Gen Z doesn’t do cubicles—they’re all for creative playgrounds. They chase flexibility, autonomy, and work-life balance, not rigid hierarchies, and “twinning” careers—juggling a corporate job with a passion project—is the new normal. Job-hopping? Totally fine. Being glued to emails 24/7? Absolutely not. They tackle challenges others say they can’t, see work as both a milestone and a badge of financial independence, and value personal time, family, and friends over pointless loyalty. Offices need to be lively, fun, and inspiring, because this generation works smarter, not longer, and thrives on freedom, flat hierarchies, and the soft life aesthetic of a 12-to-5 grind done their way. Call it The Big Reset—because that’s exactly what’s happening to India’s work culture. The rules of work are being shredded, redrawn, and GIF-ified.
In response, companies are no longer only chasing profit margins; they’re blurring boundaries, embracing employee individuality, and designing workplaces for a generation that was raised on TikTok trends and memes. By 2025-end, Gen Z will make up 27 per cent of India’s workforce; and by 2030, Indian businesses are expected to employ 30 per cent of the world’s Gen Z talent. This emerging workforce in India is redefining career norms with an emphasis on flexibility, creativity, and personal wellbeing.
For many in this cohort, job-hopping is no longer frowned upon; instead, it’s a deliberate strategy to gain diverse experiences and accelerate career growth. Platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and freelance marketplaces are enabling side hustles. The traditional office environment is being replaced by hybrid models, wellness-centric workplaces, and experiential facilities like meditation rooms or team retreats. Unlike previous generations that equated success with climbing a single corporate ladder, Gen Z prioritises mental health, work-life balance, and meaningful engagement over rigid hierarchies.
Not exactly a stand off, but this change is not to say no contrasts exist; many young professionals follow conventional careers, particularly those from prestigious B-Schools. They seek stability and influence within established multinationals, embracing structured career ladders and formal managerial roles. For example, a fresh Business graduate from Harvard might join a global consulting firm with a clear trajectory toward senior executive positions. Their satisfaction comes from mastering corporate strategy, leading high-stakes negotiations, and gaining recognition in the boardroom, rather than pursuing side hustles or unconventional gigs. This juxtaposition highlights a generational crossroads in India’s workforce—one segment chasing flexibility and creative fulfillment, another continuing to value tradition, hierarchy, and the power game—illustrating that career aspirations are diverse rather than monolithic. The reason for the bend in the river is a yen for independence of the outlier. “I can’t take orders from anyone,” confesses Dhruvin Gala, a 21-year-old management graduate in Mumbai—he would have been a corporate climber aiming to be VP at 40 had he not an individualistic streak. At 18, he was organising clubbing events, working on a flat fee from nightclubs to create IPs including the guest listing, DJ and production details, collaborations, and menu curations. But he didn’t wing it; he actually made a DIY manual by joining “a friend’s father’s company initially to cut my teeth in marketing, but the 9-to-7 job left me with little time for anything else. I started my own streetwear brand in 2020 with my classmate. She retired in 2022 at the age of 21,” shares Dhruv. He re-oriented the company and now imports pickleball equipment from China (with seed funding from his father). “I want my own successful brand. Plan B? Dad’s business is there as a safety net,” reasons the young entrepreneur. He isn’t keen on getting his masters—why spend `60 lakh and then come back to end up as the third-gen nepo kid? At 15, his younger sibling is streaming online as a successful YouTuber. Staying on with one company for over five years is a Gen X, boomer trait now. For 23-year-old Hemaangi Bhat in Mumbai, her job (which she found via social media) with a PR firm is the fourth gig in five years. She completed her masters in luxury management in Milan and returned to the city to work with the corporate fabric and then made the switch. “Office needs to be lively, an interesting place to work in,” she says.
Shilpi Madan for Sunday Standard