Category: Leadership & Strategy

  • Equal Pay Day Data: On Average, Women in Higher Ed Are Paid 82 Cents on the Dollar

    Equal Pay Day Data: On Average, Women in Higher Ed Are Paid 82 Cents on the Dollar

    by Christy Williams | March 5, 2025

    Since 1996, the National Committee on Pay Equity has acknowledged Equal Pay Day to bring awareness to the gap between men’s and women’s wages. This year, Equal Pay Day is March 25 — symbolizing how far into the year women must work to be paid what men were paid in the previous year.

    To help higher ed leaders understand, communicate and address gender pay equity in higher education, CUPA-HR has analyzed its annual workforce data to establish Higher Education Equal Pay Days for 2025. Tailored to the higher ed workforce, these dates observe the gender pay gap by marking how long into 2025 women in higher ed must work to make what White men in higher ed earned the previous year.

    Higher Education Equal Pay Day falls on March 8, 2025, for women overall, which means that women employees in higher education worked for more than two months into this year to gain parity with their White male colleagues. Women in the higher ed workforce are paid on average just 82 cents for every dollar a White man employed in higher ed makes.

    Highlighting some positive momentum during this Women’s History Month, some groups of women are closer to gaining pay equity. Asian American women in higher ed worked only a few days into this year to achieve parity on January 4 — an encouraging jump from January 14 in 2024.

    But the gender pay gap remains for most women, and particularly for women of color. Here’s the breakdown of the gender pay gap in the higher ed workforce, and the Higher Education Equal Pay Day for each group.* These dates remind us of the work we have ahead.

    • March 8 — Women in Higher Education Equal Pay Day. On average, women employees in higher education are paid 82 cents on the dollar.
    • January 4 — Asian Women in Higher Education Equal Pay Day. Asian women in higher ed are paid 99 cents on the dollar.
    • March 5 — White Women in Higher Education Equal Pay Day. White women in higher ed are paid 83 cents on the dollar.
    • March 29 — Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Women in Higher Education Equal Pay Day. Native of Hawaii or Pacific Islander women in higher ed are paid 76 cents on the dollar.
    • April 4 — Black Women in Higher Education Equal Pay Day. Black women in higher ed are paid 75 cents on the dollar.
    • April 11 — Hispanic/Latina Women in Higher Education Equal Pay Day. Hispanic/Latina women in higher ed are paid 73 cents on the dollar.
    • April 24 — Native American/Alaska Native Women in Higher Education Equal Pay Day. Native American/Alaska Native women are paid just 69 cents on the dollar.

    CUPA-HR research shows that pay disparities exist across employment sectors in higher ed — administrators, faculty, professionals and staff — even as the representation of women and people of color has steadily increased. But with voluntary turnover still not back to pre-pandemic levels, not addressing pay disparities could be costly.

    CUPA-HR Resources for Higher Education Equal Pay Days

    As we observe Women’s History Month and Higher Education Equal Pay Days for women, we’re reminded that the quest for equal pay is far from over. But data-driven analysis with the assistance of CUPA-HR research can support your work to create a more equitable future.

    CUPA-HR’s interactive graphics track the gender and racial composition of the higher ed workforce, based on data from CUPA-HR’s signature surveys. The following pay equity analyses control for position, indicating that any wage gaps present are not explained by the fact that women or people of color may have greater representation in lower-paying positions:

    *Data Source: 2024-25 CUPA-HR Administrators, Faculty, Professionals, and Staff in Higher Education Surveys. Drawn from 707,859 men and women for whom race/ethnicity was known.



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  • Next Steps: A Practical Guide for Ensuring Access and Opportunity for All Employees

    Next Steps: A Practical Guide for Ensuring Access and Opportunity for All Employees

    by Julie Burrell | February 19, 2025

    The wave of new executive orders on DEI, immigration and gender identity has already significantly impacted the higher ed workplace. While the pace of change may feel overwhelming, HR departments are taking a leading role — just as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic — in navigating change and making sure all employees feel valued and supported at work.

