As each generation makes decisions about how they want their career to unfold, employers have an obligation to think strategically. Organisations need to consider how they shape opportunities to match the aspirations of the contingent workforce and the changing labour market.
Gen Zedders will make up an increasing percentage of contingent workforces in the future. But are Contingent Workforce Programs ready to deliver what a new generation of workers wants? The answer, in most cases, is a resounding ‘no’ – because Contingent Workforce programs are slow to evolve.
So how do those programs need to adapt to offer a better experience? Now is the time for employers to ask themselves whether their contingent program is set up in the right way. Are they enabling support for workers who potentially have different priorities to those who have gone before them?
Recognising the importance of Gen Z
People born between 1997 and 2012 (aged from 13 to 28 in 2025) are classed as ‘Gen Z’.
By 2023, “Gen Z” was the third largest population by share in the US (Statista, 2023). With “Baby Boomers” retiring soon, Gen Zedders are entering the market and becoming one of the backbones of the workforce.
What seems to set Gen Z apart from previous generations is their aspirations. For this post-Pandemic generation, raised as digital natives, remote-working should be achievable. They don’t want to spend every hour of their lives in the office, especially if it means their work-life balance suffers.
This desire for a more flexible way of working means that the role of Gen Z in the contingent workforce is only going to grow. But at the same time, flexibility and work-life balance are only part of the picture.
Meaningful work
Perhaps the biggest challenge that Gen Z have is achieving flexibility, while still feeling like they do valuable and meaningful work. The biggest stereotype around this generation is that all they want the work-life balance to work exclusively in their favour. All of the research shows that this is not true. Most are at the beginning of their careers and realise that there are opportunities out there that they need to explore. They want work-life balance – but they still also want to be able to learn from others, develop, progress and build professional expertise.
Career development
The desire for learning and development connects with the types of roles that offer Gen Z the flexibility and work-life balance they need. Too often, this means picking up side-hustles and becoming a part of the gig economy. ‘Contingent worker’ stops meaning ‘highly paid contractor’ and starts to mean a series of low-level roles that give you more freedom outside of work but less control over your future career trajectory.
There’s more insight from Ranstad on this topic:
The research, which surveyed 27,000 workers in 34 markets across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas, shows that while over half (56%) of workers consider themselves to be ambitious, rising to 69% for Gen Z, this doesn’t correlate to the traditional understanding of career aspirations….. the research indicates that not wanting career progression does not mean employees have no interest in self-improvement, with nearly three quarters (72%) ranking training and development opportunities as important. Meanwhile, nearly a third (29%) would quit a job if they weren’t offered learning and development opportunities to future-proof their skills, such as training on AI.
Rafael S Lajeunessel, CEO of ReachX
The statistics support the theory that Gen Z workers often want more than gig-working can offer them. In research by Upwork into their freelance community, 57% of respondents identified themselves as ‘non-freelancers’. Often, these are dissatisfied permanent workers looking to turn something they are passionate about into meaningful work.
It all points to an important insight: Gen Z may value flexibility, but they also value work that they can immerse themselves in, care about and build into a long-term career choice.
How do contingent workforce programs need to adapt?
If an emerging generation of workers are to experience the combination of flexibility, meaningful work and career development that they are looking for, many organisations will need to rethink how they engage, manage and support their contingent workforce.
The contingent market is only set to grow. As workers build their experience, skills and knowledge – and as the wider economic outlook continues to oscillate – organisations will be able to rely on their contingent workforce to support them through times of growth and change. But there is also much more that they can be doing to manage, develop and support this workforce, to help them build their career and at the same time, build loyalty to the organisation.
Build a proposition, brand and values that Gen Z can identify with
This is not about changing the values that matter to your organisation. It is about building your employer brand so that it communicated your values in the right way, along with a sense of purpose and meaning to the work you do. Gen Z want more than a job.
Engage on social media
If you build your employer brand and contingent value proposition in the right way, you need to make sure it is visible in the right places. It goes beyond the usual social media suspects like TikTok (even though it’s important). As more freelancers look to build their personal brands online, employers need to be a part of the freelance communities where they operate.
Support learning and development
Understanding how your contingent workers want to grow and develop is important. Some may want a permanent role. Others may want a portfolio of experiences. There are those again who prioritise work-life balance, flexibility or financial rewards. As part of your Contingent Workforce Program, are you helping your workers to clearly see how those experiences can be available to them within your organisation?
Provide perks and benefits
There are some simple must-haves for contract workers. Being classified correctly, being paid on time, being given an effective onboarding experience. Simple things that help them to do their job well. Increasingly, organisations and their partners (partners in payroll, rewards or recruitment) are offering more benefits, rewards and incentives to contractor. This is helping to increase loyalty and improve the contingent worker experience.
Conclusion
For many organisations, the future workforce will be a blend of permanent and contingent. The contingent workforce continuing to grow. The challenge for employers becomes how to bring those groups closer together, creating a single culture, shared values and a shared sense of purpose.
Gen Z are looking for exactly this kind of employer – where a flexible, integrated, multi-disciplinary workforce is actively brought together, increasing collaboration, innovation and shared learning. It is now up to the organisations themselves to meet the expectations and begin building an integrated, inclusive workforce. Modernising their contingent workforce solution will be a vital step in making this happen.