive. Expectations around work are changing. And the hiring processes that worked for previous generations don't always resonate with the people entering the workforce today.

So, what do organisations need to understand about the next generation of talent?

In Episode 77 of Solving the People Puzzle, host Francois de Wet sits down with Marko Stavrou, founder of Genlink and widely known as "The Gen Z Guy", to unpack what is changing and why.

The conversation goes beyond the usual stereotypes about Gen Z. Instead, it explores how technology, social change and shifting expectations are influencing the way younger professionals think about work, leadership, career development and opportunity.

And perhaps most importantly, it asks what organisations can do differently.

Gen Z Is Shaped by Experience

One of the first ideas challenged in the conversation is the idea that Gen Z is simply an age group.

Marko argues that generations are shaped by the experiences and events they grow up with. For Gen Z, that includes the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread internet access and the rise of smartphones.

These experiences have influenced how this generation sees the world, including how they think about careers.

Growing up with access to information and global connectivity has also changed the way young professionals compare opportunities.

They aren't necessarily comparing one employer with another employer down the road.

They can compare a local role with a remote opportunity overseas, starting a business, travelling while working or building a personal brand online.

For employers, that means the competition for young talent is no longer limited to traditional recruitment markets.

Technology Has Changed the Candidate Experience

Throughout the conversation, one theme keeps coming up: friction.

Gen Z has grown up with digital experiences designed to be quick and intuitive. Food can be ordered in seconds. Transport can be booked from a phone. Information is available almost instantly.

Then they enter a recruitment process that asks them to navigate an outdated careers page, complete a lengthy application and wait days or weeks without hearing anything.

The disconnect is obvious.

Marko's point isn't simply that young people are impatient. It's that organisations need to recognise how dramatically expectations around digital experiences have changed.

And this isn't only relevant to Gen Z.

A hiring process that is easier to navigate, communicates clearly and removes unnecessary steps is better for every candidate.

Employer Branding Starts Before the Application

Employer branding is another important part of the conversation.

Many organisations spend significant time and money building their consumer brand, while giving far less attention to how they present themselves as an employer.

For a potential candidate, that can create a very different experience.

They may struggle to understand what the organisation stands for, what opportunities are available or even where to go to find out more.

For younger audiences in particular, organisations also need to think about where they are showing up.

If potential candidates are spending their time on social platforms and consuming content in very different ways, simply relying on a careers page and an email address isn't enough.

An employer value proposition shouldn't live in a presentation that only employees see.

It should be visible, authentic and easy to find.

The Candidate Experience Starts Early

One of the strongest ideas from the episode is that recruitment starts long before the interview.

Every interaction tells a candidate something about the organisation.

A complicated application process says something.

A careers page that is difficult to navigate says something.

Not hearing from a recruiter for weeks says something.

These moments might seem small, but together they shape how a candidate experiences the organisation.

And that experience matters even when the candidate isn't hired.

Marko highlights an important connection between attraction and retention. If someone starts their relationship with an organisation feeling frustrated or overlooked, the employer has already begun the relationship on the wrong foot.

On the other hand, a thoughtful recruitment experience can build a positive connection with candidates, even if they aren't successful this time around.

Internal Mobility Can Help Keep Talent

Attracting young talent is only one part of the challenge.

Once people join an organisation, what keeps them there?

The conversation explores the growing importance of career development and internal mobility.

For many younger professionals, a career isn't necessarily about staying in one department and gradually moving up a traditional ladder.

They may want to work across different teams, contribute to different projects, learn from different people and build a broader understanding of the business.

That creates an opportunity for organisations to rethink what career growth looks like.

Development doesn't always have to mean a promotion.

Sometimes it means a new project, a different team, a mentor or the opportunity to learn something completely outside someone's current role.

Creating those opportunities can help organisations retain people who might otherwise start looking elsewhere for their next challenge.

Leadership Still Sets the Tone

For all the conversation around technology and changing generations, leadership remains at the centre of the employee experience.

Marko shares an example of an exercise that demonstrates how easily people can fall into cognitive blind spots, regardless of their intelligence or experience.

The lesson is a simple one: good leadership requires humility.

It requires leaders to remain open to different perspectives, continue learning and recognise that they don't always have all the answers.

That openness has a direct impact on culture.

When people feel that their ideas are welcomed and that established ways of working can be challenged, organisations create more room for innovation.

When new perspectives are consistently dismissed, talented people may eventually look elsewhere.

Human Connection Still Matters

Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the conversation is that, despite all the discussion around technology, human connection remains incredibly important.

Marko speaks about the role that relationships have played in his own career, from reaching out to strangers and finding mentors to having hundreds of coffee conversations.

In a world where more communication is happening digitally, those relationships can become even more valuable.

Technology can make it easier to connect.

But it doesn't replace the relationship itself.

For leaders, that means creating space for conversations, mentorship and genuine connection remains just as important as adopting the latest technology.

AI Is Changing the Way We Work

AI naturally forms part of a conversation about the future of work.

Rather than seeing AI as simply another productivity tool, Marko describes it as something that can increasingly work alongside professionals as a kind of co-worker.

It can help with research, administration, planning, communication and many of the tasks that previously took up significant amounts of time.

For people entering the workforce today, this is quickly becoming part of what normal working life looks like.

That creates an important challenge for organisations.

Businesses need to think not only about how they can use AI to improve the way they work, but also about how they create an environment that attracts people who are already comfortable working alongside technology.

Modern Work Isn't Just About Gen Z

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the conversation is that many of the changes organisations need to make aren't actually specific to Gen Z.

A simpler hiring process benefits everyone.

Clear communication benefits everyone.

Strong leadership benefits everyone.

Meaningful career development benefits everyone.

And technology that removes unnecessary friction benefits everyone.

Instead of asking, "How do we attract Gen Z?", organisations may be better served by asking a broader question:

"How can we create a better experience for the people we want to attract, hire and retain?"

That's a much bigger conversation.

The Future of Work Is Still Human

The workplace is changing.

Technology is changing how people find jobs, how they work and how organisations operate. Expectations around flexibility, development and communication are shifting too.

But the fundamentals haven't disappeared.

People still want to feel valued. They want opportunities to grow. They want good leaders, meaningful relationships and a workplace where they can contribute.

The organisations that understand this will be better positioned to navigate the future.

The future of work isn't about choosing between technology and people.

It's about using technology to create better experiences for people.

And as Marko's conversation with Francois makes clear, understanding the next generation of talent isn't about chasing trends. It's about being willing to listen, adapt and rethink how we approach work.