    As CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley affirmed in his message about the recent executive orders, higher ed workplaces can still:

    • Promote equitable work and career pathing opportunities and pay for all employees.
    • Cultivate inclusive learning and working communities.
    • Create a workplace culture that embraces respect and civil discourse.
    • Level the playing field for everyone by working to remove bias, reviewing outdated policies, and creating transparency.
    • Reinforce institutional values by ensuring that all employees feel connected and supported.

    As you strategize your response to changes taking place on your campus, here are some considerations for ensuring that you are providing equal access and opportunity for all.

    Conduct an Audit of Your Institution’s DEI Efforts

    If you haven’t started already, conducting an audit of programs, policies and procedures can help identify areas of concern. Design a simple spreadsheet to help you organize and track your findings in areas such as training and development, hiring, performance management, communications and website content. For each item, indicate where it falls on the legal spectrum. Does it violate the law? Is it in compliance but in need of adjustments? Is it in compliance and effective as it stands?

    When reviewing your programs and processes, the central question to ask is, do they provide equal access and opportunity to all employees without giving special advantages to any one person or group?

    Here’s one example. The language of the recent DEI-focused executive orders emphasizes merit. Merit has always been critical to hiring, reviewing performance and making promotion decisions. Do your policies around hiring and promotion reflect that focus on merit? Are hiring and promotion processes fair and transparent? Are hiring and promotion decisions documented, and do they reflect those policies and processes?

    Connect with Campus Partners

    Your institution’s general counsel can help ensure any changes made to policies and procedures are in compliance with the new executive orders and mitigate risk for your institution.

    If you’re undertaking a website audit, consult your chief information officer. Is there AI-enabled software that might help identify noncompliant wording or outdated programs?

    Is your institution a federal contractor or subcontractor? If so, you may face additional oversight, including new contract terms certifying that your institution is following federal antidiscrimination laws. If your status is unclear, first check with the office of research.

    Consider creating a neutral body of campus stakeholders to help suggest, implement and communicate changes in response to the executive orders, but also expect that employees and administrators will have strong opinions and feelings about these changes.

    Reframe Inclusion

    As you review policies and communications to ensure compliance, take the opportunity to make your workplace even more welcoming and accessible.

    Align with your institution’s values. What are your institution’s core values and mission? It’s likely they involve respecting diversity of thought and perspective, creating a welcoming environment, and providing equal access and opportunity to all regardless of identity. Affirming and communicating these values can be an important way to stay focused on what matters during times of change.

    Consider accessibility. When revising programs and processes to be more inclusive, envision accessibility for all. For example, if your goal is to make career development programs accessible to all employees, look for gaps in access across your employee population. Just as holding trainings in non-ADA compliant buildings may limit the ability of some people to participate in career development, so might neglecting the needs of groups like non-exempt employees and working parents and caregivers. Are there more flexible options? Can you support supervisors to make it easier for an employee to take time away from regular duties?

    Ensure clarity and transparency. Equity in compensation, hiring and promotion is an effective way to bolster recruitment and retention. For example, hiring and promotion practices that are not transparent, written down, and consistently followed can negatively affect the workforce. Women are less likely than men to be promoted if clear, fair criteria aren’t used. Neurodivergent candidates are disadvantaged when job interviews rely on indirect measures like succeeding at small talk rather than a skills-based assessment. In both of these instances, vague criteria such as “culture” and “fit” may prevent qualified, highly skilled employees from being hired and from moving up the ladder. Finally, be sure that your institution’s job descriptions and job requirements are up to date and are being used as the basis for decisions related to hiring and pay.

