Generation Z in India is significantly altering the way people approach careers. 43% of them would rather have a full-time job with side hustles than a traditional full-time job. This trend shows that young Indian professionals want both financial stability and the freedom to be their own boss. It also shows that an increasing number of them are choosing to have mixed careers.
Gen Z’s New Career Blueprint
Eve O’Reilly, CEO of Randstad India’s “The Gen Z Workplace Blueprint,” says that the employment trends for conversations with young working men and women born in/after 1998 will be defined by flexibility and personal journey. Just 16 percent of this group prefers working traditionally, devoting their full days to a single job. In comparison, an impressive 43 percent opt for the hybrid approach — a consistent full-time job alongside extra side gigs or freelance projects. This is a hybrid career approach that represents a desire to combine the security of employment with the leeway to experiment with business ideas and multiple streams of income.
Motivations and Workplace Expectations
A shift in the career aspirations of India’s young workforce, born between 1997 and 2007, is underway, according to the latest findings from Randstad India’s “The Gen Z Workplace Blueprint” survey. Just 16% of this group prefers the traditional model of working one full-time job, while No. 43 has embraced a hybrid version — holding down a steady full-time position and taking on side gigs or freelance work. This mixed career path suggests a desire for security, yet also the opportunity to pursue entrepreneurialism and multiple sources of income.
Job Mobility and Retention Challenges
This generation is also more mobile when it comes to jobs compared to previous generations, with the number of job posts that plan on staying less than a year at their current job being as high as 38%, largely due to dissatisfaction with salary and work culture and how well an organization aligns with an individual’s values. Holding on to Gen Z demands more than conventional perks; they’re more interested in flexible hours, work-life balance, travel opportunities, remote work flexibility, and clear career development. This kind of thinking is about pursuing significance, not security through meaningful work and lifelong learning—with financial benefits on the side.
Embracing Technology and AI
Indian Gen Z is also tech-savvy, particularly in the context of AI. However, the majority are optimistic about AI’s role in the workplace, with 83% using AI tools to solve problems and 64% having received training on how to utilize them. However, there are also concerns about job security, with 44% expressing concern about the long-term impact of AI. Their proactive move to upskill with a jet pack of AI tools, OJT and peer learning boards, as well as the thinking towards their pragmatic resolution around the digital future and about places of ‘learning mode’ workplaces.
Cultural Context and Future Outlook
Unlike their Western counterparts – the Gen Zers in developed markets of the US and Europe – the Indian Gen Z seems in a hurry to succeed professionally without missing its familial crutches and financial bounties. It’s this mix of ambition and pragmatism which reflects their exceptional position in India’s booming yet unforgiving economic landscape. Those in the know realize that they can adapt corporate culture and create an agile, inclusive workplace to make it so desirable.
This survey provides a clear picture of how the work expectations of Indian Gen Z are changing. They seek a balance of stability, entrepreneurial spirit, and technological innovation. Their preference for full-time jobs with side hustles suggests that they have ambitious goals and can adapt to a changing job market.