Today’s observation looks at insights from our 30/30/30 Project and they indicate that Gen Zs have a well developed social justice barometer. It is not clear whether this is a dealbreaker for companies that want to hire them or have them as their clients, but it is something that they consider when considering employment and where they spend their money.
Continue reading to find out more.
What we learnt
30% of the interviewees agree and are also on the fence about whether a company’s values or stand on social justice issues matters to them.
“Yeah. How do I put this? In fact, it does, it does matter the most, it does matter. So. Yeah.” – Lerato (27, Black, female)
“It is important to me because I believe that as much as you want to make money, the wellbeing of the people around the company or people around you should also matter.” – Balekane (28, Black, female)
“I think employer more importantly, yes. Because you working for them? Are you kind of standing by what they stand for? I mean, also as a consumer, yeah. Because you’re supporting the business. You’re working for the businesses, you’re showing them that you are supporting whatever they’re supporting. And that’s how the public also sees you. So yeah, it’s important.” – Nelly (20, Black, female)
Some feel strongly (20%) about companies being explicit about their stance on social and political issues. Others do not mind (10%) as they consider other factors more important than the position a company takes on social issues, like values, money and public perception.
“So yeah, no and yes. I mean, the previous jobs I’ve worked for, it’s kind of just been okay, what’s available, this is what’s available, how much money can I make? Okay, it’s good enough. It meets my minimum threshold. So just go for it until you can figure something out if I don’t enjoy it, you know, so I’ll say yes and no.” – Aviwe (28, Black, male)
“There was a job opportunity that I got to take videos and pictures at a club. But I declined it because I felt like it’s not who I am, even though, yes, I’m desperate for money, but I don’t want to bend over … The reason that I work with Saucity and the CSE Fellowship organization is because they align with who I am as a person. I like advocacy around women’s rights, advocacy around youth empowerment. ” – Hlengiwe (28, Black, female)
“… if you were offered a job, great money, but it feels a bit dicey. Would you? Probably, I mean, there’s so much context of that, but I’d probably then say no if it’s something that I don’t agree with at all… Every day, I’m constantly having moral dilemmas that probably wouldn’t last.” – Dustin (20, White, male)
Looking at the unemployment stats of SA and the responses from the interviewees in the Side Hustle section of this report, it is evident that financial freedom and alignment with personal values are more of a priority than social justice or when their priorities change.
Just in name. Not in practice.
63% of the interviewees said no, and 33% said yes, with one person who did not respond.
“No, I’m actually very scared of those. Yes, because then the police will start shooting [at] us with rubber bullets. And then I see other people with injuries. And then other people, the tear gas affects them really badly. And they end up in hospital, and all of that. So I’m actually really terrified of riots and protests and strikes.” – Oratile (20, Black, female)
“So yeah, we were, I was involved, it was rough making, buy like chocolate t-shirts and you know, getting tear gassed and shot at. I’ve never caught a bullet or a bullet before, but people next to me and around me have. So it was quite dangerous. Yeah, very, very people, locked out, people, yeah, a lot of blood.” – Aviwe (28, Black, male)
For this generation of youth, protest takes the form of armchair activism rather than active physical participation. Most of the respondents are active on both Instagram and TikTok. There is no indication that their engagement on these platforms leads to any form of activism. They have expressed not liking the threat physical protests pose to their safety. One could say that they fear that they can endure the way police respond to protest action.
When asked how many protests the interviewees participated in, the responses ranged from many to not all. Those who do participate in protests have supported causes like the Israel/Palestine conflict, Gender-based violence (also against the gay community), Fees Must Fall, Women’s Rights, Anti-racism and Jacob Zuma.
What is notable is some individuals stand on both sides of the Israel/ Palestine conflict as well as those who continue to “fight” for the rights of groups that are marginalised, due to gender, race and socio-economic factors.
What does the research/experts say:
According to a 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report, there has been a shift in the purchasing decisions of this generation. They used to use life events to decide whether a brand was worth supporting. Now, they use how a brand responds to societal issues such as COVID-19, climbing inflation, climate change, and the Russia\Ukraine conflict as a barometer of where to place their loyalty and spend their hard-earned money. Unlike their South African counterparts, American Gen Zs are using social justice as a filter for where to work, according to research from Porter Novelli. According to Talent LMS and Bamboo HR, 76% of US Gen Zers define a great workplace as, “caring, friendly and [has] socially conscious people.” According to Glassdoor, Gen Zs hold their employers accountable through conversations about diversity, inclusion and politics.
Aaron Terrazas, Chief Economist at Glassdoor, says, “At the individual level, the employees who say they care most about DE&I tend to skew younger, non-white (especially Black), and female…Among employees and job seekers aged 18-34, 80% say that a company’s investment in diversity, equity and inclusion is very or somewhat important to them when they are considering a new job, a statistically significant difference from employees and job seekers age 55-64 (67%), and from employees and job seekers age 65-plus (61%). It is also statistically larger than the 74% of employees and job seekers aged 35-54 who say it is very or somewhat important to them.”
What can businesses and policymakers do about this?
Businesses can consider the risks and rewards of linking themselves to a social cause that aligns with Gen Z values and ideals, such as participating in initiatives that tackle the impact of climate change on society. Policymakers and businesses alike can create spaces where Gen Z employees can flag issues that resonate with their social justice barometer and allow them to participate in doing something at a company and individual level. Policymakers should also create policies that put equity and human rights at the core of decision-making in the company, such as the work Vietnam is doing with their business sector, by enabling them to implement the guiding principles of the UN on business and human rights. Businesses can also apply the principles of 3D diversity in their companies to create truly diverse and inclusive work environments.
By Flux Trends
The data and quotes mentioned above refer to a project that we are in the midst of, in conjunction with Student Village called “The 30/30/30 Project” whereby we collected insights from 30 South Africans, under the age of 30, 30 years into our new democracy.
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Book you and your team a spot at our upcoming salon, From GenZ to Gen Alpha, to get access to the latest insights about Gen Alpha.
Can’t make it to our salon?
Contact Bethea Clayton at connected@fluxtrends.co.za or +27764539405 to book this salon for your team or clients.
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Image credit: Sushil Nash