    Focus on purpose. To avoid misinterpretation, your efforts at creating an inclusive workplace should be characterized in ways that are purpose driven. For example:

    • Communities of people with varied backgrounds and life experiences create opportunities for community members to grow personally and professionally. When employees thrive, institutions thrive.
    • Parity and equity, in opportunity and pay, support job satisfaction, recruitment and retention.
    • A safe and welcoming work environment fosters community and collaboration.

    Emphasize outcomes. Lily Zheng, author of the book DEI Deconstructed, encourages those invested in fair and healthy workplaces to strengthen outcomes. Zheng recommends an outcomes-based approach “focusing on measurable results like pay equity, physical and psychological safety, wellness, and promotion rates, rather than … a one-time training, posting on social media, or other behaviors that signal commitment without demonstrating results.”

    Take Steps to Educate Employees

    Review the ways managers and senior leadership are implementing the policies and processes that are in place. Is additional training required? If you have made changes to policies and processes, how will you communicate those to supervisors and other campus leaders?

    Be sure to evaluate anti-harassment and antidiscrimination trainings you have in place. These trainings should continue, although they may need to be adjusted to emphasize even more strongly the importance of opportunity and respect for all.

    Know That You’re Not Alone

    The higher ed HR community has been through challenging times before, most recently as the pandemic reshaped the workplace. If you have resources or ideas to share with other CUPA-HR members regarding ways that you and your HR colleagues are creating and sustaining an inclusive campus community, please email them to [email protected]. Your submission will be treated as confidential and, if shared, will be described in terms that will not identify your institution.

    Related CUPA-HR Resources

    Recent DEI-Focused Executive Orders: Next Steps for Higher Ed HR — This CUPA-HR webinar, recorded on February 13, offers excellent insights into steps institutions can take to ensure they are in compliance.

    Recent Executive Orders and Higher Ed HR’s Role in Creating and Sustaining an Inclusive Campus Community — A message from CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley.

    CUPA-HR Data — CUPA-HR is the premier source of higher ed workforce and workplace data.

    Compensation Toolkit — This HR toolkit includes resources to help ensure that compensation plans are fair and transparent.

    Recruitment Toolkit and Interviewing Toolkit — These HR toolkits include resources to help ensure that hiring practices are fair and transparent.

    Performance Management Toolkit — This HR toolkit includes resources to help ensure that performance management practices are fair and transparent.

    Layoffs/RIF/Furloughs Toolkit — This HR toolkit includes valuable resources for managing workforce reductions.

    Resilience in the Workplace — This CUPA-HR webinar, recorded in 2021, was designed to serve as resilience training for attendees, as well as a model that could easily be replicated at your institution for HR teams and other employees.

     



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  • HR Book Recommendations for Winter Break

    HR Book Recommendations for Winter Break

    by Julie Burrell | December 4, 2024

    The holiday break is a perfect time for leveling up your knowledge, igniting your HR spark, and collecting wisdom to share with your team. These book recommendations have been hand-picked by CUPA-HR colleagues for their insights into topics like change management, inclusion and belonging, and daring leadership. They make great team book club reads, too!

    Grab a warm beverage and cozy up with one of these HR reads.

    For bold leaders…

    Vulnerability might not spring to mind as the most important trait in a leader, but in Dare to Lead, Brené Brown encourages leaders to tune into their hearts as much as their minds.

    For the everyday superstar…

    In Hidden Potential, Adam Grant, a Wharton School of Business professor, says that we all have the ability to improve. You don’t have to be a prodigy or work yourself to the point of burnout, but instead be willing to learn and develop your character.

    For the inventor…   

    If you’ve ever pondered creative ways to do more with less, check out A Beautiful Constraint by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden. Jay Stephens, vice president of people and culture at the University of Montana, says “it’s a great book for higher ed, where we tend to live with a scarcity mindset.”

    For the team leader who’s always learning…

    The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni is a perennially popular book. Written in the form of a fable, it addresses some common team issues, like lack of trust, fear of conflict, and avoidance of accountability.

