Gen Z Reshaping Work, Filling Accounting Shortage

Generation Z is reshaping work and professions, favoring hybrid roles and redefining workplace norms. Surveys show only 23% of Gen Z want fully remote roles while 71% prefer hybrid arrangements, and many set firmer boundaries such as refusing unpaid overtime. High turnover and dissatisfaction persist: about 54% of Gen Z say they plan to leave their jobs, citing pay, career progression and work–life balance, and early-career tenure averages roughly 1.1 years in the first five years. Gen Z also shows stronger adoption of AI tools at work than older cohorts, though access to training varies. At the same time, Gen Z students are helping fill an acute accounting shortage through IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs, saving low‑income taxpayers millions in refunds and entering a field with strong demand. They respond poorly to fear‑based management and tend to thrive under compassionate, purpose‑driven “courageous” leadership that emphasizes vulnerability, empathy and innovation.