A survey of 12,000 Generation Z members worldwide.
Consider whether your career choice offers the latest technology.
Face-to-face communication and team work are preferred over remote communication.

Dell Technologies has released the results of a survey conducted with more than 12,000 high school and college students in 17 countries around the world.

This survey, commissioned by Dell Technologies and conducted by global market research firm Dimensional Research, aimed at understanding the perceptions of Generation Z, defined as youth born between 1996 and the mid-2000s, on technology and future jobs. Generation Z, also known as "digital natives," is currently between the ages of 16 and 23 and is expected to account for 20% of the global business population by 2020.
Among Gen Zers who received IT skills as part of their formal education (98%), 91% responded that "given the same conditions, providing the latest technology would be a key factor in deciding whether to join the company." A majority (80%) of respondents expressed a desire to use cutting-edge technology in their work, and 46% of them expressed a particular interest in careers in technology research and development. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said they had entered an era of human-machine partnership, and nearly half (51%) predicted that people and machines would work as a single team. Furthermore, 80% believed that advanced technologies and automation would create a more equitable work environment, free from bias and discrimination based on age, gender, and race.
Most Gen Zers expressed confidence in their IT skills. Seventy-three percent rated their technical skills as excellent or excellent, and 68% reported average or better coding skills. Fifty-two percent of respondents rated their technical skills as superior to their non-technical skills (communication, creativity, and logic).
This survey also found many results that overturned preconceptions about Generation Z, such as their preference for non-face-to-face communication through digital technology or their strong individualistic tendencies. The most preferred method of communicating with coworkers was 'face-to-face conversation' (43%), followed by 'phone' (21%) and 'email' (14%), while 'messaging application' ranked the least at 12%. The preference for working in the office (53%) was more than twice as high as the preference for working from home (24%), and they wanted to work as part of a team (58%) rather than working independently (22%). This also provides a glimpse into the deepening generational barriers in the workplace. 77% of Gen Z, who are adept at digital culture and quickly learn the latest technologies, said they would be willing to act as 'technology mentors' to help their colleagues and superiors acquire the latest technologies at work.
Meanwhile, Generation Z found that factors other than salary were also important when choosing a job. When asked about the most important factor in choosing a job (multiple responses allowed), ‘stable income’ and ‘opportunities for new skills and experiences’ were tied at 50% each, while other major factors included ‘meaning and purpose beyond salary’ (45%), ‘a company that fulfills social meaning and responsibility’ (38%), and ‘work-life balance’ (38%).

Danny Cobb, vice president of technology strategy at Dell Technologies, said, “Generation Z, the ‘digital natives’ who are the fastest to adopt the latest technology, will lead the digital transformation of organizations by suggesting differentiated methodologies that are user-centered, unlike previous generations.” He advised, “Companies need to develop new strategies to embrace the new generation and strengthen corporate competitiveness by bridging the gap between generations, such as reverse mentoring with the latest technologies, and drawing out the potential of Generation Z.”