    For those looking to stress less…

    Jennifer Moss, a keynote speaker at the 2024 CUPA-HR Annual Conference and Expo, is a leading voice in fighting burnout. The Burnout Epidemic argues that organizations must take the lead in developing an anti-burnout strategy that moves beyond apps, wellness programs, and perks.

    For out-of-the-box thinkers…

    Miranda Arjona, assistant director of HR at Rollins College, encourages embracing the qualities that make children special (and that we tend to forget when we’re all grown up). Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss “encourages readers to embrace new experiences, face obstacles with courage, and keep moving forward,” while Curious George by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey “emphasizes the importance of curiosity, exploration, and learning from one’s mistakes.” Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne “offers insights into the importance of enjoying the present moment, valuing simple pleasures, and appreciating the quirks of those around us.”

    Bonus tips for the book club leader (no required reading!)…

    As the content specialist in training and development, Corrie Grint hosts two different book clubs at the University of Utah. Here are her tips for success.

    • Vary book choices. Grint chooses a mix of classic leadership books, new and popular books, and untraditional books.
    • Build in flexible participation. Grint bases her questions on the general principles of books like Atomic Habits, “so anyone can participate, even if they haven’t read the book.”
    • Structure clubs inclusively. Participation is virtual and capped at one hour.
    • Offer pre-session and during-session support. A week before, Grant emails out other options to supplement or replace the reading, such as a book summary PDF or YouTube video. She also provides questions similar to the ones they’ll discuss. During the meeting, she provides a summary of the principles taught, along with quotes, and asks questions along the way.

     

    Here’s the full list of recommendations, chosen by CUPA-HR colleagues:

    An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything by Chris Hadfield

    Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear

    A Beautiful Constraint: How To Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, and Why It’s Everyone’s Business by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden

    Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay by Liz Fosslien and Molly West Duffy

    The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It by Jennifer Moss

    Career Self-Care: Find Your Happiness, Success, and Fulfillment at Work by Minda Zetlin

    Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Joseph Grenny and others

    Curious George by H.A. and Margaret Rey

    Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown

    Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

    Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy by Rachel Ricketts

    The Dream Manager: The Secret to Attracting, Engaging, and Retaining Talent by Matthew Kelly

    Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves

    Endurance: A Year in Space and a Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly

    The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon

    First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham

    Fish!: A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Lundin, Christensen, and Paul

    The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni

    The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People by Gary Chapman and Paul White

    Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II’s Greatest Rescue Mission by Hampton Sides

    Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

    The Guide to Good Leading series by Ari Weinzweig

    Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant

    HR on Purpose: Developing Deliberate People Passion by Steve Browne

    I’m No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts: Mini-Meditations for Saints, Sinners, and the Rest of Us by Kristen Chenoweth

    Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez

    Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

    Leadership and Self-Deception, Fourth Edition: The Secret to Transforming Relationships and Unleashing Results by The Arbinger Institute

    The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

    The Long-Distance Teammate: Stay Engaged and Connected While Working Anywhere by Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel

    Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by William Bridges

    No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results by Cy Wakeman

    Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

    The Outward Mindset: Seeing Beyond Ourselves by The Arbinger Institute

    Own Your Own Work Journey! The Path to Meaningful Work and Happiness in the Age of Smart Technology and Radical Change by Edward D. Hess

    The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

    Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott

    Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

    Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less by Jim VandeHei and others

    Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg

    Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen

    Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant

    Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara

    When Everyone Leads: How The Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved by Ed O’Malley and Julia Fabris McBride

    Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson

    Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne



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  • A Guide to Engagement and Climate Surveys That Inspire Action

    A Guide to Engagement and Climate Surveys That Inspire Action

    by Julie Burrell | October 30, 2024

    Surveys can be a powerful tool for improving workplace culture and employee satisfaction, but they can have unintended consequences if no action planning follows. In fact, the lack of tangible — and rapid — action planning often lead to a cycle of employee disengagement and eroded trust, which results in fewer employees taking future surveys, and ultimately weakens their effectiveness overall.

    But getting surveys right is possible. By implementing targeted surveys and following up with action planning, higher ed workplaces can earn a reputation for valuing employee insights. CUPA-HR’s recent webinar Turning Insights Into Action: Designing and Implementing Impactful Employee Climate/Engagement Surveys explains how to build, or regain, employee trust and confidence in surveys, increase response rates, and create a campus culture in which employees’ perspectives are prized.

    Ask These Two Questions First

    Before launching a survey, ask these critical questions: Does our institution need a survey? And, if the answer is yes, does our institution have the resources to act on the survey results?

    Without a solid “yes” to both questions, consider pausing survey efforts. It’s better not to conduct a survey at all than to conduct one and not follow it with action planning.

    Surveys should also focus on clear objectives, addressing one to three specific topics in depth. They should be topics the institution is ready to act promptly on once the survey is concluded. It’s also best to avoid questions with predictable answers. For example, you may already know that employees want parking that’s both closer and less expensive. Asking more refined or open-ended questions might lead to actionable results. In the case of employee satisfaction around parking, the right question might reveal that safety is a primary concern, something that can be addressed by installing more lighting in lots or strengthening security for employees using parking garages after dark.

    Increase Response Rates by Building Trust

    Effectively communicating the survey rollout and offering incentives can boost completion rates, but responses are ultimately determined by the trust employees have in your institution and the survey process itself.

    Make it anonymous. Clearly communicate how the survey will be kept anonymous and confidential. This is especially important for open-ended or text-based responses. If you’re not using an outside vendor, consider adding a survey analyst to your committee — you probably already have employees with these skills.

    Know that timing is everything. The survey should be sent out at the right time to avoid clashing with other surveys and to steer clear of any big campus plans or events that might skew results (for example, a recently announced capital project like a new stadium). A timely response from leadership is key, as are timelines in action planning. Any follow-up items should have target completion dates.

    Be clear on when and how employees will see the results. Don’t wait for a grand reveal when action items have been completed. This might take months, long after employees remember how they’ve answered survey questions. Instead, publicize the survey results as soon as possible and begin listening sessions to both refine results and include departments and divisions in planning.

    Build in accessibility and offer time to complete it. Consider if you need to translate the survey into multiple languages or if employees working outside of an office might benefit from a hard copy. Encourage supervisors to offer incentives like an early departure after completing the survey and ask them to send calendar invites to block off time for completion.

    Take Action. This is by far the most important way to build trust. The webinar offers concrete processes for building and planning a survey, impact planning (including templates to send to campus leadership for quarterly tracking), ideas for holding listening sessions, and proven employee engagement strategies.

    Discover More Resources for Data-Informed Decisions

    Read the article Employee Engagement/Satisfaction/Climate Assessment: Producing Actionable Results, which offers a six-step guide to creating and implementing effective surveys.

    Explore other webinars in CUPA-HR’s Data and HR series: Data You Can Count On: Using CUPA-HR’s Data Resources for Strategic Decision-Making and Data Visualization and Storytelling Tips and Tools for HR.

     



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  • Finding Shared Purpose at the 2024 Annual Conference

    Finding Shared Purpose at the 2024 Annual Conference

    by Julie Burrell | October 9, 2024

    At the CUPA-HR Annual Conference and Expo 2024, the three keynote sessions offered insights on how higher ed can articulate its value proposition for employees. How can HR, campus leaders and other culture architects ensure their institutions are places where candidates want to work and where employees want to stay? And how can we bridge the cultural, political and intergenerational divides so many of us are experiencing on campus to help our communities thrive?

    There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to these challenges, but the keynote speakers reminded higher ed HR pros not to underestimate the value of a shared purpose. Here are a few of their insights into remaking workplace culture through deliberate community-building, connecting through traditions and reinforcing our collective values.

    Fighting Burnout and Finding Community

    Workplace culture strategist Jennifer Moss opened the conference in Orlando with a reminder that, while it’s been many years since the COVID-19 pandemic, its lessons still linger. During that time, many of us asked, is what I’m doing important? Does it make a difference?

    For so many in higher ed, the answer is yes. But Moss also shared a hard truth: the passion that leads people to work in higher ed may lead to burnout or passion fatigue. The solutions offered for burnout are often focused on the individual (“take a bath” or “meditate”), when they need to be systemic and even societal. Burnout isn’t about having a bad day — it’s chronic stress, classified as a disease by the World Health Organization. A strange irony is that burnout from overperforming at work often looks like underperformance (exhaustion, disengagement and cynicism).

    One solution that Moss proposed is to encourage employees to deliberately build stronger community and positive social connections, both essential to building bridges and combatting loneliness. According to the data Moss shared, eating just one lunch per week with coworkers, rather than alone at a desk, can aid employee happiness and performance. So can spreading positive gossip (saying nice things about others behind their backs), which subconsciously supports psychological safety.

    Takeaway: It’s key that workplaces tie efforts to reduce employee burnout to specific objectives and key results so that individuals aren’t responsible for solving the crisis on their own.

    Great Storytelling for a Shared Purpose

    Annual conference attendees experienced the magic of Disney firsthand during the closing night EPCOT excursion. But what makes Disney so magical? According to keynote speakers Jeff Williford and Jay Pyka of the Disney Institute, it’s all in the details. Disney excels in the finer points, with each park and resort providing a unique and immersive experience, from what music guests hear, to what smells are piped in, to the thatched roofs in Animal Kingdom made by South African artisans.

    How does Disney engage over 70,000 employees — aka, cast members — to ensure that the details are done right? While cast members’ jobs may be different, from serving food at EPCOT to directing riders on Space Mountain, they all share in one common goal: creating happiness. In their talk, Williford and Pyka emphasized that culture is defined by how people behave, and training is critical to achieving desired behaviors. Caring and communication are also vital elements of culture. The extent to which organizations genuinely care for their people is the extent to which those people will, in turn, care for customers and each other. And high-quality communication can reinforce culture as much as lack of communication will undermine it.

    Disney uses their expertise in storytelling to train and unite cast members in the common goal of creating happiness and embracing Disney culture. In fact, the first class new employees attend as part of their onboarding is one on Disney traditions because it helps them connect with the history and culture.

    Takeaway: Higher ed workplaces can create a powerful connection between employees and the institution’s mission, fostering a sense of belonging and commitment.

    Gen Z and the Future of Work

    In her closing keynote, Heather McGowan, a future-of-work expert, offered a hopeful vision of work — and of a society where more of us are united than divided. But she also admitted that “it’s difficult to be a human right now.” There’s a profound lack of connection among people, an uptick in loneliness and disconnection, and social divisions stemming from the pandemic, politics and social media.

    Why? One reason is that work has replaced what people once found in community, whether through church or bowling leagues or book clubs. McGowan said that’s why current and future generations entering the workforce seek jobs that reflect the totality of their values and personality.

    Gen Z is especially known for seeking greater meaning in work. They desire mentorship, they want to be part of something bigger than themselves (meaning), and they want to live their values through work (mission). They’re rejecting the work contract of previous generations, which promised job security in exchange for employee loyalty. Why, McGowan asked, are workplaces still demanding loyalty without offering the same security they did in previous generations?

    In asking for work to be meaningful, Gen Z is sending a critical lesson for the future of work, McGowan believes, one that workplaces need to take seriously to recruit new employees and retain existing ones. The data show that what employees want most in a job is growth, autonomy, achievement and respect.

    Takeaway: The future of work might just be in listening to what Gen Z is trying to convey: We all need a shared purpose and meaning in work.  

    Looking for More on Work Culture?

    Jennifer Moss’s new book, Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants, will be published in January. You can also check out these CUPA-HR articles and resources:



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